Éxito de los Negocios del Reino

Recita siempre el libro de la ley y medita en él de día y de noche; cumple con cuidado todo lo que en él está escrito. Así prosperarás y tendrás éxito. Josué 1:8 El éxito es comúnmente definido en los negocios como la obtención consistente de una tasa de retorno o alcanzar objetivos rentables. Estas medidas son importantes, pero cuando definimos el éxito en los negocios del Reino, debemos ir más allá de la tasa de retorno y de la rentabilidad. El éxito en los negocios del Reino toma en cuenta todos los elementos que hacen de un negocio convertirse en negocio del Reino.

Un negocio del Reino es una empresa lucrativa bajo el señorío de Jesucristo, operada por un creyente nacido de nuevo. Este negocio honra al Señor Jesucristo a través de sus productos y servicios, es manejada en base a principios bíblicos, sirve de luz en el lugar de mercado, y sus ganancias son usadas para el avance del reino de Dios en la tierra. En forma simple, un negocio del Reino es un negocio de Dios, manejada a la manera de Dios por sus mayordomos, para los propósitos de Dios en el mundo.

Éxito en los negocios del Reino es la fiel mayordomía de los recursos que el Señor ha puesto bajo mi cuidado para el servicio de mis empleados, mis clientes, y el cuerpo de Cristo, de tal manera que pueda generar un incremento. Este me permite tener mayor influencia espiritual y natural en mi comunidad e industria.

Existen siete claves que determinan si un negocio del Reino es exitoso:

1. El negocio es usado como herramienta para cumplir el plan de Dios para el mayordomo
(Colosenses 3:23). ¿Tu negocio esta ayudándote a cumplir el plan de Dios para tu vida? Un negocio del Reino no es solamente algo que haces para tener recursos para apoyar el Reino, sino también es la forma en que tu llevas a cabo el mandato de tu misión. El negocio es la misión. Cada creyente nacido de nuevo ha sido llamado por Dios para alcanzar un llamado específico. Aquellos que tienen una pasión por los negocios deben buscar al Señor para determinar como el negocio puede ser una herramienta para cumplir ese llamado. Esto le da propósito y significado al negocio y trae satisfacción al trabajo.

2. Los productos y servicios honran al Señor Jesucristo (Hechos 19:24). Como mayordomos
de negocios del Reino, no debemos vender ciertos productos y servicios solo por que son rentables, sino debemos preguntarnos si estos productos y servicios glorifican a Jesús. ¿Vendería Jesús estos productos y servicios? ¿Satisfacen necesidades claras y legítimas? ¿Producirán daños a otros? Tu no puedes tener un exitoso negocio del Reino que promueva productos y servicios impíos.

3. Miembros de la gerencia glorifican al Señor Jesucristo. (Marcos 10:42-45).
Los negocios del Reino deben modelar el mismo estilo gerencial que Jesucristo modeló
- el modelo del siervo líder. La forma en que usted trata a sus empleados, maneja sus finanzas, trata con el gobierno, y mercadea sus productos y servicios deben dar gloria a nuestro Señor y Salvador Jesucristo.

4. El negocio provee para las necesidades naturales del Emprendedor Bíblico y
su familia (1 Timoteo 5:8). La biblia es clara en que el trabajo es la forma de proveer para nuestra necesidades naturales. Ella dice que si un hombre no provee para su casa, él ha negado la fe y es peor que un incrédulo. No importa cuan celoso seas acerca de Jesús, debes tener balance y debes asegurarte que tu negocio provee para tus necesidades y la de tu familia.

5. El negocio genera ganancia bíblica: saldo doble (Proverbios 16:8). Los negocios
del Reino deben ser rentables. Jesús aclara esto en la historia de los talentos en Mateo 25:14-30 cuando El se desagrada del siervo que no obtuvo ganancias. Ganancias sostenibles son la única forma de construir riqueza, y de acuerdo con Deuteronomio 8:18, riqueza es la evidencia que confirma el pacto de Dios. Al mismo tiempo, la biblia aclara que debemos trabajar no solo para ser ricos. De acuerdo con Proverbios 16:8, es mejor tener poco con justicia que tener abundancia con injusticia. En otras palabras, no debemos buscar ganancia a toda costa. El enfoque bíblico de ganancia es un enfoque balanceado. Un saldo doble es requerido: una ganancia obtenida en forma justa y honorable sin comprometer los principios bíblicos.

