Kingdom At Work
In 1992, Rick and Ron Betenbough shook hands on more than a business idea. They told God, “If You bless this, it’s Yours.” There was no giving plan, no foundation, no strategy deck—just a simple yes.
Over time, that yes has revealed many ways we get to partner with Him through business, and we’ve discovered this truth – for-profit business is a Kingdom resource—so how are we stewarding it? Not just through what we give away, but through how we see people, steward profit, and respond to God’s invitations.
This isn’t a formula. It’s a journey of discovery with the Holy Spirit. Where does giving really begin?
Before causes, budgets, or ministries, Scripture points us back to one place: God Himself.
Giving begins as worship.
- Not guilt.
- Not pressure.
- Not optics.
“Each one must give as he has decided in his heart… for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7) So the first move for a Kingdom leader isn’t, “What should our giving strategy be?” It’s, “Lord, what’s in Your heart—and why are You asking us to give at all?” From there, He starts to reorder how we see the people and places around us.
Who has God entrusted to you?
Scripture is clear: we cannot claim generosity and overlook those in our care (1 Timothy 5:8).
For a business leader, that means your people—team members and employees—are not outside your giving strategy.
- The single mom on your team.
- The new hire who needs unexpected time off because of a family emergency.
- The tenured coworker walking through hardship in their marriage.
God doesn’t value a need overseas more than a need in your own house. His heart is big enough for both.
So corporate outreach and giving, from a Kingdom lens, naturally asks:
- Are we caring for our people in ways that reflect the Father’s heart?
- Do our policies, rhythms, benefits, and margins reveal that they matter to God?
This is generosity, too.
How does it move beyond your walls?
As God matures our trust, generosity widens.
“Do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the household of faith.” (Galatians 6:10)
“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
He leads us to:
- Stand with ministries, churches, and Kingdom partners.
- Strengthen the communities where we live and build.
- Step into stories of the poor, the vulnerable, and the overlooked.
Not as distant benefactors, but as partners—listening, showing up, learning, and aligning resources where He’s already moving.
This is God’s design: From Him → through the people He’s entrusted to you → into the wider body and the world.
From writing checks to walking with God
Generosity in the Kingdom isn’t meant to be parked in a department or a line item. It’s a way of revealing His Kingdom and heart.
Some discovery questions for you and your team:
- Lord, who is already in front of us that You’re highlighting—on our teams, in our city, in the Kingdom?
- Where are You inviting our time and presence, not just our money?
- How can our coworkers and their families participate in the joy of this, not just watch from a distance?
When leaders slow down to ask and obey, generosity shifts:
- from distant to personal
- from transactional to transformational
- from “our program” to “His story we get to join”
What might this look like in your business?
There is no one template. But expressions like these have emerged for us:
- Intentional care for employees in crisis or need.
- Paid time for teams to serve together.
- Long-term, relational partnerships with ministries and nonprofits.
- Matching gifts that release and affirm the generosity of your people.
- Trips or experiences where coworkers and families see the impact of their work and the corporate giving we get to be a part of.
- Focused grants or investments that quietly strengthen Kingdom work—without needing your name in lights.
The core question becomes less, “How much can we afford?” and more, “How can we faithfully steward what He’s already placed in our hands?”
“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded.” (Luke 12:48)
“Freely you have received; freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)
A gentle challenge to fellow CEOs and owners
You don’t have to have a formal foundation to start. You have something far more important:
- a sphere of authority,
- people you’ve been entrusted with,
- and a God who delights to lead you step by step.
When corporate outreach and giving flows from His voice and centers on people—not platforms—it becomes transformative:
in your culture,
in your city,
and in the lives you may never meet this side of eternity.
Don’t just cut checks. Ask Jesus what it means to shepherd His resources. Then follow Him there.
Join us for our next Kingdom Leadership Workshop and step into the conversation with fellow CEOs and owners as we discover how, as business leaders, we get to partner with God for Kingdom purposes through our companies.