Business for Transformation: A New Book by Patrick Lai
From the back cover
Business for Transformation focuses on answering the question: “How do you start a business that transforms communities of unreached peoples?” Starting a business cross-culturally involves thousands of decisions. Until now, BAM and B4T practitioners have been lacking a tool that explains how to start a business that engages unreached people for Jesus’ sake. This book draws on years of experience from scores of OPEN workers who are BAM/B4T practitioners. BAM/B4T are among the faster growing segments of the worldwide mission movement. It is written for new workers and coaches who need practical guidance in setting up and doing business in hard, church-less areas.
BAM is about shaping business for God and the common good; bringing solutions to global issues like human trafficking, poverty, creation care, and unreached peoples. Patrick Lai’s book is an important guide for those who are serious about transformational business, especially in areas where the name of Jesus is rarely heard. This book is very practical with tools, stories and resources. Read it, use it!
Mats Tunehag – Co-Chair, BAM Global Think Tank and Senior Associate of BAM, The Lausanne Movement
eBook now available from Amazon
Book Recommendation by Bill J – BAM Practitioner
Something is changing in the world of missions, and it is happening all over the world. This change is not being directed by one person or organization. Heaven’s Kingdom is behind the change, influencing men and women to think and act differently in the realms of business and mission.
It is clear that Jesus is reclaiming His role in the workplace, especially in parts of the world where He is not invited. As He does this, we are seeing His influence explode into the lives of individuals and, in a few cases, communities. We are discovering that He wants us to integrate both our walk with Him and our business life in ways we never imagined before. This book demonstrates that kind of integrated life; doing business while constantly listening to the voice of God.
In researching his first book Patrick surveyed over four-hundred field workers who were exploring this new way of effectively expressing what God’s love looks like in the working world. Patrick has experienced and heard many stories of both successes and failures. Fifteen years later, Patrick and his wife May are still coaching and mentoring B4T workers in over twenty countries. During their thirty-one years overseas, Patrick has started businesses in three Muslim countries. He has not only studied the subject he’s done it. In addition, he is sold out for Jesus. His life is a model of the integration of business and missions among unreached peoples.
As I began my journey twenty eight years ago, there were no books to help us understand tentmaking, BAM and B4T. Thanks to Patrick and others, that is changing. This book is for anyone considering entering a country where Jesus is not welcome and starting a business for the blessing of the people there. Whether people come through an organization or come on their own, they will be greatly helped by what Patrick shares in Business for Transformation.
In this book, you will find dozens of “best practices” – observations about how the best and most successful B4T businesses conduct their operations The value of learning from other’s mistakes is that you can leap-frog into successful situations without paying the price of making the same mistakes. I know the price I have paid by not knowing “best practices” could be counted in wasted years and hundreds of thousands of dollars. This book will be a great value to anyone who doesn’t want to waste that kind of time and money!
All the best plans and theories really mean nothing, unless they are executed. In order to know what and how to execute, you need specifics. Patrick provides many specifics for a new start up, and for anyone who wants to take a fresh look at their BAM/B4T business operation. I recommend that anyone interested in this change within the mission world should read this book.
Bill has been a BAM practitioner in Asia for over 25 years.
Patrick Lai first and foremost describes himself as a slave of Jesus Christ. During his thirty-one years in Asia, the Lord enabled his team to gather four groups of Muslim believers and start several small businesses. He authored Tentmaking: The Life and Work of Business as Missions, as well as numerous articles on BAM. He founded the OPEN Network, a network of over 700 B4Ters, BAMers, and tentmakers. Currently Patrick and his wife, May, mentor and coach B4T workers in unreached areas and teach extensively around the world on this new paradigm for doing mission in a changing world.
