“Business people are injured people.”
Having been in business for years, Sister Yue said the above sentence. As she said that, her Northeast accent sounded so funny, as if it were a talk show. Despite that comic effect, I could feel a sense of burden that she had for business people.
She and her husband, her brother Zhang, have been doing business for the past 15 years. On their faithful journey, they have always looked for opportunities to serve merchant groups.
Brother Zhang once went to a seminary where he was trained to be a full-time pastor, but his tutor found that he was not suitable for being a pastor but more for a businessman. That was why they continued to be involved in business. For every place they went, they sought to serve the churches there, from northeast to east and south China. Although they have to travel to different regions, their ministry for businesspersons remains unchanged.
Since 2018, the couple has been touched by the Holy Spirit to carry out pastoral work for businesspersons who cannot attend church activities for various reasons. During that years, they have experienced many difficulties in caring for complicated and difficult-to-serve merchant groups, but meanwhile, they also have seen the difficulties that businesspersons are facing.
For two years, Zhang’s service was very tiresome. In a week, there were four days to work in the church and three days to work for the company. The three days were his rest time. In the long run, some staff started to worry that the development of the company would be damaged. However, after two years, their testimony was, "When you work for God, do not worry that your enterprise will suffer losses, and the enterprise will develop better and better."
They said that the biggest profit of the company should be distributed to employees so that they can take better care of their families and live a carefree life. Then it will be easy to share the gospel with them.
When talking about the care of merchant groups, they shared five points.
"First, ask for no return and be willing to suffer." They said.
“Being smart doesn’t hurt” is how Zhang understands the characteristics of business people. Therefore, he believes that if businesspersons were to believe in the Lord, suffering must be taken first. For instance, he would invite them to dinner without telling them why.
"Second, take root in the Bible and guide them to experience God," they added.
According to Sister Yue, their focus is to let them take root in the Bible and lead them to learn to trust and experience God. They pay great attention to how God’s words can exert the power of change in specific commerce difficulties. When enterprises are in trouble, they do not only give these businesspersons emotional needs but also seek God’s words with them and pray to God so that they can experience God’s help for themselves. If necessary, they will also ask external experts to help solve the practical difficulties of the enterprises.
"Third, it is important to help them establish good family relationships."
When believers have family conflicts, they would talk about them. Through Bible study, Zhang tells them how to educate their children, how to love their families, and how to love each other. Through studying, both husband and wife (believers) learn to hug each other and discuss and solve problems together. Some unbelieving husbands and wives have also been transformed because of their service, from blaming God for the bankruptcy of enterprises to testifying to God’s grace later.
"Fourth, teach the correct concept of wealth."
Zhang often reminds his business people that wealth is a blessing from God, but too much pursuit of wealth will turn your vision and direction from Jesus to money. They will also correct believers’ misconceptions about wealth: not because you believe in the Lord, you will become rich by participating in activities; on the contrary, you may be poorer if you have to keep giving, but your treasure is accumulated in heaven. Therefore, they emphasize that your eyes should turn to God, not to what you want. The biblical concept of financial management with honesty, such as not making false accounts, is the most basic principle.
"Five, it is not recommended that businesspersons put down their businesses to be pastors unless there are special circumstances."
Brother Zhang used to be the leader of a church, but it was due to special circumstances. At that time, the former pastor left the church which was in urgent need of a leader. In order to avoid the dissolution of the church, Zhang was urged to assume the position of leader. However, during that period, the couple did not stop praying for God to send a pastor to replace them. When God brought in a new pastor, he resigned and left.
Zhang believes that it is good if the looked-after businesspersons are willing to participate in the Great Commission, because businesspersons will share the gospel faster than ordinary believers or pastors. For example, it is faster and easier for business owners to share the gospel with their employees than pastors, because employees can understand the gospel more easily when they see that the boss’s life is a good example and that he is good to his employees. However, without special circumstances or background, he suggested that it is best not to put down the business to become a pastor.
Finally, Zhang shared his understanding that “the church should be community-oriented.” Worship is only the simplest function of the church, and the biggest function of the church is to go deep into the community to serve the groups in it. When he is on a business trip, although he has the money to hire an au pair to take care of his eldelry mother, he is more assured that his brothers and sisters in the church will help him take care of her because he trusts them.
He has a vision of a beautiful community-based church: there are not only churches in the community where he lives, but also his neighbors are members of his church, and they can send their children to their own homes when they need it. When their parents have short or sad things at home, the church can comfort them. When the neighbors next to them see them being comforted, they will also sprout the concern of the church. Slowly, the place will have the flavor of the gospel.
Many businesspersons who have been taken care of by the couple have become the mainstay of the church. God has comforted many injured businesspersons through them, and they also have seen God’s face in these people.