6. El negocio es un medio para el evangelismo y discipulado del mercado (Mateo
28:18-20) Todos los creyentes nacidos de nuevo, sin importar sus profesiones, tienen el mandato de cumplir la Gran Comisión; la Gran Comisión es en parte evangelismo y en parte discipulado. Como mayordomos de los negocios del Reino, nuestros negocios son la plataforma de mercado para evangelizar y discipular a todos aquellos que influenciamos en nuestra esfera de negocios, incluyendo a nuestros clientes, empleados, proveedores, socios, competidores y la comunidad en la que operamos.

7. Los negocios son un instrumento para dar (1 Timoteo 6:17-19). Los negocios
del Reino deben comprometerse a dar para el trabajo del Reino y para aquellos en necesidad. Nosotros damos a través del diezmo de las ganancias de nuestro negocio y dando generosamente en la manera que el Señor nos mueva. Dar, sin embargo, no es la única medida de un negocio del Reino exitoso, sino solo una de varias medidas del éxito. Como se dice anteriormente, nosotros no iniciamos un negocio del Reino para darle a las misiones, sino que el negocio del Reino es la misión. Si dar fuera la única cosa que constituyera un negocio como negocio del Reino, entonces los negocios de Bill Gates y Oprah serían considerados negocios del reino. Los negocios del Reino deben reflejar todas las siete características listadas aquí.

¿Estas operando un negocio del Reino? ¿Cuan exitoso, desde el punto de vista del Reino, es tu negocio? No hay mejor momento que este para colocarnos aparte del mundo.

Los tiempos económicos difíciles crean mayor demanda por negocios que reflejen la voluntad de Dios y sean sal y luz en el mercado para Jesús. Esto nos provee de una ventaja competitiva única y nos permite ser un recurso para el mundo en tiempo de necesidad como José lo fue en Egipto.
En el Reino de Dios, el éxito resulta en mayor responsabilidad. En Mateo 25:21, Jesús dijo "si en lo poco has sido fiel (Éxito), te pondré a cargo de más (Responsabilidad)"

Nuestro éxito en el negocio del Reino vendrá con responsabilidad y no necesariamente con muchos beneficios - aunque nuestra provisión estará siempre dentro de las responsabilidades.

Que Dios te provea la gracia de honrarle con tu negocio.

Copyright © 2009 Patrice Tsague ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

from Jason in Tanzania

Last night I taught a Kingdom Business seminar to about 100 local Christian Business people. They were about 60% business ladies. They really liked the seminar. Several said God touched their hearts. One guy said, "this is what Tanzania needs. We have been taught to give money by the church, but the Church has never taught us how to make money. Tonight many of my questions were answered. We need more of this."
I met with two govt. officials the District Commissionar and the Trade officer. They confirmed the need for training. The trade officer is a believer (a pastor even) and he said "our greatest need is to have our minds transformed. Our people are surrounded by opportunity but they can't see it."

Pray for Jason Benedict, RCE Strategist, and the rest of his time in Tanzania and Burundi.

The More Abundant Life - Part 4

The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Once you reject your own righteousness and put on the righteousness of God, the second attribute to the more abundant life is peace. Peace is the inner tranquility and poise of the believer whose trust is in God through Jesus Christ.

The world sees peace as a lack of external conflict or trouble; however, in God's kingdom, peace can be present in the midst of conflict and trouble. Peace gives you the internal comfort and courage to face difficult situations and external problems. Without God's internal peace, you cannot address problems effectively nor can you obtain external peace.

The prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 describes Jesus as the Prince of Peace. A prince is the son of a sovereign ruler; so Prince of Peace means that Jesus is the bearer, or ambassador, of peace. When Jesus talks about giving us the more abundant life, He is talking about a life that will allow us to experience peace with God, with ourselves, with nature, and with those who choose peace. This peace is not the empty promises that the world offers through materialism, false religions, and false treaties. It is a godly peace that passes all earthly understanding.

This peace is beyond the world's comprehension. In the midst of an economic meltdown, you have peace; in the midst of bad news from the doctor, you have peace; in the midst of limited cash flow, you have peace; and in the midst of uncertainty about the future, you have peace. This peace is not circumstantial, but rather it is based on a complete trust in God through Jesus Christ.

