Aren’t Christians supposed to be “in the world”? Why don’t Christians just join traditional chambers based on geography or industry?
Of course, they can and should. But Christians in business need a Christian Chamber of Commerce as well.
I personally joined the Christian Chamber as a member before I became its president. I was looking to grow my business in a community of like-valued business owners — and I quickly realized there is so much more to being a part of this community than I ever imagined.
As believers, we are called to enter by the narrow gate, we are a chosen people, we are set apart and called to shine the light of Christ through all we do. We cannot remove Christ from our DNA. We don’t want to have to be Sunday Christians and Monday atheists to conduct business.
Our focus is Kingdom first. Our priorities are God, family, and work, and we see our work as worship. We conduct business from the inside out, and we believe in relationships and the power of the Holy Spirit. We are different from the rest of the world. We solve problems through prayer and we believe in serving others.
Doesn’t it make sense to have a community that can support you as you conduct your business with excellence and ethics in a dark and fallen world?
And that takes us back to the question: Why a Christian Chamber?
I’ve come up with eight reasons.
Why We Need a Christian Chamber
- Value alignment. We want to build our businesses with people who have a similar value alignment. As Christians, we move beyond a transactional approach to business and are in service to one another. We freely talk about the goodness and grace of God in our businesses. We invite the Holy Spirit into our meetings and conversations through prayer. We lift up members in need with prayer.
- His ways are higher than our ways. Through Bible study and prayer, believers are getting an education the rest of the world does not get. We agree the holy living Word of God is inarguably the best book ever written on business and life. Christian Chamber meetings, topics, and speakers embody a journey rich in experience and coupled with lessons and Biblical insight. We operate in a community that openly understands the power of divine wisdom when it comes to doing business.
- Doing business from the inside out. Believers in the marketplace understand that business is transacted from the inside out. Our members are seeking greater intimacy with God. We see God as our source, not worldly possessions. Our faith-based definition of success determines where we invest our time and resources.
- Business as mission (BAM). We see business as a means to advance the Kingdom of God through the marketplace. Christian business leaders share the gospel, spoken or unspoken, in every interaction with people in the marketplace. Christian leaders in the workplace have roughly 840 times more opportunities to influence the unchurched than pastors preaching their weekly sermons.
- A parallel economy. People want to do business with Christians. Our Christian Chamber directory makes it easy to locate Christian businesses from which to purchase goods and services. At the same time, we know there are people in this world who reject our values and would attempt to cancel us. We can mitigate that risk by knowing where to find buyers and sellers of goods, resources, and services to meet our business and personal needs. As Ephesians 4:16 tells us, every joint supplies.
- Create Kingdom Commerce. Experience the multiplier effect and double your Kingdom contribution. By doing business with Kingdom business owners, we are multiplying our resources. After a sale with a Kingdom business owner, that money is likely to move in alignment with our values as it relates to tithing, philanthropic giving, and supporting candidates and causes that are in alignment with Biblical views.
- Double down on social capital. We are stronger together through divine connections, referrals, and Kingdom collaboration. Collectively, we enjoy greater advocacy for issues impacting Christian businesses, power in numbers, alignment, and unity. We are more than just average people interacting in a beneficial way, we are Christ-following believers building relational capital that can be used to advance the Kingdom, improve lives, grow businesses, and enrich communities. Social capital in the Christian Chamber is equitable and resource-rich in Kingdom and divine connections.
- Make fishers of men. Through the power of a unified community, we inspire believers that have a head knowledge of Christ to develop a deeper, more meaningful relationship with the Lord. We help Christian leaders bridge the gap between Sunday and Monday by inspiring and equipping leaders to create a Kingdom culture in their workplace. In a Christian Chamber, there is a level of accountability and motivation to become a co-worker in God’s service.
There you have it: Eight reasons Christians in business need a Christian Chamber of Commerce.
Here’s a bonus reason:
It’s the right thing to do.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are not hiding or ashamed of our love for God. Nor are we going to sit silently and “quiet quit” on our Christian faith in the marketplace!
Now is the time for Christians to come together, support one another, show up for each other, do business together, pray for each other, and encourage one another to live out our faith in the marketplace and everywhere we go.
Silos are not the answer to Kingdom advancement through our businesses. The collective power of believers working together in the marketplace is currency in many forms. If you want to go fast go alone; if you want to go far, go together.
Do you have any additional reasons for joining a Christian Chamber? Please share them.
