Marketplace Ministry
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters... It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
– Colossians 3:23-24
Last week we discussed Ministry— the calling we all have as followers of Jesus to serve others in His name. One of the most important realizations I had early in my faith journey was that ministry is by no means limited to the walls of a church. God calls us to minister right where He has planted us. For many of us in the Abide & Lead community, that place is the marketplace.
As leaders in business, we spend a significant portion of our lives with our teams, colleagues, and clients/customers. These relationships create an incredible opportunity to bring our whole selves — our faith, values, and love for people — into the workplace. When we lead with Christ-centered purpose, our businesses become platforms for ministry. Marketplace ministry simply means serving God and others through our leadership, culture, and influence in business. It’s not about forcing faith on others, but about creating an environment where people are valued, supported, and encouraged to grow into the fullness of who God created them to be.
Over the past 25 years, I have experienced the incredible joy of seeing God work through our business platform at Founders Advisors. When we invite Jesus into our leadership and culture, He does things far beyond what we could accomplish on our own.
Here arethree practical ways we can integrate ministry into our businesses.
Invite God into the Workplace Through Prayer: One of the simplest and most powerful ways we can minister in the marketplace is through prayer. Prayer reminds us that we are not ultimately in control — God is. It demonstrates humility and dependence on Him as we ask for wisdom, guidance, and blessing. At Founders, we intentionally incorporate prayer into our culture and meetings. We pray for our team members, their families, and the challenges they may be facing. This practice helps create an environment where people know they are cared for not only professionally but personally and spiritually. Scripture reminds us:“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives generously to all without finding fault.”James 1:5When leaders pray, it sets the tone that our work is ultimately a partnership with God.
Share Your God Story: Another powerful way to minister in the marketplace is simply by sharing your personal testimony. Your God story is one of the most powerful tools God has given you. It helps people understand who you are, what you believe, and why you lead the way you do. I make it a point to share my testimony with every new employee who joins our firm. It gives context to our life and leadership and helps our team understand why serving God through our work is important to us. Scripture highlights the power of testimony:“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.”Revelation 12:11People may debate theology, but they cannot argue with your personal story. When we openly share what God has done in our lives, it creates space for others to explore faith in their own journey.
Invest in the Holistic Growth of Your Team:Marketplace ministry also means caring about the whole person— not just the professional side of someone’s life. At Founders, we encourage our team to grow holistically —spiritually, relationally, physically, and professionally. While we never force faith on anyone, we intentionally create opportunities for spiritual growth and exploration. We don’t just talk about this, we put our resources to work here and invest meaningful dollars in these areas. Some examples include: 1) Hosting voluntary lunch Bible studies during the workweek led by professional ministers. We buy lunch and compensate the leaders. 2) Encouraging and funding (cost of attendance and time off) personal and marriage retreats. As part of our ministry we also host these events and make them available for our team. 3) Require all of our team to take an annual 24-hour solo retreats for reflection and renewal. We encourage teammates to incorporate their faith journey into their solo reflection. 4) Investing resources into training and programs that help our team grow in their faith and leadership.
We prioritize these opportunities because we believe a person’s spiritual health is foundational to becoming who they are fully called to be. “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” Colossians 1:28-29 When leaders prioritize spiritual growth, it creates a culture where people can flourish in every area of life. Our mission at Founders is to cultivate a flourishing culture that produces exceptional results for our clients and our team. We believe the only way we can accomplish our mission is to invest in our team holistically so they can fully become who God designed them to be in Christ; in other words, live to their full God given potential.
Marketplace ministry is not complicated. It simply means living an integrated life by bringing Jesus with us into the places where we already live and lead. It happens when we: Pray for the people we lead, Share our faith story authentically, Invest in the holistic growth of our teams,Lead with integrity, humility, and love. When we do this consistently, our businesses become more than companies — they become platforms for Kingdom impact. And God often uses these platforms to reach people who might never step inside a church.
Challenge Question: How can you intentionally use your leadership and business platform this week as a place of ministry to the people God has entrusted to your care? What is one specific practice you can incorporate into your business this week?
Prayer: Father, thank You for the opportunity to serve You through our work and leadership. Help us lead with humility, wisdom, and love. Show us how to minister to the people You have placed in our lives through our businesses and influence. May our workplaces reflect Your grace, truth, and presence. Use our leadership to bring encouragement, growth, and eternal impact to those around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Let’s Abide first then Lead/Minister in the Marketplace from the overflow of what God is doing in us and through us for His Kingdom and His Glory. This is the abundant life that Jesus talked about –The Life that is Truly Life!