As a kingdom business steward, how do you achieve this peace? You achieve it by abiding in Christ. Here are five things that keep you abiding, or finding your existence, in Him:

1. A personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which gives you peace with God
2. Keeping your mind on Him
3. Being spiritually-minded no matter the circumstances
4. Prayer - drawing near to Him with your worship and expressing your needs to Him
5. Keeping the Word of God in your heart

This peace disappears the minute you take your eyes off Jesus and begin to focus on yourself or your situation and not on His perspective and promises.

Why is this peace so necessary? It is a peace that the world cannot take away, and it guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. This peace is a spiritual shield around your heart and your internal nervous system to protect you against sudden heart attack or mental breakdown.

Many people in business have experienced heart failures and mental breakdowns as a result of bad news that they received about their businesses. This news can range from market changes, loss of contracts, loss of investments, or lawsuits. Remember, the devil comes to steal, kill, and destroy; he uses people, things, and information to achieve his goal. But Jesus came that you may have life abundantly.

What are you facing right now? Are you experiencing the abundant life? Do you have a peace that passes all understanding? If not, seek the Prince of Peace, set your mind on Him, remain spiritually-minded, pray, and put His Word in your heart. Before you know it, peace will start coming over you. Although your problems may not disappear, this peace will give you comfort and the courage to face your problems; this is what it means to walk in the more abundant life.

Next week, we will discuss the final and most critical attribute of the more abundant life; joy in the Holy Spirit.

The More Abundant Life - Part 3

The thief does not come except to steal, kill and to destroy, I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Now that we understand the importance of having our existence in Christ, as we seek to achieve the more abundant life, let us discuss walking in the abundant life. Three attributes set apart the abundant life: righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Today we will discuss righteousness.

As we stated before, the more abundant life is not about achieving material prosperity, though it does not preclude it. Jesus states in Matthew 6:32b that He knows that we have need of things. After stating this, Jesus says, "...but in order to acquire these things, you must seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness," and then the material things you need will follow.

What does it mean to be righteous? You are righteous when you live your life in line with God's will. None of us lives completely without sin while on this earth, but once saved, we can live by His power in such a way that He is pleased. His righteousness in us causes us to please God through our actions, thoughts, and behavior. This righteousness is a manifestation of having an existence in Christ. When we move in Him and have our being in Him, the fruit that we bear is a righteous lifestyle.

There are two types of righteousness: a righteousness which is of God and our own standard of righteousness. Unfortunately, many of us who have a zeal for the Lord and are serving Him in the marketplace fall prey to walking in our own standard of righteousness. The Apostle Paul states in Philippians 3:9 that he wants "to be found in Jesus, not having his own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ; a righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

He also states in Romans 10:2-3, speaking of the Israelites, that they had zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. In their zeal, they established their own righteousness because they were ignorant of the righteousness of God. What is this righteousness that is "of the law"?

It is actions and behaviors that are based on the letter of the law but ignorant of the spirit of the law. This zealous self-righteousness is using God's word to realize one's own will and desires without taking into account the effect on others. It is a stubborn pursuit of one's rights based on scripture at the expense of love. Without any regard to the spirit of the law, it is a defense of one's rights based on scripture. It is void of faith.

Those who have their own standard of righteousness may not be involved in immoral acts such as murder, adultery, and so forth, but their actions do not please God because they are based on their own sense of righteousness rather than God's.

How do I know if I am walking in my own righteousness?


1. I always justify my position.
2. I do not operate out of love.
3. I seek more to be understood than to understand.
4. I fight for my rights rather than for what is right.
5. I am not led by the Spirit.
6. I lack compassion.
7. I am presumptuous.

Unfortunately, some of us Christians have earned a reputation of self-righteousness. This means that we have fallen into our own standards of righteousness, not God's. As a result, our message of the Good News has at times been lost and often falls on deaf ears because we are perceived to be more concerned about our agenda than caring for people.

As a Kingdom Business steward, if you are not careful, you may fall into this trap. This trap of self-righteousness will impact the success of your business. Or even if your business succeeds financially, you will lose your ability to transform the marketplace because of your self-righteousness.

