Blessed to be a Blessing


Our first encounter with the demonstration of blessing is in Genesis 1 and 2 where we see God pronounce a blessing three times:
Day 5: Gen 1:20-23 – after creation of the fish and birds, he blessed them and says 'be fruitful and increase in number and fill the sea and the earth'.
Day 6: Gen 1:24-25 – after creation of human beings, he blessed them and says 'be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and use the world’s resources in service of God and people' (Amplified)
Day 7: Gen 2:2-3 – God had finished creation, rested and blessed the day making it holy.

From these examples we can conclude that a blessing has the following constituents:
• Fruitfulness, life in all its fullness, abundance
• Enjoying rest within our world – which is a holy and peaceful relationship with God.

The blessing encompassed both vertical and horizontal relationships. It is dependent on our relationship with God (we are blessed) and in turn we share that blessing in relationship with others and with creation. A term that captures this well is Shalom.

The backdrop of the commissioning of Abraham to be a blessing to all nations is Genesis 3 to 11. This makes the covenant from God all the more amazing as in the midst of a world in rebellion God commits to a mission to bless all nations through the offspring of Abraham. This promise is what drives the mission of God forward and what our mission is all about.

Jesus becomes the climax of this covenant as through him the curse from Gen 3:14-19 is broken. The Shalom is restored (Gal 3:13-14).

The Covenant call is this (Gen 12:1-3):
• Go
• Be a blessing
• All nations will be blessed through you

This is not a passive call. It is not a call to be a spiritual, exclusive club. It is not an instruction that implies we give up on this world and focus on heaven. It is a commission to engage in integral mission expressed through the inauguration of a new humanity who live out this blessing in all aspects of life. It is establishing a community of blessing. We are called to be a blessing to all nations.

Integral Mission and Shalom
As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, may we fully embrace the truth that in Christ the curse is broken and he is the bringer of Shalom: justice, peace and joy. May we revel in this Good News. May we hear the Call again to be a blessing to all nations and our prayer is that our response is here we are Lord, send us.

Micah seeks to create the space for us to come together, to earnestly seek the Lord and discern how we can effectively fulfil his missional call to be a blessing. Let us make use of every opportunity, be inspired by one another, be encouraged by one another, be ready to serve one another, be willing to stand with one another and to always be faithful to God’s mission. We anticipate a powerful and challenging time together at our up and coming Global Consultation: Integral Mission and Shalom: justice, peace and joy (14th to 18th September 2015).

Blessing:

May we bless you: May your family know the presence and call of God. May you know the love of God and may this love flow through you to all you come in contact with and in all you put your hands to.

Thank you for seeing the potential of Micah. Thank you for being a blessing. We look forward to 2015 and know that God can do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

United in Him
Micah Global Secretariat

Business as Mission (BAM)


How can we understand what Business as Mission is?

Here are some descriptions that may be helpful:
• A for-profit venture
• It is an integral mission response:
     - Brings together business and mission
• All activities are intentionally devoted to be used for God’s mission to the world
     - Committed to holistic mission
     - End goal is Kingdom of God – values and approaches guided by Kingdom perspectives
• Business is understood as a ministry in itself
     - Ministry and support to the workforce and their families
     - Ministry and care for clients, suppliers, investors, partners, competitors
     - Ministry in the community where the business is based and communities impacted by the business implementation – i.e. investing in holistic community transformation

There are some off shoots or linked ministries which are at times understood to be BAM but are actually different. For example: tentmaking, investing profits in mission, workplace ministries (e.g. running an Alpha Course at work).

It is important to note that BAM is not charity work that a business can get involved in. Rather it is the total and intentional commitment of the whole reason for existence to God’s glory. Mats Tunehag describes BAM: “Business as Mission is about real, viable, sustainable and profitable businesses; with a Kingdom of God purpose, perspective and impact; leading to transformation of people and societies spiritually, economically, socially and environmentally – the great glory of God.”

Implication
If you are self-employed and running your own business – the challenge to you is will you submit your business entirely for God’s glory?
If your are an employee in business – will you take up the challenge to submit every aspect of your work and engagement with those around you for God’s glory?

Step One: to start to accept this challenge we need to take the first step – ask God how you and your business can better honour and serve Him. God has promised to guide us if we ask.

Stories of BAM initiatives: please send us stories of initiatives that you have been a part of or have seen evolve as we would like to collate. In our world we need to initiate – creating businesses that are totally committed to God is an essential strategic transformation approach.

