The ServiceMaster Story, written by faith and business expert Albert M. Erisman, examines how the first five leaders of ServiceMaster (a cleaning and restoration service company) managed to develop and give deeper purpose to their employees, while also growing into a financially successful organization. From 1929 to 2001, ServiceMaster grew from a few people making their living in Chicago to a publicly traded company with revenues of $6 billion, in forty countries—with five different leaders. Each leader built on the work of the previous leader, focusing on helping workers to develop as people. Their number one goal was “to honor God in all we do.” ServiceMaster was considered by employees at all levels as a great place to work and was selected by Fortune magazine as the most admired service company in the world, both in the 1980s and 1990s. How did ServiceMaster manage to develop and give deeper purpose to employees doing “menial jobs” like cleaning floors and toilets—and at the same time grow financially? This book explores the way the five early leaders collaborated, complemented each other, and adapted to changing economic and cultural environments, while creating value for workers, shareholders, and customers alike. Key points and features:An inspirational story that studies the balance between honoring God, serving people, and growing financially, for those interested in the dynamics of work and faith in the workplaceIncludes photos and charts

For many Americans spirituality and business seem to be polar opposites: one is concerned with lofty questions of ultimate significance, the other with mundane matters of the daily grind. Yet over the last two decades the two have become increasingly linked, and as the barriers between them are broken down, many see this as a revolutionary shift in American business culture. Lake Lambert III provides a comprehensive examination of the workplace spirituality movement, and explores how it is both shaping and being shaped by American business culture. Situating the phenomenon in an historical context, Lambert surveys the role of spirituality in business from medieval guilds to industrial "company towns" right up to current trends in the ever-changing contemporary business environment. Using case studies from specific businesses, such as Chick-fil-A and Hobby Lobby, he analyzes the enhanced benefits and support that workplace spirituality offers to employees, while exposing the conflicts it engenders, including diversity, religious freedom, and discrimination issues. The American workplace today is experiencing dramatic upheaval and change. Spirituality, Inc. offers important insights into the role of religion in this transformation. With employees seeking new ways to strike a proper life-work balance and find meaning in their everyday lives, spirituality in the workplace is a trend that will become increasingly important in the American business landscape. Spirituality, Inc. provides a critical overview of this phenomenon that does not ignore the movement's many positive contributions to the workplace, yet does not overlook the potential for abuse.

Western culture is increasingly polarized, and Christians often feel they are “under siege” by the dominant secular culture. Compounding the problem is that Christians cannot agree among themselves how to respond to a culture that is increasingly “post-Christian.” The authors have observed five basic responses by Christians to this feeling of “exile”: (1) assimilation and acceptance of the new cultural norms, (2) withdrawal from cultural engagement, (3) anger directed toward society (and toward other Christians who don’t see the issues as they do), (4) fear, or (5) seeking power to “take back the culture.” Scripture calls us to a different way, speaking into the world with a new voice. Micah calls us to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly” with God, Jeremiah calls us to “seek the good of the city,” and Jesus calls us to be salt and light while knowing that in this world we “will have trouble.” In short, we are to engage the culture we live in as disciples of Jesus. But how practically is that done? In this book, the authors look carefully at the lives of twelve biblical characters who also lived in “challenging times” for guidance in navigating our post-Christian world. Rejecting assimilation, withdrawal, anger, fear, and power-seeking, we are challenged today with the ancient words of Mordecai to Esther: “Who knows whether for just a time as this you have come to this position in your life?”

Most everything in the world has changed since the age of the “Greatest Missionary Generation,” which was an outpouring of missionaries following World War II that lasted until around 1985. Today, however, missionaries are no longer welcomed in most of the world, and Christian terms like evangelism, church planting, conversion, and missions are considered pejorative outside of the Western world. All this demands a reexamination of the theology of Missio Dei for today’s world and a theory for change that can be validated with credible research. Author and former missionary Larry Sharp believes that the era of “professional missions” as we’ve known it is coming to an end. But since God still seeks to redeem his world, the future lies now with “missional professionals,” with a new set of rules for how the gospel of Jesus Christ can be proclaimed. Near the end of his life, Billy Graham said, “The great work of God in the 21st century will be through everyday believers living out their faith in the workplace.” Since the first century AD, there have been historical events—such the persecution of the early church, the Edict of Milan, and the Protestant Reformation—where major disruption resulted in the radical advance of the gospel. We are on the cusp of another disruptive innovation. Through real-life narratives of international workplace professionals who have successfully integrated their faith with their work, Missions Disrupted describes how this new work of missions looks today. These inspiring stories come from the world of agriculture, manufacturing, medicine, information technology, education, engineering, music, and retail. It is up to the next generations to continue to share the Good News with the world, wherever and however that may be.

Make Your Business Purposeful and Profitable At its best, business is both purposeful and profitable, dynamic and gainful, commercial and rewarding. Far from being opposites, good business and good behavior go hand-in-hand, and biblical principles can align with best practices. In Wisdom-Based Business, marketing and supply-chain professor Hannah J. Stolze draws principles from the Bible's wisdom literature and from evidence-based research to create a framework for business that is oriented toward excellence and sustainability. This book addresses import issues such as: The virtue of profit Servant leadership Wisdom-based values, such as long-term over short-term, stakeholders, and quality Beneficial outcomes of wisdom-based business, including reputation and comparative advantage The ultimate outcome of eternal impact Intended for business students and working professionals alike, Wisdom-Based Business demonstrates how to pursue profitability to the honor and glory of God. Unique among Christian books on business, it helps readers make the right decisions in business by presenting: Biblical Principles. Drawing upon the Bible's wisdom literature, each topic addressed is undergirded by insights from Scripture. Evidence-Based Research. Recommendations are thoroughly grounded in the best and latest research in the field. Case Studies: Each chapter demonstrates how the principles can be lived out in the real world, amid the inevitable challenges and competition all business confronts. Any Christian who works in the marketplace or is training to work in the marketplace will benefit from Wisdom-Based Business' practical guidance on how to reflect Christian values in their corporate tasks and strategies--and on how those values can be not hindrances but keys to success.