How then do I ensure that I operate in God's righteousness?
1. I should not always justify myself.
2. I should operate in love.
3. I should seek to understand.
4. I should focus on what is right and not on who is right. (Ignore your rights; you have none.)
5. I should be led by the Spirit.
6. I should be compassionate.
7. I should not assume.

As Paul emphasizes in Philippians 3:9, to be found in Jesus is to operate in God's righteousness through faith. God's gift of faith enables us to lay aside worldly righteousness based on performance, self-sufficiency, maneuvering, and conniving. Instead, by faith we trust God and His goodness to justify and cover us. We rest in the love of Jesus Christ.

Walking and resting in God's righteousness demonstrates that your existence is in Christ. Once you have established the foundation of your existence in Christ, and add to that God's righteousness in your life, you are ready to build toward the subsequent steps of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. In next week's devotional, we will discuss peace, the second attribute of the more abundant life.

The More Abundant Life - Part 2

The thief does not come except to steal, kill, and to destroy; I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

In last's week devotional, we defined the more abundant life as an existence in Christ that is overflowing with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We asked the question, "Do you desire this overflowing experience?" Assuming the answer was, "Yes" we will now address how to have this experience.

Walking in the more abundant life begins with abiding in Christ. This means that you find your existence, your very survival, and your source, in being connected to Him, the Vine. Jesus explains this when He calls Himself the True Vine in John 15:1-8: "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in Me."

"I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in Him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples."

Jesus begins this statement by emphasizing that He is the True Vine, which means that there are other vines that are not true. Similarly, He states in John 10 that there are false shepherds who bring destruction, while He brings the more abundant life. These false shepherds include new age philosophers, psychics, the god of materialism, etc. These false shepherds lead entrepreneurs and other individuals to a material success that is void of a life of fulfillment and eternity.

The more abundant life is also a life that includes bearing much fruit. This "much fruit" is the overflowing experience, a life that provides you with more than enough in spiritual things and enhances your natural condition. This "much fruit", because of the power of the Holy Spirit, overflows into wise business practices and profitable, long-term decision making for your Kingdom Business. This, of course, cannot be achieved outside of Christ.

How do you achieve this?

1. You must be attached to the True Vine.
2. You must allow Him to prune you.
3. His Word must abide in you.

The Apostle Paul understood this because he walked in the more abundant life. Despite prison, persecution, shipwreck, and a thorn in the flesh, he was able to write more of the New Testament than any other person and touched more territory with the Gospel than any other person in His time. What was his secret? His existence was in Christ.

Here is what he said:
"But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:7-11).

Do you want to overflow in your life and business? Get lost in Jesus, immerse yourself in His Word, and allow Him to prune your life through the trials you are currently facing so that you may bear much fruit.

Next week we will discuss the attributes of the abundant life.

The More Abundant Life

"The thief does not come except to steal, kill and to destroy; I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Each year for the last seven years, as a part of our strategic action plan for the year, we develop a theme that serves as a spiritual compass for us. That theme directs us and keeps us aligned in the Lord's direction for the year. Identifying a theme keeps me personally focused and spiritually alert to make decisions throughout the year, to address challenges, and to embrace the opportunities of the year. Last year our theme was contentment. This theme enabled us to have a deeper appreciation for what the Lord had done for us, what we had, and who we were in Him.

This year, our theme is the more abundant life. For the next several weeks, the weekly devotional topics will amplify this theme. I pray you will be blessed as we journey together into how to walk in the more abundant life that Jesus promised all those who will believe in him. I also encourage you, if it is not a part of your practice already, to begin developing your own theme, based, of course, on your own plan for the year. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs, including kingdom entrepreneurs, do not make planning as a part of their business culture, which limits their ability to achieve God's best for their business. Whatever you have accomplished without proactive, consistent planning, I guarantee, with proactive planning, you will do at least fifty percent more.

I will be honest, when the Lord first gave me this theme last year, my first impression was that it had to do with bringing us as an organization into abundant prosperity. But with further study and prayer, I concluded that even though the more abundant life does not preclude material prosperity, it is deeper than that. Material prosperity is merely one of the benefits of the more abundant life, but not the goal. You can have a materially prosperous life without an abundant life, but you cannot have an abundant life without being materially prosperous. Material prosperity is not defined by a certain lifestyle or a certain income, but rather it is defined by the quality of your lifestyle and income. Jesus was materially prosperous but had no income. Many of us today would not want to have the lifestyle he had since he did not live in a castle, did not drive a luxurious car, and did not wear fancy clothes and jewelry.