Here are some sites / resources of interest:

Business as Mission: collection of tools and resources: http://businessasmission.com/about/

Business as Mission Think Tank

Lausanne Business as Mission Issue Network

Recommended Book: Business as Mission: a comprehensive guide to theory and practice by C. Neal Johnson (info on this from Amazon)

The Micah Summit


There were about 100 of us who gathered in New York from the 7th to 9th December 2014 to reflect of the gains and shortfalls of the Millennium Development Goals campaign.

On the 7th December we had our first face to face Board meeting of the new interim Board that was formed from the merger of Micah Network and Micah Challenge. We were thrilled to have the Micah National Coordinators join us as we discussed the road ahead in 2015. This was a poignant moment as we met in the WEA offices which overlook the site of where the Twin Towers stood. In September 2001 at Micah Network’s first Global Consultation held in the backdrop of this tragedy, we wrote our first advocacy letter to the US Government, cautioning restraint.

On the 8th December we gathered outside of the UN buildings with Joel alongside his wife Carol (pictured above), leading us in to take part in the 'Faith in the UN' event. The Panel was made up of Prof Miroslav Volf, Dr Azza Karam, Imam Shamsi Ali and Corinne Woods (the current UN Director of the Millennium Campaign). The overriding outcome of this discussion was the recognition that faith played a vital role in addressing our desire to live life in all its fullness.

In the afternoon of the 8th we gathered at the Salvation Army to continue this discussion with Ron Sider challenging us to be more prepared and well researched on the issues we tackle together. He used the analogy of us too often responding by a “ready, shoot, aim” approach. Micah committed to engage in the post 2015 discussions and explore how we can play our part in engaging with the new SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). We closed this discussion with a renewed Micah Call to Action.

The Micah Summit ended on the 9th December with a moving worship event called Celebration and Sorrow. Mercy Hilderbrand, born in the year 2000, challenged us with a moving call to be “utterly relentless” in our determination to tackle poverty.

A very special thank you to Micah Challenge International and each National expression for their amazing effort over the last 10 years. We take on the baton and together continue to run the race against the travesty and injustice of poverty.

Integral Mission and Ebola


This Testimony comes from Kim Kargbo of Women of Hope International.

As the challenges of the Ebola crisis increase, it has become so evident to us that integral mission is key to being uniquely positioned to respond to this type of event. Had our activities been merely “deed,” they all would have stopped, and we would be in a period of either latency, or redirected mission. However, having a firm foundation of word and deed ministry has positioned us to be able to respond wholistically to the crisis as it has developed, offering not just physical assistance and aid, but spiritual hope to counter the despair that is plagued the region. Indeed, most crises require integrated attention, so building on the foundation from the beginning will allow ministry to continue when crises come unexpectedly.

How has integral mission informed your work in 2014? Send your testimonies to coordinator@micahnetwork.org.

Micah Events


Pakistan
Courage for Change: transforming church, transforming community
An Integral Mission Conversation
January 13-15, 2015
Lahore

Rooted in the Gospel: Demonstrating Transformation
Missional Leaders Workshop
January 16-17, 2015
Lahore

Kenya
SAVE THE DATES: March 5 - 6, 2015

Tanzania
SAVE THE DATES: March 10 - 11, 2015

Germany
Die Millenniumsziele - ein Resümee
"Celebration and Sorrow" event in response to the MDGs
April 24-26, 2015
Kassel

South Africa
SAVE THE DATES: May 20th - 22nd, 2015

6th Global Triennial Consultation
Integral Mission and Shalom: justice, peace, joy
September 14 - 18, 2015
Huampani Convention Centre, Lima, Peru

______________________________

More information about all of these events is available at: www.micahnetwork.org/events

Member events


Wheaton Humanitarian Disaster Institute
Disaster Ministry Conference and Workshops

June 8th - 11th, 2105
Wheaton College, IL, USA

Keynote Speaker: Philip Yancey

AIDSLink International
Channels of Hope Facilitators' Training

February 4 - 10, Gauteng, S. Africa - ENGLISH
March 15 - 2, Belarus - RUSSIAN
April 15 - 21, Ukraine - RUSSIAN

Resources


Doing Good Without Giving Up:
Sustaining Social Action in a World That's Hard to Change

Ben Lowe

Justice Review 2014-2015
International Justice Mission

Strategies for Hope: en français!
This great website with a wealth of HIV/AIDS resource is now available in French.