- Translated by Charlie Li
“商人就是受伤的人。”
当从东北老家出来经商多年的月姊妹用一口如同宋丹丹的风格说出来这句话时，在幽默之中又感到一种牧养的负担。
月姊妹和丈夫张弟兄两个人过去15年一边经商，一边信仰的同时又总是寻找机会展开对商人群体的服事。
曾经张弟兄也去读神学院计划成为全职传道人，但是神学院的老师发现他其实不适合当牧师，更适合做商人，于是他们继续经商。但是他们每到一个地方就找教会服事，从东北到华东又到华南，虽然在不同的城市，但是都尝试去服事商人群体。
2018年开始，这对夫妇被圣灵感动出来牧养因某些原因而无法参加教会活动的商人。这期间，在牧养复杂又不好服事的商人群体时，他们经历了很多艰难，但同时也看见了商人的不易。
有两年的时间，张弟兄的服事非常累。一周当中，有4天要在教会服事，3天在公司上班，这3天就相当于他的休息时间。长此以往，有人会担心企业的发展受损，然而两年过后，他们的告白是：当你为上帝做工的时候，不要担心你的企业会受损失，企业会发展的越来越好。
他们表示，企业的最大利润要分给员工，使他们可以更好的照顾家庭，生活无忧，之后再跟他们分享福音会很容易。
在谈到关于商人群体的牧养时，他们分享了以下几点：
一、不求回报的付出 甘心去吃亏
“聪明不吃亏”，这是张弟兄对商人群体特点的认识。因此，他认为，想要让商人信主，首先得吃亏。比如请他们吃饭但不告诉他们为什么请他们吃饭。
二、扎根圣经 引导他们自己去经历上帝
据月姊妹介绍，他们牧养商人信徒时，关注点在于让他们扎根圣经，并带领他们学习信靠和经历上帝的工作。
他们很注重上帝的话语怎样在具体的企业难处中发挥改变的力量。当企业有难处时，他们不只是给这些商人情感上的需要，而是会与他们一起寻求上帝的话语并且向上帝祷告，让他们自己经历上帝对他们的帮助。有必要的情况下，他们也会请外援老师帮助解决企业实际的困难。
三、帮助他们建立良好的家庭关系很重要
当信徒出现家庭矛盾时，他们去协谈，并且通过圣经学习，告诉他们如何教育孩子、如何爱家庭、如何夫妻相爱。通过学习，夫妻（信徒）双方学会了拥抱，学会了一起商量着解决问题。并且有些不信主的丈夫/妻子也因着他们的服事发生了改变，从之前企业破产的埋怨上帝到后来告白都有上帝的恩典。
四、教导正确的财富观
张弟兄常常提醒他所牧养的商人群体——财富是上帝的祝福，但是过多的追求财富会让你的眼目和方向从耶稣转向钱。他们也会更正信徒对于财富的错误认识：不是因为你信主，参加商人活动就会变得富有，反之，你可能会更穷，因为要不断地奉献，但是你的财宝是积攒在天上的。因此他们强调，你的眼目要转向上帝，不能转向那些你想要的东西。而不做假账等圣经理财观念是最基本的原则。
五、非特殊情况 不建议商人放下企业做传道人
张弟兄曾经做过教会负责人，然而这是特殊情况所致。当时传道人离开教会，教会急需一位负责人带领会众，为了避免教会被解散，张弟兄被推上了教会负责人的位置。然而这期间，他们夫妇没有停止祈求上帝差派一位传道人接替他们，当上帝将新的传道人带来时，他就辞职离开了。
张弟兄认为，如果被牧养的商人愿意参与到分享福音的大使命中是很好的，因为商人分享福音比一般信徒或者传道人会更快，比如企业老板给员工分享福音比一般传道人更快、更容易，因为员工看见老板的生活过的不错，而且对员工也很好，就更容易了解福音。然而没有特殊情况和背景的话，他建议最好不要放下企业做传道人。
最后，张弟兄表达了他对“教会要社区化”的认识，他认为，礼拜只是教会功能中最单纯的一个功能，教会最大的功能是深入到社区服事社区里面的群体。张弟兄妈妈年纪大了，当他出差时，虽然他有钱雇保姆照顾妈妈，但他更放心教会的弟兄姐妹帮忙照顾妈妈，因为对他们有信任。
他有一个美好的社区型教会的梦想：在他居住的社区里面不仅有教会，而且他希望邻居是他教会的会友，对面也是他教会的会友，当他们的孩子有需要的时候可以送到自己家里来，当他们家里有家长里短或者悲伤的事情，教会也可以安慰他们，而当旁边的邻居看见他们被安慰后，他们也会萌生来教会的心。慢慢地，这个地方就会更加体会到福音的味道。
张弟兄夫妇牧养过的很多商人都成为了教会的中流砥柱。上帝借着他们安慰了很多受伤的商人，而他们也从这些人身上看见了上帝的面。
访谈|一基督徒夫妇：如何更好地牧养商人群体？
“Business people are injured people.”
