Entrepreneurship and the Purpose of the Church

Through studying the Scriptures and exploring the history of the Church, I have come to realize that there is a threefold purpose of the Church: 1) to worship God; 2) to equip the saints; 3) to seek and to save the lost. I am convinced that the threefold purpose should be held in that order, the priority given to worshipping God, the secondary priority being equipping the saints, and the tertiary priority being seeking and saving the lost. It is not that any of them can be discarded because all of these elements are needed for a healthy church. I have reflected on how the threefold purpose of the church relates to entrepreneurship, and I think it can be most prevalent in the tertiary purpose of seeking and saving the lost.

It is here that many redemptively minded businesses exist to reach people with the gospel and meet their physical needs as well. I am personally aware of many organizations that were founded with the goal of helping those in need internationally and locally, as well as groups that are focused on evangelism to the lost. Whatever the cause, all of these businesses can exist for the purpose of seeking and saving the lost. Enter the churches–it is here that churches can partner with these businesses in their effort to reach people. Whether through financial means or physically providing people for the work, the church can be a great vehicle for carrying out God’s mission in the world. Without entrepreneurs, many of these organizations would not be able to exist, making the study of entrepreneurship necessary and relevant to the church. Returning to the threefold purpose of the church, entrepreneurship can play a crucial role because it is absolutely appropriate for people to pursue those in need with the intention to reach them with the gospel–therefore seeking and saving the lost.