Loving God and neighbour in business – how far can you go?

June Dennis:

Wife, mother, daughter, sister, neighbour, church member, trustee, employee, manager, student, entrepreneur, Dean of Staffordshire Business School.

Loving God and neighbour in business – how far can you go?

June Dennis:

Wife, mother, daughter, sister, neighbour, church member, trustee, employee, manager, student, entrepreneur, Dean of Staffordshire Business School.

A bit more about me

Is marketing a appropriate job for a Christian?

Is marketing a appropriate job for a Christian?

Marketing is:

“ The management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer requirements profitably.”

Source: CIM

Is marketing an appropriate job for a Christian?

“…the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.“

(AMA)‘…satisfying needs and wants through an exchange process.’

(Kotler)

The marketing exchange:

Seller Buyer

Something of value

Something of value

Goods, services, ideas

Money, credit, data, services

Let’s start at the end…..

Commissioned by God in the Workplace

• Moses – looking after his flock (Exodus 3)• David – looking after his flock (1 Sam 16)• Gideon – harvesting week (Judges 6)• Esther – in the courts of the palace (Esther)• Peter – fishing (Luke 5) • Nehemiah – cupbearer to the king (Nehemiah)

Salt and Light – Matthew 5 v 13-16

• Salt – preserve; flavour; influencing; ‘the best shop assistant you can be’.– ‘Whatever you do, do it with all your heart’ (Col 3 v

17).• Light – ‘let your light shine before others, that

they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.’ (NIV)

Using your giftings at work

• The Bible rarely distinguishes ‘life’ from ‘church life’– Parable of the talents (Matthew 25, v 14-30).– ‘Do not neglect the gift you have’ (1 Tim, 4 v 14).– ‘Having gifts that differ…let us use them’ (Rom 12 v

6-8).– ‘As each has received a gift, use it to serve others (1

Peter 4 v10)

Loving your colleagues: Using your giftings in workplace

Just your everyday prayer meeting!

Bringing other Christians together

• Institution A – prayer meeting & support network (word of mouth).

• Institution B – the secret Christians brought together by tragedy

• Institution C – Eclectic mix, open, prophesy, prayer but difficult culture.

• Staffordshire University?

Managing Christians

• It’s not a secret society!• Treat all the same – cannot give leeway because

someone is a Christian.• Be careful what you share• Allow others to take the lead on initiatives• Show love and mercy

Loving your competitors & suppliers

• Be fair!• Be known as someone who is true to their word• Do they know you’re a Christian?

Sharing one’s faith in the workplace• Conquest approach – ‘against the world’

– Unethical – we are paid to work– Ineffective – colleagues resent this approach– Could be illegal

• Synthesis approach – ‘some salt but no light’, slow and suble– Hopefully people will ask why I don’t swear, drink etc, but I

wont’ tell them why directly.– Let others find out and then ask if they want.– Relational but not necessarily effective

• Third way – just be yourself!– Let people know you’re a Christian– Don’t be apologetic about your faith– Answer questions but don’t push

So maybe I am a missionary!

And finally, some questions

• Do your work colleagues know that you’re a Christian?• How would you feel if they found out?• Do you expect God to speak to you in and about your

workplace?• Are you the best you can be at what you do?• How could you use your gifts and talents at work?• What 1 thing could you do that makes you feel a little

uncomfortable?

• Touré-Tillery, Maferima & Light, Alysson E., 2018. "No self to spare: How the cognitive structure of the self influences moral behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 48-64.