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Christian Business Pastors – Organized Churches?

There has been a lot of talk and writings about Businessmen & women in Marketplace Ministry and exactly what it means for the organized church and the body of Christ. During the last 25 -30 years, there have been many good & some great books and articles written about this topic and what it means.  Some have received what I believe is divine revelation, some were filled with just practical information which, of course, could have also been divine revelation. Some great books that come to mind are “Kings & Priests” by David R. High, “The 9 to 5 Window” by Os Hillman, “The Seven Mountain Prophecy” by Johnny Enlow, and the one that most changed me personally – “Secrets of the Kingdom Economy” by Paul Cuny.  And there are many more too numerous to mention.

The teaching from many of these books that impacted me most is “How important Christian Business people are to the body of Christ”.  I had always up to about 10 years ago felt like I wasn’t all that important to the body of Christ.  When you think about it, without businesses making a profit and paying tithes & offerings there would be no or severely limited organized churches or ministries. Some might say, well government workers would be paying tithes & offerings. Without taxes being paid by private businesses, there would be no government workers.  Now I’m obviously talking about a free enterprise economy, which is I pray what we keep in the United States.

    I’m not implying that no other segment (Pastors in particular who we desperately need) of our culture is as important to the body of Christ as businesses, but I am implying that Christian business people are critical to the success of many ministries and as business people we have a great responsibility.  It is clear in Deut. 8:18 that God has given us the power to gain wealth for the purpose of establishing His covenant on the earth. And if He gave us the power then I believe you can conclude that He wants those to whom He has given the power (that would be us!) to be wealthy.  Let’s face it, a poor person is very limited to help anyone financially.  Look at the lives of the Green family who own “Hobby Lobby” & the Cathy family of Chick-fil-A.  These organizations and their founders have inspired Christians everywhere.
God laid it on my heart 9 years ago (in 2008) that it was time to gather together Christians in business to network, encourage each other, do business with each other, pray for each other, recommend each other and to learn what God’s word has to say about business, wealth & their effect on the Kingdom of God.

I wanted every connected Christian business person to commit to “BRING IN THE HARVEST – MONEY AND SOULS.”  Today our organization “Integrity Business Referrals” has about 40 members from 29 different churches.  We meet twice per month in Lakeland and Plant City, Florida.  All of our members have space available on our website, a listing in our printed directory and can, if possible, attend our networking meetings. Because of our website IBR77.COM and our Facebook page, we receive phone calls and emails from all over the country mostly from Christian consumers looking for believers to do business with.  We do not accept just anyone as a member, who has the money & professes to be a Christian.  We actually spend time with them & talk with their Pastors if needed.  The applicants give us written permission to do just that.

One of the great benefits of a group like ours, to Pastors, is that it relieves him or her from having to recommend a business to someone in their congregation only to find out later that there was a problem. We do the vetting for them.  We require that any member must be a born again believer in Jesus Christ and be a regular supporter of a church, home church, missionary group or other Christian fellowship that he/she is accountable to.  We ask Pastors to allow us to place copies of our directory in their church foyers or reception areas so their members would know whom to call when they needed help. If businesses in the pastor’s church are also listed, then many other churches will also have their contact information.  “This is a KINGDOM DIRECTORY”

There are many reasons why Christians should do business with other Christians. Pastors need to know this & be confident of it.  So much so that they know that their recommendation of our members or any other Christian business person will be a blessing to their congregant members and to the kingdom of God.  We are looking for Kingdom Minded Pastors & ministry leaders to partner with.  It’s time to grow the kingdom NOW!

In a future article, I will present & discuss the reasons from the Word of God and dispel the myths & excuses of Christians doing business or not doing business with each other.  Also in future articles, answer the question “ where does the ministry part come in?” And the Circle of Blessing – VERY POWERFUL!

God wants us to bless each other & to keep it in the Kingdom!

A REAL FAMILY BUSINESS!