But he lacked nothing and was the most prosperous man who ever lived. Of course, there is nothing wrong with all those things I listed above. The problem is when you begin to use them to serve as a measurement of your spiritual well-being or worth. So what is an abundant life for the kingdom business steward and why is it so critical in today's uncertain business environment?

Notice that Jesus began His statement in John 10:10 by first contrasting with the work of the enemy. He stated that the thief, meaning the devil, comes for three reasons only: to steal, kill, and destroy. So where there is theft, killing, and destruction, it is either the direct work of Satan or the result of sin which is caused by cooperating with the work of Satan.

Yes, I realize that the economy is bad, and we continue to hear nothing but bad news. But you do not have to buy into the lie that suggests you have to be a victim of the recession. If you do so, you are cooperating with the works of darkness that are seeking to bring an end to the plans of God in your life by destroying you and your business. As someone stated, you can choose not to participate in this recession and the devil cannot force you.

Of course, not all bad things we go through are caused by the enemy; some of them are caused by our own bad choices and sin in the world, but whatever the cause, God does give us a way of escape. The more abundant life is an existence in Christ that is overflowing with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Jesus did not say you will have life which is mere existence, and he did not say you will have an abundant life which is an existence that is above the norm; rather, he said you will have a more abundant life, a life that overflows with more than you need.

Do you have an overflowing experience right now? Do you want an overflowing experience? Join me next week as will discuss how to get that experience. This experience will not only bless your business but your personal and family life. It will cause you to have a bounty year in mist of a drought, a harvest in midst of a famine, and hope in mist of despair, but you have to want it and seek it.

Business Plan Competition, Ukraine: Report from Ivan Papish, Director of RCE-Ukraine

Dear friends:

As you all know during the year 2008 we had 3 seminars of Biblical Entrepreneurship (Principles of BE, Practices of BE and Planning Biblical Based Business). After the end of the third seminar we asked people to write there own business plans; it could be eitherer for a new business or for the growth of an existing business. At the end of the year of work, our Center had a celebration and invited all of the people that worked with the Center in one way or another, whether through La Red training, Biblical Entrepreneurship training, or the business symposium last year. At the celebration we gave certificates to everyone who finished all 3 seminars.

We had 51 participants in each of the 3 Biblical Entrepreneurship courses this year (and two of the students came to Christ in BE 2). Thirty-one individuals made it all the way through the third level of BE (Business Plan Development), and we had 14 BE Students present Business Plans at the competition last week. The next day we held the business plan competition.

Friends from America came to be with us and served as judges for the competition. We also had judges from the local Ukrainian business community: Tkachuk Grigory (Director of Car Dealership), Dutka Igor (a successful businessmen in several businesses), and Cherniy Evgenia (restaurant business); and Kucher Galina participated as a representative from Operation Blessing, Kiyv. From the US were Jason Benedict (RCE Strategist), Tim Judy (IMB Kingdom Business Missionary), and Mark Boyce (Kingdom Business Investor), and Tom Stansbury (RCE Entrepreneur-In-Residence). They were able to see some of the business of the BE Students.

The Business Plan competition was held in the office of the Center

People were presenting their business plans from 9 am to 6 pm. Judges had opportunity to see business plans and give their feedback and advice (all of the business plans were translated into English). We had 14 business plans, such as: a print shop, celebration planning (2 people), a kindergarten for children with intellectual and physical developmental challenges, concrete fencing, plastic window development, a fitness club, curtain rod production, Ukrainian traditional shorts, building cottages, furniture production, a tourist company, and English training (study in America).

Seven participants received the highest scores form the judges! All of those seven received souvenirs from Regent University

Top Business Plans:

Atamanyuk Dmitriy and Yulia # 1 (concrete fence production--pictured at right)
Karpik Oleg # 2 (Celebration planning)
Mamus Yuriy # 3 (Furniture production)
Kharkovsky Volodumer # 4 (Fitness club)
Tsibulsky Olexander # 5 (Cottage building)

Drevnitsky Oleg # 6 (curtain rod production)
Gumenyuk Mukola # 7 (Plastic windows)

We would like to thank all of who prayed for us and supported us. We pray that God will provide for all of your needs and bless you many times more.

