by Mike Baer

We’ve had quite a ride. For over 40 years, the Business as Mission (BAM) movement has been breaking ground (even before it was called that)—taking the Gospel to the marketplace and planting it right in the middle of real life. This idea—that business isn’t second-tier, but rather a high calling from God—has flipped a lot of thinking upside down. From scattered dreamers and explorers in the 1980s to a global movement with countless books, companies, conferences, podcasts, YouTube channels, degrees, and investment funds, BAM has gone from fringe to full-on force. But here’s the big question: is this just the beginning… or the end of a chapter?

It’s possible that we’re at a crossroads. Ronald Reagan once said that freedom is never more than a generation from extinction. I think BAM is the same. If we don’t pass it on with intention and heart, it won’t last. But Paul’s words to Timothy (in 2 Tim. 2:2) give us more hope and a better plan—train up faithful people who will teach others. That’s the long game. That’s how movements survive.

Put those two thoughts together, and you get a bit of a wake-up call. We need to raise up the next generation of BAM leaders—not just to keep the movement alive, but to take it somewhere we’ve never even imagined. This is about legacy, and legacy means people.

Now, I’m not saying we’re old… but let’s be honest, many of us are turning into “OGs.” In hip-hop, that stands for “Original Gangster”—someone who’s been around from the start. In BAM, that’s a bunch of us. We’ve pioneered. We’ve fought the early battles. And now it’s time to pass the baton to the NGs—the New Gangsters. The next wave. The future of BAM.

From where I sit—with my Boomer perspective—I’m actually pretty hopeful. (And I want to call out the Gen Xers and Millennials too, we all need to think about building from generation to generation, no matter our age or stage.) Gen Z (Zoomers) are full of fire. They’re purpose-driven, passionate, and looking for a cause that’s worth their lives. Reminds me a bit of my generation—we protested war, launched campaigns against hunger, reshaped politics, and kicked off the Jesus Movement. There’s power in this next crew. But here’s the issue: most of them don’t know what “missions” even means. They’re globally connected but often spiritually short-sighted. They don’t know the need, the urgency. Most haven’t yet discovered the next step beyond TikTok activism. That’s the first challenge—help them fall in love with Jesus and His mission.

Then comes the second challenge. Once they’re on fire for Jesus, they still face a stale set of choices: either be a good little layperson in the marketplace, or go “pro” and join the ministry as a pastor or missionary. Two tracks. Black and white. But we know better. BAM throws out the old two-track map. We don’t accept the sacred and the secular divide. We preach Jesus as Lord of all, and business is one of His tools to heal and bless this broken world. So let’s show this new generation that there are more than two doors.

Before they choose, we’ve got to reach them. And here are a few ways to start: Read more