Lew Frye, Founder

Integrity Business Referrals, Inc.

7922 Sioux Ln.

Lakeland, Fl 33810

863-521-3360   intbusref@gmail.com   IBR77.COM

 

& Kingdom principles in the marketplace.  You can find out more at www.IBR77.com or email Lew at intbusref@gmail.com

 

 

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Pastors and Workplace Ministers, Now Hear Me! Thus says the Lord!

This is a local message written by one of our ministry partners in Florida. Its message is worldwide in meaning. Pastors and business owners need to link arms and listen to each other. Great wisdom can be shared and learned, he who has ears hear! Paul

A MESSAGE TO THE “BODY OF CHRIST”

To all Christians who are working in the marketplace I ask these questions –

Whom are you aligned with? Real Christians or unbelievers?

What Marketplace Group do you meet with regularly for encouragement and inspiration?

Are you a blessing to other Christians in the marketplace by doing business with them? By praying for them? By recommending them? Do you even know what the family next to you in church does for a living?

We are so divided, it is a JOKE! The people of the world, the unbelievers and the unchurched laugh at us. Then we fight on FB about doctrines we disagree on & sometimes ignore the doctrines where we agree! And the unbelievers only remember the ridiculous disagreements & arguments we have with each other. Unity of the believer? Listen to what Jesus prayed for – John 17:20-21 – 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will[e] believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. It’s very clear. Is it possible that the world may not believe that God the Father sent Jesus? Surely the unity of the believer is not that important? Father help us!!

We call ourselves marketplace ministers but, do you pray for your customers? And I don’t just mean when you are alone in your car, but when you are with them, to bless and minister to them? Or are you ashamed of your faith, afraid to speak the truth? Or are you afraid God won’t answer your prayers and you will be embarrassed? Have you lost your “first love”? Where is your “Holy Boldness”?

God help us, the Body of Christ, the “Church”. We have allowed unbelievers to take over “Our” culture, our cities, our counties, our state, our nation, our schools, our justice system, our courts, our seats of government, federal, state & local agencies on every level and we say “ How evil everything has become”.

“I wish God would just Beam me up”!

We are standing here at the beginning of what “I believe” is the greatest opportunity in our lives to see a real turnaround in our culture. And we can be a part of it — not if we are “Beamed Up” but if we are “Beaming” from ear to ear with the awesome things God is doing in our midst!

It’s time to bring the Body of Christ together in every way possible. We have left it up to the Pastors and they are trying; but it’s not just up to them.

We see many of our brothers and sisters working in the marketplace that we feel should be aligned with and connecting with us but just haven’t for their own reasons. Maybe they are looking for groups that provide many business leads for them so they can grow their own businesses. I understand that, but don’t join with them to the exclusion of your brothers & sisters in Christ.

I must tell you, there is nothing better than to help others meet their goals by praying for them, encouraging them, doing business with them and seeing the result —SUCCESS! And who better to do that for than another Christian!

Let’s face it, if you help a nonbeliever become financially successful, what Kingdom would they be supporting. They are either supporting the Kingdom of God or a different Kingdom, maybe even the Kingdom of darkness. Is that what you want? “Will they be praying for the customers you refer to them? You think? Will they be sharing the gospel with anyone? Will they be praying for the sick to be healed?

Let’s be real. That is not going to happen.

Some would say, well I don’t want to discriminate. I want to give my leads and my business to unbelievers as much as believers. Really? That’s NOT scriptural! God says in Galatians 6:9 -11 ; And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” What part of “especially” do we not understand? We can still do good to all, but prefer our brothers & sisters in Christ. Or you can just consider that verse a suggestion?

Find a Christian business networking group that you can be part of if you want to be part of that unity. If you don’t know of a good group full of Bible believing, tithing believers who are members of part of a fellowship that they are accountable to and support regularly then check us out.

