Leaders from Nine Countries Experience a Momentous A3.business Orientation in Singapore
God is on the move! He is raising kingdom-minded business leaders all over the world for such a time as this. A3.business is a piece of the giant jigsaw puzzle God is using. A3 nurtures intentional learning communities of kingdom leaders in the marketplace to equip them for transforming their cities and nations. Coming out of a two-year pause during the pandemic, leaders in several countries were eager to explore launching an A3.business cohort.
That’s great, but the easiest way to explain the power of an in-person residential cohort is to demonstrate it. We decided the best way forward was to do that for several countries all at once. We invited 25 key business leaders from nine countries to Singapore where A3 would hold a three-day orientation session; one that looks very similar to our typical weekend sessions.
We invited two accomplished business practitioners (missional business leaders with rich experience that they can share) to join us. Dave Wendorff joined us from the USA and Francis Tsui from Hong Kong.
Over the course of the three days, Dave and Francis shared from their lives and their experiences instructive examples of how to be a believer who leads their company out of who they are as a Christ follower.
- Dave shared about our intrinsic worth as one created by God. He loves us unconditionally. We don’t have to earn it. Once we get that, it frees us to be His presence in the marketplace.
- Francis helped us over the three days to understand purposeful living and visionary lifestyle as missional business leaders.
Orientation participants are leading companies in India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea. The time together was amazing. Never having run an orientation to A3.business for multiple countries, we just didn’t know what to expect. But the leaders over the three days bonded together with a unity of purpose coming out of their strong love for Jesus. Their stories of how God is working in their lives, their company and their cities demonstrate the power of living out faith Monday through Saturday, breaking down the sacred/secular divide.
Here are a few of their reflections on the time:
“Super! Thanks for the great intimate workshop last week. Great organization indeed! First time for me to attend such an "intimate marketplace workshop" chatting on actual life experiences with fellow Christians in the business world. I bring home learnings from each other's experiences as well as good memories and encouragement.
Nourished by Isaiah 6:1-8 by Rev Edmund Chan (Position defines perspectives) as well as the teachings from Francis and David.”
— Leader from the Philippines
"These meetings not only provided a strong and meaningful teaching on how we can impact our community through the business or work we do in the marketplace every day but also an awesome feeling of unity in the Lord. Living for a few days with people from countries and cultures so different and distant (in kilometers) from me just gave me the vision of God Almighty, King of all of us, Jesus our Savior, the Holy Spirit our guide, no matter where we are from. People with the same faith in the same path (with the conviction that the marketplace is the place to expand the Kingdom) in this awesome country, in such a nice hotel, to experience the richness of God's love, mercy and provision.
For me on a personal level, this orientation confirmed that I can also be part of this important task and that the marketplace is the right place."
— Leader from Mexico
“It was a blessing to have people from 11 countries together, especially some from earlier cohorts in Korea and India to come encourage the countries which have not started [A3.business]. Good conversations among the SE Asian countries as we have some business synergies across the countries, and definitely opportunity for impact work. We hope this is a 100-fold ministry…
A note of thanks for Joe, Elliott, Francis and Dave for your time and witness. It was an inspiring weekend, (1) giving me courage to ask God for a vision for my city based on what I have in my hands, (2) reminding me to focus on Him in my heart, and (3) practical tips for work daily, like praying for the office, offering to pray for others.
The bonus: meeting other like-minded individuals from many other countries... And thank you [to] the ones who have attended a cohort in the past but who came to share with the rest of us the experience."
— Leader in Singapore
"Thank you soooo much for the privilege of connection and friendship that would otherwise not be possible. Love the conversation."
— Leader in Malaysia
"I have to tell you all, coming back to the office feels different. It seems there's a lot more 'work' to be done, especially expanding the Kingdom of God in the marketplace!"
— Leader in Manila
Truly, God is on the move as he establishes His Ekklesia in the workplace.
Elliott Snuggs serves as Executive Vice President for A3. He has invested significant time and expertise in helping start this R&D pilot project, A3.business, and building it to be a growing leader development program for the marketplace in several countries. Elliott has been with A3 since 1983.
More Information
- This article was first published on A3.business here: https://a3.business/blog/25-marketplace-leaders-explore-launching-a3-in-their-countries/
- See A3.business blog posts from/about Francis Tsui.
- Read Francis Tsui's endorsement of A3
