What is a Kingdom business?
First, I like to say that there is a distinction between a Christian business and a Kingdom business. What is that distinction?
To begin with, any Christian can be in business and many times that is what it is, a Christian in business. Most entrepreneurs start businesses in order to generate long-term profits and wealth for themselves, including Christians.
There is nothing wrong with this point of view on the surface. However, this type of view can give us tunnel vision for our business. It can also carry the potential dangers of feeding our own greedy nature and losing perspective if our business truly belongs to God.
As born-again followers and servants of our King Jesus, we do not simply run a business like any other organization. In other words, the company we own and run is not uniquely ours. Everything we have actually belongs to our King and here we are stewards to promote His Kingdom.
Simply put, a Kingdom Business is any entity whose primary purpose is to use the proceeds of doing business in the marketplace to promote the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.
What is a Market Ministry?
Now that we have a better understanding of what a Kingdom Business is, I would like to talk about what a Market Ministry is.
Simply put, Marketplace Ministry is God’s strategic plan to reach our world for Jesus through our work or business. The ministry takes place outside the four walls of our church. We spend countless hours a week in the workplace and how we spend our time should matter.
Many of us Christians often feel cut off from the true reality of Sunday worship compared to the daily grind of our regular workweek. We have a hard time when it comes to integrating our faith and the business world.
Christians, like anyone else, spend most of their time in the market. Our market spans from home, business, and the community. It is basically where we interact with others.
God wants to use Christians as a living testimony to reach those who are lost and do not know him. We are God’s people whom He chooses to use as instruments of change in a fallen and corrupt world.
Why create an email list?
Some Christians are reluctant to create an email list due to the fact that it can be very aggressive and self-promoting. It feels a lot more like marketing and a lot less like a ministry.
The biggest and worst mistake you can make with your online business, whether Christian or not, is not building an email list. Maybe you’ve heard the term “The money is in the list” before? This is true even if it is a non-profit service. By the way, the purpose of any business is to make a profit.
Well, let me back up a bit. It’s not so much about “The money is in the list,” but as a Christian building a Kingdom Business and taking your ministry to market, your email list is the best way to connect with your audience. Also, an email list will be your most valuable asset, as it is the only thing that really belongs to you, even if you have nothing to sell, it will allow you to communicate directly with your subscribers.
It is not a system that belongs to the owners, like all social media platforms. For example, if you were to create a group of followers on Facebook or Twitter but never capture their email, how will you communicate with your audience if the platform prohibits it or the platform no longer exists?
When to create an email list and who should be on your list?
When? – An ancient Chinese proverb says: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Who? – Most people or “your tribe”, if you wish, do not give their email address to anyone, so if someone is included in your list, they have currently shown that they know, like and also trust you to some extent are the ones you want on your list.
Building an authentic email list will require you to recognize the needs of your target audience and simply fulfill that need. These are the people you are building your email list for.
How to create an email list
To begin the list building process, you will need to create an account with a list management service, such as Aweber, GetResponse, or Mailchimp.
Alternatively, you can go for a self-hosted autoresponder if you’re more tech-savvy. I recommend Aweber as I find it easier to use in my opinion.
The most basic way to entice someone to fill out a subscriber form so they can join your email list is to create a “Free Subscription Program.” The subscription giveaway can be just about anything you want, such as an e-book, free report, checklist, “how-to” guide, and so on. just so there is some perceived value there.
You would present your optional freebie in the form of a web page or pop-up box. This is your ethical bribery if you wish, in exchange for a person’s name and email address. Once the subscriber is on your list, deliver what they promised.
We do this by setting an automatic reply. This can be easily done through their list management service. Remember to keep your follow-up messages or newsletters relevant to your offering and mission.
The next step is to secure your own professional autoresponder account so that you can start building an email list for your Kingdom Market and Business Ministry.