At Integrity Business Referrals, we are doing the little bit we can to create unity in the Body. Our group consists of business people, ministry leaders and pastors coming together from over 30 churches to help each other in every way possible to

“BRING IN THE HARVEST” MONEY AND SOULS!! We are in unity so that the world will know that the Father sent Jesus!

Call us. IBR – 863-521-3360. Go to our website www.IBR77.com , see us on FB – Integrity Business Referrals or come to one of our meetings. Find out the benefits of unity of the believer in the marketplace & get really connected to what God is doing in our midst!

2018 – ALL NEW BEGINNINGS! GOD IS ON THE MOVE!

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Protect Your Mission Trip Warriors!

Melissa D. of Atlee Community Church out of Mechanicsville, Virginia, wrote on the wall of her church’s Mission Trip to Ecuador Facebook page: I am just finding out that Tommy was hurt today while on his mission trip in Ecuador. He fell through a roof onto a concrete floor. The praise report is that he was not hurt any worse than he was. He has a cracked pelvis, a broken finger on his left hand and they also had to put pins in his left wrist. Now, all that sounds bad, but I know God protected him from it being much more serious! He will have to stay in the hospital for two days and then they will decide what needs to happen next.”

The chances that your church has taken a missions trip are high. The chances that they’ve had missions trip insurance when they did so are not so high. “We’ve been taking missions trips just fine since the church was founded and never had any issues,” you might say. “What’s the point in adding unnecessary expenses to the missions budget?”

In all seriousness, when you travel, especially internationally, there’s a good chance your health insurance or even your liability insurance doesn’t travel with you, and you’re therefore exposed to significant financial risk in the event something terrible happens. You could get really sick or you could be injured. You may have to be evacuated due to a medical event, a political event, terrorism, or a natural disaster (think earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.)

Perhaps Tommy works a great steady job with awesome benefits here in the States, however, is that insurance effective overseas? Will Tommy’s doctor AND hospital bills be covered? Will he have to be moved back to the States with any added precautions, and if so, will those expenses be taken care of? Once he returns, will he be able to work at his job? If not, will his jobs benefits cover an injury he received off the job in another country in a volunteer situation? And never mind his personal insurance. What about the church insurance? Will their liability insurance take a hit?

These are all things that fall under the heading: stuff happens! No matter if your church is planning their 1st missions trip or their 100th, missions trip insurance is no longer an option; it’s a vital component, and you should customize your insurance for your specific needs – nothing more, nothing less.

Here are a few of the many options to consider:

  • Medical insurance for groups of five or more traveling abroad
  • Medical insurance for individuals involved in educational or cultural exchange

Travel protection program

  • First class travel protection
  • Medical insurance and travel protection for international travelers
  • First class travel medical insurance and travel protection for international travelers
  • Medical insurance for traveling executives
  • Medical insurance for organizations with five or more traveling executives
  • Long-term, worldwide medical insurance for individuals and groups of international students
  • Medical insurance for groups of two or more involved in educational or cultural exchange and study abroad programs

Quote taken from
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlee-Community-Church-Mission-trip-to-Ecuador/307652834933

This blog provided to you by Strong Tower Insurance, Inc. Strong Tower Insurance is pleased to partner with All Pro Pastors in support of pastors and their congregations by offering a variety of insurance solutions to protect the mission of the church!

Note: Earl and Carolyn Burkett owner’s of Strongtower Insurance specialize in Church and Ministry insurance. They are committed to serving Jesus in their business and we have asked them to provide articles and information that may help you. We can confidently say they care about those they serve!

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Operating in Social Media Denial

Is your organization suffering from social media denial?

Despite 60 percent of Americans using some form of social media, according to the Pew Research Center, the prevailing belief by businesses is that social media is a fad, a phenomenon, just another version of the Internet.

In fact, 72 percent of businesses don’t even have a clear strategy or goals for social media activities, according to study by the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM).

