“I never thought I could start a business. Now I have the confidence I can.”

In August we facilitated a Pioneer Business Planting consultation with our workers in Malawi. Oliver and Rhoda Banda, along with about 27 other Malawians gathered to learn the biblical principles of business, how to seek out entrepreneurial business ideas by learning about and meeting community needs, and shifting mindsets about what business is and how to steward it well.

People’s minds and hearts were shifted from seeing business as something they own, to God being the owner and they are the steward God has entrusted with the business. Something that is true of everything in our lives! Just like our families and our ministry, we must steward business well because it is ministry, and a testimony of God’s goodness.

Someone said: “This training completely changed my mind! I can see now that business can be used to reach the unreached. I see now that God is the owner of our business and that we are stewards of what He has been given to us!”

After 5 days of learning practices of business, 8 business ideas were generated – from a taxi business to go to hard-to-reach villages, to establishing a banana farm! Many more ideas may come in the coming weeks as the participants will seek out what their community needs are. We will also provide on-going coaching as they put these ideas to action.

The team have been faithfully researching and writing their business plans. The first business plans have come in! They also have gathered other disciples and shared what they have learned in the training with others.