Sincerely,

Ivan Papish
Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship “Success”, Ternopol, Ukraine

Business Plan Competition, RCE Ukraine: from Tom Stansbury

Greetings my friends,

For the past 10 days, I have been back in Ukraine on a mission. As you know, this past year the Regent Center for Entrepreneurship - Dr. John Mulford and I - have forged the development of a business development center with my good friend, Ivan Papish – whom I met 12 years ago while here with YWAM. Jason Benedict and I arrived on Monday, December the 8th. You have probably realized how passionate I am about Kingdom Business. I believe with all my heart that the primary reason we are in business is to change lives.

~~ ~~ ~~

I first came to Ukraine back in 1996 - over 200 people made decisions to follow Christ with their lives but I realized that while many had come to know the Lord in a personal relationship – their lives were in dire need of help in generating incomes to support their families and creating businesses that could provide employment in this region of Ternopil.

Today, this is summarized in discussing the difference between the Gospel of Salvation and the Gospel of the Kingdom. It is not enough to only encourage those God brings into our lives to come to Him – to be saved. I believe we are called to go beyond and serve in a more holistic way – to be salt and light in the marketplace and to replicate our entrepreneurial spirit in the lives of those we have made deposits into – teaching them how to fish, so to speak, so they can provide for their families and the families who will eventually work for the companies and businesses they will launch.

~~ ~~ ~~

This past week, this dream of ours at RCE to see Kingdom Business transforming lives and nations took one more step to fulfillment. On Thursday and Friday, December 11th and 12th, RCE held its first Business Plan Competition in Ternopil, Ukraine!

RCE and its 'Founders' have invested over $30K this year to bring Biblical Entrepreneurship – 3 entire courses that teach believers in a developing nation how to launch a Kingdom business – to Ukraine. The final component of the year program is a Business Plan Competition which we held in the 'Center for Entrepreneurial Success' which John Mulford and I helped my good friend Ivan Papish launch last year here in Ukraine.

The Christian Center for Entrepreneurial Success has served over 300 emerging business leaders here in the Ternopil region of western Ukraine. CBN Kiev helped produce a short video on what the Center has accomplished (which will be up on RCE's website shortly). We had 51 Ukrainians participate in each of the 3 Biblical Entrepreneurship courses this year (2 leaders came to Christ in BE 2). While 31 made it all the way through BE 3 (Business Plan Development) – we had 14 BE Students present B-Plans at the competition last week. Several have already launched their own small businesses (SME's) and many are in process. We had the pleasure of having Galina from Operation Blessing in Kiev serve as one of the judges in the competition – OB is looking to provide initial start-up funds for Ukrainians to launch their own small businesses.

We had 3 local Ukrainian businesspeople serve as judges in addition to Galina, along with Jason Benedict (RCE Strategist), Tim Judy (IMB Kingdom Business Missionary), and Mark Boyce (Kingdom Business Investor), and myself.

This Center in Ternopil has impacted so many lives and we have won the respect of the local community – a feat in and of itself because it takes a lot to earn trust in this society where Communism ruled for over 70 years.

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The first evening I arrived in Ukraine, I had the opportunity to visit a dear friend in Kiev that I had gotten to know this past summer while working with one of the largest banks here in Ukraine on a consulting project--I'll call him Victor.

Victor and I became friends while launching a national company here in Kiev with Tony & April Creed. He is a leader in the business community and has worked as the CFO of several national companies here in Ukraine – currently developing his own investment capital firm ARPA Investments. We spent many hours together last summer – even a few 'all-nighters' while preparing for several Board Meetings to present our business plan to the shareholders of Eurostandard. During that time, I was able to share my faith with Victor and we talked at length about the Kingdom of God and how Christ came to the Earth.

I am excited to say that Victor dedicated his life to Jesus Christ a week ago Monday, my first night back in Kiev! The seeds that were sown through this Kingdom business opportunity brought my good friend to Christ! He contemplated this decision for months and I know his seed of faith has been deposited on fertile soil.

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I wanted to share the news with all of you, and ask you to be praying for me. I return to the states Dec 22nd.

Hoping this holiday season brings you much joy and peace - even in the midst of trying times. Remember that our hope is in Him, not in the things of the world.

In Him,
Tom Stansbury