Lausanne Global Classroom: Wealth Creation

Episode Overview

This Classroom episode is on Wealth Creation for Holistic Transformation, a critically important aspect for mission. The goals of this episode are to explain wealth creation, to highlight the importance of wealth creation for global Christianity and the church, and to inspire young leaders, established leaders, churches, organizations, and individuals so they understand the importance of wealth creation in their context. Learn more about Lausanne Global Classroom

Resources are available to use this Global Classroom episode in a variety of contexts including classrooms, small groups, and individual study.

Episode Outline

  • Introduction
  • Video 1: God’s Abundant and Diverse World. Wealth creation is rooted in God the Creator, who created a world that flourishes with abundance and diversity.
  • Video 2: Our Calling to be Co-Creators with God. We are created in God’s image, to co-create with Him and for Him, to create products and services for the common good.   
  • Video 3: The Holy Calling of Wealth Creation. Wealth creation is a holy calling, and a God-given gift, which is commended in the Bible.
  • Video 4: Navigating the Role of the Church in Wealth Creation. Wealth creators should be affirmed by the church, and equipped and deployed to serve in the marketplace among all peoples and nations.
  • Video 5: Wealth Creation for the Greater Kingdom. Wealth hoarding is wrong, and wealth sharing should be encouraged, but there is no wealth to be shared unless it has been created.
  • Video 6: Wealth Creation vs. The Prosperity Gospel. There is a universal call to generosity, and contentment is a virtue, but material simplicity is a personal choice, and involuntary poverty should be alleviated.
  • Video 7: The Impact of Business on Societal Transformation. The purpose of wealth creation through business goes beyond giving generously, although that is to be commended; good business has intrinsic value as a means of material provision and can be an agent of positive transformation in society.
  • Video 8: The Different Kinds of Wealth Creation. Business has a special capacity to create financial wealth, but also has the potential to create different kinds of wealth for many stakeholders, including social, intellectual, physical and spiritual wealth.
  • Video 9: Lifting People Out of Poverty in a Dignified Way. Wealth creation through business has proven power to lift people and nations out of poverty.
  • Video 10: Justice for the Oppressed Through Jobs. Wealth creation must always be pursued with justice and a concern for the poor, and should be sensitive to each unique cultural context.
  • Video 11: Wealth Creation Without the Distruction of Creation. Creation care is not optional. Stewardship of creation and business solutions to environmental challenges should be an integral part of wealth creation through business.
  • Conclusion and Appeals. We present these affirmations to the church worldwide, and especially to leaders in businesses, churches, government, and academia.
    • We call the church to embrace wealth creation as central to our mission of holistic transformation of peoples and societies.We call for fresh, ongoing efforts to equip and launch wealth creators to that very end.
    • We call wealth creators to perseverance, diligently using their God-given gifts to serve God and people.

The Wealth Creation Manifesto

The Lausanne Movement and BAM Global organized a Global Consultation on The Role of Wealth Creation for Holistic Transformation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in March 2017. About 30 people from 20 nations participated, primarily from the business world, and also from church, missions, and academia. The findings are being published in several papers and a book, as well as an educational video. The Wealth Creation Manifesto, below, conveys the essentials of our deliberations before and during the consultation. The Manifesto is available in 13 languages.

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