Honoring God in the Marketplace.

Marketplace ministry is infact an effective means of reaching out to others about Christ. We can choose to honor God through our business or our employment. You may ask - Can a business have a Christian testimony without ever saying a word? Absolutely. Read the following story of a real life example.

Chick-fil-A is a restaurant chain headquartered in College Park, Georgia, United States that specializes in chicken entrées. It is the second-largest chicken-based fast-food chain in the United States (behind Kentucky Fried Chicken). The company's stated corporate purpose is "to glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us, and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A." The company is a great example of a business that is modeling Christian values and producing a quality product in the competitive fast-food industry. Chick-fil-A is one of the fastest-growing chains nationally, currently with over two billion dollars in annual sales.

One of the defining distinctions of Chick-fil-A is that the restaurants are not open on Sundays. From the time Truett Cathy, the company's founder, started in the restaurant business in 1946, he believed that God wanted him to honor the Sabbath by keeping the stores closed on Sundays. Infact Truett Cathy is a devout Christian who has taught Sunday School for over 51 years.

Although he was challenged on this idea many times by shopping mall operators, Truett Cathy always held that "we will have more sales in six days than those who are open for seven." This has proven to be true, and today it is no longer an issue to fulfill the malls' requirement to remain open on Sunday. In a interview with ABC News's Nightline, Dan Cathy (son of company owner S. Truett Cathy) stated that - "He wanted he and his employees to spend time with family and worship."

The messages in the company's kids' meals always reinforce education, values, and integrity. Although the employees do not wear their faith on their sleeve, the fruit of the company is known by many - especially the many young restaurant employees who receive educational scholarships each year. The company also focuses on character-building programs for kids, foster homes, and other community services. The appearance of their headquarters conveys their values - a sense of quality without extravagance.

In an era when profits, not people, are the driving force behind business Truett Cathy offers a refreshing approach to business management based on one simple concept: FAITH and HONORING GOD. I believe we too can learn something from this story and apply it to our own life and vocation.

Be Blessed.