What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word ‘ethical’?

Maybe you thought of Corporate Social Responsibility, or operating above industry standard while complying with minimum human rights and environmental regulations

These are all good policies, but here at BAM Canada we believe business should be better than good - it should be redemptive.

In the missional business world, business is not simply an agent of social transformation, but is also an integral part of God’s mission to rescue the lost and redeem all of creation.

Sean Tucker puts it like this,

“Ethical business focuses on doing the minimum required. Redemptive business focuses on creating the maximum blessing.”

Where ethical business is concerned with operating at or above the standard, redemptive business looks to a different standard altogether: Jesus.

Our partners at Tyndale’s Centre for Redemptive Entrepreneurship (CRE) describe redemptive business as love in organizational action: following the pattern of creative restoration through sacrifice.

This is a pattern displayed throughout the Bible in God’s love for Israel. Motivated by love, he not only rescued them from oppression, but he also sacrificed his Son for their freedom.

Following this example, what does sacrificial leadership look like today?

Here in Canada, it looks like a CEO experiencing the transformative love of the gospel, then bringing that love into all parts of his organization. It looks like him integrating prayer and transparent decision-making into his business, making sure every employee is heard and appreciated.

In India, it looks like a textile manufacturer sacrificing parts of his market share by helping at-risk women establish their own businesses.

It could look like you, following God’s call into the marketplace and transforming lives through your faithful witness.

Consider this an invitation to discover how God is calling you to be redemptive in your business.

One way to do this is by hosting a Missional Business Bootcamp in your city. During the Bootcamp, our team goes through the building blocks of BAM: starting with the biblical foundation for business and ending with an illustration of how our godly influence can be stewarded through business.

During the Bootcamp, we also give a brief overview of Praxis Labs’ Redemptive Frame. A framework that highlights the three ways to work (exploitative, ethical, and redemptive) alongside the three dimensions of work (leadership, strategy, and operations).

Within each dimension lies an opportunity for you to reinvent the standard by glorifying God through business, and points those around you to a greater Kingdom.

What now?

Get in touch with us! If you want to learn more about what redemptive business could like for you, we would love to connect with you and help you discover the many resources available.