MBA Students Use Their Business Skills for God
Laptops in tow, jet lag wiped away from their eyes, the five trouped into the OMF Singapore office and set up camp. This was a welcomed May invasion. The five - MBA students from the University of Michigan Business School (UMBS) Christian Fellowship "Coram Deo". Their mission – conduct for us an analysis of the best practices in mobilisation in Singapore churches and Christian organisations. Their weapons – their business school skills and hearts warmed to Christ’s call. The cost to OMF? Zilch.
This self-funded project was the first of its kind for Coram Deo, which dedicates itself to helping Christian business school students think about integrating their faith with what they are studying. Coram Deo (literally, "Before the face of God") is a group of Christian students at UMBS. They are affiliated to the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) and the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES), and subscribe to the statement of belief of IFES. They meet weekly to worship God, study the Bible and listen to speakers on related topics. On a larger scale, there are 25 similar fellowships like it at other business schools.
The four Americans - Matt Cobbett, Stephen Lo, Margaret Lo and John Terrill and one Singaporean, Pang Sze-Yunn, spent four weeks interviewing 50 churches, mission agencies and missionaries for their research. With this information, they studied what effective mobilisation practices were used and came up with proposals for OMF to better its own practices.
With the study done, we talk to them about their impressions on Christians in business school and using their professional skills for God.
They say that to be a Christian in business school means there are a lot of opportunities in which you can share your faith, especially when it comes to decisions that you’re making about your career. Business people are pretty focused and driven. In a sense, they say, being a Christian in business school is no different from being a Christian anywhere else. It’s still a secular environment where people are more focused on material things and getting ahead.
Students also speak about using their professional skills to serve God. “It’s been a challenge to change my mindset that’s been trained for the corporate world, where we abide by certain rules. For e.g, to judge projects and businesses based on their profitability. It’s a challenge taking off that mindset and putting on a different mindset because many churches we’ve visited operate on a different basis. There’s a spiritual element that isn’t found in the corporate world.” The other student adds, “there is a difficulty in measuring success in a non-profit arena. It also applies to Christian organisations. But for me it’s been very encouraging to be able to combine both (faith and business skills).”
Inspired to use your professional skills for God? If you’re spiritually mature and ready, talk to us about opportunities to serve professionally in East Asia. OMF has found jobs for accountants, administrators, agriculturalists, architects, businessmen, computer programmers, development workers, doctors, economists, engineers, healthcare workers, IT personnel, lawyers, lecturers, medical advisors, nurse relief workers, scientists, teachers (especially English), vets and many others….
Call 4754592 or email sno@omf.net for more information.