Having been in business for years, Sister Yue said the above sentence. As she said that, her Northeast accent sounded so funny, as if it were a talk show. Despite that comic effect, I could feel a sense of burden that she had for business people.
She and her husband, her brother Zhang, have been doing business for the past 15 years. On their faithful journey, they have always looked for opportunities to serve merchant groups.
Brother Zhang once went to a seminary where he was trained to be a full-time pastor, but his tutor found that he was not suitable for being a pastor but more for a businessman. That was why they continued to be involved in business. For every place they went, they sought to serve the churches there, from northeast to east and south China. Although they have to travel to different regions, their ministry for businesspersons remains unchanged.
Since 2018, the couple has been touched by the Holy Spirit to carry out pastoral work for businesspersons who cannot attend church activities for various reasons. During that years, they have experienced many difficulties in caring for complicated and difficult-to-serve merchant groups, but meanwhile, they also have seen the difficulties that businesspersons are facing.
For two years, Zhang’s service was very tiresome. In a week, there were four days to work in the church and three days to work for the company. The three days were his rest time. In the long run, some staff started to worry that the development of the company would be damaged. However, after two years, their testimony was, "When you work for God, do not worry that your enterprise will suffer losses, and the enterprise will develop better and better."
They said that the biggest profit of the company should be distributed to employees so that they can take better care of their families and live a carefree life. Then it will be easy to share the gospel with them.
When talking about the care of merchant groups, they shared five points.
"First, ask for no return and be willing to suffer." They said.
“Being smart doesn’t hurt” is how Zhang understands the characteristics of business people. Therefore, he believes that if businesspersons were to believe in the Lord, suffering must be taken first. For instance, he would invite them to dinner without telling them why.
"Second, take root in the Bible and guide them to experience God," they added.
According to Sister Yue, their focus is to let them take root in the Bible and lead them to learn to trust and experience God. They pay great attention to how God’s words can exert the power of change in specific commerce difficulties. When enterprises are in trouble, they do not only give these businesspersons emotional needs but also seek God’s words with them and pray to God so that they can experience God’s help for themselves. If necessary, they will also ask external experts to help solve the practical difficulties of the enterprises.
"Third, it is important to help them establish good family relationships."
When believers have family conflicts, they would talk about them. Through Bible study, Zhang tells them how to educate their children, how to love their families, and how to love each other. Through studying, both husband and wife (believers) learn to hug each other and discuss and solve problems together. Some unbelieving husbands and wives have also been transformed because of their service, from blaming God for the bankruptcy of enterprises to testifying to God’s grace later.
"Fourth, teach the correct concept of wealth."
Zhang often reminds his business people that wealth is a blessing from God, but too much pursuit of wealth will turn your vision and direction from Jesus to money. They will also correct believers’ misconceptions about wealth: not because you believe in the Lord, you will become rich by participating in activities; on the contrary, you may be poorer if you have to keep giving, but your treasure is accumulated in heaven. Therefore, they emphasize that your eyes should turn to God, not to what you want. The biblical concept of financial management with honesty, such as not making false accounts, is the most basic principle.
"Five, it is not recommended that businesspersons put down their businesses to be pastors unless there are special circumstances."
Brother Zhang used to be the leader of a church, but it was due to special circumstances. At that time, the former pastor left the church which was in urgent need of a leader. In order to avoid the dissolution of the church, Zhang was urged to assume the position of leader. However, during that period, the couple did not stop praying for God to send a pastor to replace them. When God brought in a new pastor, he resigned and left.
Zhang believes that it is good if the looked-after businesspersons are willing to participate in the Great Commission, because businesspersons will share the gospel faster than ordinary believers or pastors. For example, it is faster and easier for business owners to share the gospel with their employees than pastors, because employees can understand the gospel more easily when they see that the boss’s life is a good example and that he is good to his employees. However, without special circumstances or background, he suggested that it is best not to put down the business to become a pastor.
Finally, Zhang shared his understanding that “the church should be community-oriented.” Worship is only the simplest function of the church, and the biggest function of the church is to go deep into the community to serve the groups in it. When he is on a business trip, although he has the money to hire an au pair to take care of his eldelry mother, he is more assured that his brothers and sisters in the church will help him take care of her because he trusts them.
He has a vision of a beautiful community-based church: there are not only churches in the community where he lives, but also his neighbors are members of his church, and they can send their children to their own homes when they need it. When their parents have short or sad things at home, the church can comfort them. When the neighbors next to them see them being comforted, they will also sprout the concern of the church. Slowly, the place will have the flavor of the gospel.
Many businesspersons who have been taken care of by the couple have become the mainstay of the church. God has comforted many injured businesspersons through them, and they also have seen God’s face in these people.
- Translated by Charlie Li
Interview: Businesspersons, Don't Become Pastors Unless Called
