How Do I Start Learning about Faith and Work?
One of the questions we hear most often in Global Marketplace Multipliers is simple and practical: Where do I start?
Many believers sense that their daily work matters to God and to God’s mission, but they are not always sure how to think clearly about faith, work, and global impact without feeling overwhelmed or maybe even a little underqualified. Most would like to learn more before venturing out entirely.
Because of this we’ve curated a list of resources meant to serve as a guide for you to try out. This is not a syllabus, however. We wouldn’t expect many to read even half of this, but it does reflect the wide tent that GMM intentionally occupies.
Some of these books below focus on faith and work right where you already are. Others explore global tentmaking as people live out their cross-border vocation. Still others dive into business as mission and entrepreneurial expressions of disciple-making. Together you might say that they help form a theological foundation for your missional imagination for anyone who wants their work to count for more than a paycheck.
Hopefully some of these resources provide on-ramps for your learning. Start with what resonates most with your season and sense of calling right now, and then find something that stretches you for what could be next.
Faith and Work; Christians in the Marketplace
- Work: A Kingdom Perspective on Labor by Ben Witherington
- Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work by Timothy Keller and Katherine Leary Alsdorf
- Fruitfulness on the Frontline: Making a Difference Where You Are by Mark Greene
- How Then Should We Work?: Rediscovering the Biblical Doctrine of Work by Hugh Whelchel
- The Heavenly Good of Earthly Work by Darrell Cosden
- The Sacredness of Secular: Work 4 Ways Your Job Matters for Eternity (Even If You’re Not Sharing the Gospel) By Jordan Raynor
- Marketplace Multipliers by David Drury (primarily North American stories)
Global Tentmaking
- Tithe Your Career by Paul Van Der Werf and Katy White
- Tentmaking: The Life and Work of Business as Missions by Patrick Lai
- Scatter: Go Therefore and Take Your Job With You by Andrew Scott
- Missional Marketplace: Finding Your Everyday Work in God’s Eternal Plan by Erik Cooper
- Working Abroad with Purpose: The Way of a Tentmaker by Glenn D. Deckert
- Marketplace Multipliers by David Drury (several of the stories in this are global)
Business as Mission; Global Entreprenurism
- Faith Driven Entrepreneur: What It Takes to Step Into Your Purpose and Pursue Your God-Given Call to Create by Henry Kaestner, J. D. Greear, and Chip Ingram
- The Missional Entrepreneur: Principles and Practices for Business as Mission by Mark Russell
- Business for Transformation: Getting Started by Patrick Lai
- Great Commission Companies: The Emerging Role of Business in Missions by Steven Rundle and Tom Steffen
- 7 Reasons Tentmaking Businesses Fail and How to Overcome Them: Lessons Learned in Business as Mission by Toby Miles
- BAM Global Movement: Business as Mission Concepts and Stories by Gea Gort
At its core, Global Marketplace Multipliers is not about creating a new category for Christian professionals or adding another layer of obligation to already full lives. What we do is help ordinary believers see their existing work as a strategic platform for extraordinary kingdom impact, which can happen locally and globally.
Hopefully this list helps sharpen that vision with language, theology, stories, and hard-earned lessons from people who have wrestled with the same questions Global Marketplace Multipliers ask every day such as:
- How does my work serve God’s purposes?
- How do I live faithfully in complex systems?
- How might God use my vocation to bless people and advance the gospel beyond my immediate context?
God has already placed you in a marketplace, an industry, a network, or a geography that matters deeply to him. Let’s see what God is up to in helping you leverage your work for what he’s working on around the world! Contact gmm@gponline.org for a free coaching call on what might be next steps in your journey!