Darla Moore School of Business researcher Rob Ployhart is working to change that. The management professor is conducting some of the first studies on social media and its use as a business strategy. To help executives struggling with the issue now, Ployhart provided guidance in a report released late October by SHRM.

“There is a lot of hype that goes along with technology,” Ployhart says. “After doing this review, I’m convinced that social media is radically different and that existing theories about communications can’t be applied the same way. It puts incredible power in the hands of employees and customers. One person sharing on social media is more powerful than 50 or more people saying it.”

Ployhart says one of the main reasons businesses haven’t pursued a social media strategy is the lack of data tied to return on investment.

“Usually people think about social media from the employee issue part of it – for disciplinary, firing and hiring – by establishing social media policies for what employees can and can’t do. They’re not looking at it from ‘how can I use this to drive results for my business?’” Says Ployhart, the Band of America Professor of Business Administration in the University of South Carolina’s Moore School.

He says a social media strategy for an organization must be supported by a set of company-wide policies that then are implemented as necessary throughout each department.

“In today’s world, we are all interconnected. Companies that are thinking about this proactively are the ones that are probably going to have an advantage in leveraging this technology,” Ployhart says. “I’d be surprised if the first few companies that get in there don’t have a lasting competitive advantage.”

“Many employees are reaching retirement age. So, how do we push knowledge down to younger employees?” he says.

“Social media and networking is exactly the way we should start thinking about it, and it is not even on the radar screen for most managers because they themselves are not comfortable with it or use it or see it in that kind of way. What they don’t understand is that the younger generation expects to use it and expects employers to use it, too.”

Information taken from www.insurancejournal.com

If you’d like to contact Strong Tower Insurance, we’d love to hear from you!
1.800.329.0093
www.mystrongtower.com

This blog provided to you by Strong Tower Insurance, Inc. Strong Tower Insurance is pleased to partner with All Pro Pastors in support of pastors and their congregations by offering a variety of insurance solutions to protect the mission of the church!

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Does Your Insurance Require Background Screening?

It would be nice to believe we live in Mayberry, where anyone suspicious is immediately locked up in the city jail, faithfully guarded by the ever-skeptical Barney Fife. Yes…that would be nice. However, the world we live in today is a scary place, and let’s face it – whether your non-profit insurance or church insurance “requires” all volunteers and/or workers to have a background screening or not, it’s always a good idea. Not convinced? Read on…


When it comes to your church or organization hiring a new employee or bringing on volunteers, not only are you looking for the best candidate possible, you’re also looking for someone who will properly represent your best interests. Not only does background screening convey the idea that you are serious about protecting your church or organization, but it also helps to defend your congregation against any accusations of negligence.

Douglas Kubacki, a police Sergeant out of Milwakee has dealt with a plethora of situations arising from the lack of a background screening.

“The congregation should develop a set of guidelines for volunteer screening that list the types of background checks performed for each position,” he commented. “For example, it is very important

to run a personal credit check on someone who will be handling the congregation’s finances. If a

position requires driving, request a motor vehicle record, or for a position that has exclusive

contact with children, consult the sex offender and child abuse registry. It also is wise to conduct

screenings, such as motor vehicle and credit checks on a regular basis.”

According to an article posted online at The Birmingham (AL) News, an agency that conducted 5,000 background checks for 450 churches found serious felonies in 80 cases and more than 600 people – almost 1 in 8 – that had some criminal history that may disqualify them from working at a church. (These statistics do not relate to any geographical or denominational breakdowns whatsoever.)

If your organization or church does not have a background screening process in place, now is the time to instigate one. Follow these steps to get started:

  1.  Locate a background screening company who will work side-by-side with you throughout the process. Some examples are:

www.christianbackgroundchecks.com/strongtowerinsurance.html

Note: This blog provided to you by Strong Tower Insurance, Inc. Strong Tower Insurance is pleased to partner with All Pro Pastors in support of pastors and their congregations by offering a variety of insurance solutions to protect the mission of the church!

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