WHERE OUR TRAINERS TAKE US

by Apr 28, 2019

Proverbs 19:21 ESV
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”

We could not deliver our program without volunteer trainers. Working in five different locations around the world, these entrepreneurs and business people ensure that believers in these challenging, remote environments receive His message and learn how to share it so they can go from surviving to thriving with Kingdom Business.

In the regions our programs go to, having faith costs believers more than it costs us in the U.S. Believers in other countries are persecuted, stripped of their jobs, and isolated for their faith. Nonetheless, our trainers and I never fail to notice how joyful these believers are despite having so little in material terms. It’s an even greater moment for them to learn that they can use their belief and passion for Christ to support their family through Kingdom Business. The training program changes their lives.

As for our trainers, they return from their trips with powerful stories of these transformations. It’s one of the highlights and joys of the missions for many trainers. I’ve personally experienced these moments of global faith connection — connections that cross the miles and cultures that separate us. Those factors aren’t important when we share love for Christ and His message as our common language. My contact list is filled with names you’d struggled to pronounce, names of our entrepreneurs or global partners who reach out to let me know they’re praying for me and sharing His message.

Isaiah 55:11 ESV
“So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

One of the biggest benefits iBAM offers local churches is an outlet for business people to use their experience and gifts. We often hear from our trainers how revelatory it is to find out they can use their skills on mission trips.

Previously, many of these believers felt their skills weren’t useful to traditional mission trips — they weren’t medical professionals, and they weren’t social workers. How could they contribute their skills? iBAM offers them a way to be a pivotal part of each trip we organize. It reignites their passion for Christ and gives them purpose.

This year in particular, we are dependent on believers with business acumen who want to share Kingdom Business with believers around the world. Having five global locations means we need ten training teams to carry out our mission; a typical team consists of three to four trainers, so we will need between 30 and 40 trainers. Our need is great, as is our faith. You can read more inside about the process of “training the trainers” and the incredible journeys our trainers embark upon.

Over the past five years, we’ve launched 32 businesses, 91 percent of which are still operating. These numbers speak to the quality of the trainers we bring on mission trips and the quality of the partners they bring to us. They make Kingdom Business a reality, and they find renewed purpose and faith in the process.