This course looks at the global marketplace, and the need businesses and organizations (both for profit as well as not for profit) have to operate based on business ethics and specifically on biblical ethics as the applied tools for excellence and effectiveness for the students to impact the business world.
Based on a survey conducted back in 2001, (Church on Sunday, Work on Monday: The Challenge of Fusing Christian Values with Business Life – September 10, 2001, by Laura Nash (Author), Ken Blanchard (Author), Scotty McLennan (Author), 90% of church goers in America said that they had not heard sermons that connected faith to the marketplace. So the need to bridge the divide that exists among many not just in America but across the world is crucial, especially as according to the book mentioned above business was looked upon negatively by the church. Faith is practiced not just in church communities but must be worked out where people live and work. As students will pursue their God given talents they need to wrestle with the question how their faith translates in their workplace as well as other areas of their lives in order to be effective Kingdom citizens.
One of the largest parts of the army of the Lord in the church has not been utilized effectively for the Kingdom purposes, the people who daily engage in the marketplace in all sector of our community globally. Biblical ethics are crucial tools for their engagement.
The great commandment and the great commission are the foundation for every follower of Jesus Christ to make a difference and impact his/her marketplace environment
The mission Dei would be best served when students become aware how their marketplace presence requires of them to become missionaries there.
There is a unique opportunity as students engage with the course content and they interact with each other to wrestle with the reality of how business is conducted in their culture and how they will be integrating their faith in the business culture.
As the class will engage people from across various backgrounds and cultures it will provide times where the students will learn from each other how others handle biblical principles in their particular circumstances.
The entire course will be focused on how biblical principles are applied to our every day contact with the marketplace.
The students will be involved in exercises that will allow them to test their faith as it is applied in everyday circumstances and be able to share them and evaluate them individually and as a group.
