{"id":16443,"date":"2021-03-12T15:45:42","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T21:45:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.c12group.com\/?p=16443"},"modified":"2022-06-02T02:06:59","modified_gmt":"2022-06-02T02:06:59","slug":"state-of-faith-in-marketplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/leadership\/state-of-faith-in-marketplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Ideas from 60 Christian Executives on Integrating Faith in Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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By Wheaton Center for Faith and Innovation (A C12 Resource Partner)<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do Christian leaders integrate their faith into their business decisions to create competitive advantages in employee retention and business strategy?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

This is the question that propelled the <\/span>Wheaton Center for Faith and Innovation\u2019<\/span><\/a>s (CFI) research for the 2020 State of Faith in the Marketplace report. CFI is a full-service research and training institute at Wheaton College, driven by many of the same aspirations that drive C12 members: <\/span>cultivating a needed integration of faith and business, finding innovative solutions to complex problems through the wisdom of the Bible, and seizing the power of community with other Christ-centered leaders<\/b>. Our <\/span>annual State of Faith in the Marketplace<\/span><\/a> research is one way we seek to better understand how Christian leaders integrate their faith in their daily business decisions. A glimpse at some of the major findings of this research should encourage us in the faith integration that is occurring in the marketplace <\/span>and<\/span><\/i> challenge us toward an even more transformative approach to our leadership.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To conduct research for this report, CFI led five corporate case studies in partnership with nearly 100 Christian executives and thought leaders. We collected both quantitative and qualitative data to explore the systems that result from Christ-centered leadership and the potential measures that indicate comparative advantage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We began our exploration with focus groups at our annual Executive Forum, curating conversations with nearly 60 executives about their experiences integrating faith into business practice. We asked the following five questions:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. How do you integrate your faith in your organization?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. What is the impact of your faith on your business outcomes?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. What are the challenges you face in integrating your faith in your organization?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. What resources could better enable you\/your organization to overcome challenges to integrating faith and work?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. How does faith impact the strategy, decision-making, and operations in this area\/ function?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The themes most pervasive across the responses were people, relationships, values, prayer, and overcoming fear and failure.<\/b><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    The group discussed \u201cpeople\u201d at length\u2014defining them as those whom Christians are called to love, commending life transformation as a positive outcome of faith and business integration, while also recognizing opposing or differing beliefs as a challenge to effective integration. They identified relationships with employees, customers, and suppliers as a social mechanism to build trust, demonstrate grace, and serve others.<\/p>\n

    Prayer as Primary Practice for Integration<\/b><\/p>\n

    When asked how they integrate their faith in their work, CFI executive members commonly responded with \u201cspiritual practices,\u201d which can include prayer, worship, reading and meditating on Scripture, fasting, rest, fellowship, and giving. While several of these practices were specifically mentioned, and people and values were the most discussed topics of conversation, prayer emerged as the primary influence or method of integrating faith and business.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \u201cI don\u2019t know how I\u2019m going to achieve this goal but I\u2019m going to pray and rely on the Holy Spirit.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    \u2014Christian Executive Participant<\/span><\/p>\n

    Defined as \u201cspiritual communion with God,\u201d prayer is inspired by an understanding of Scripture (the second most discussed spiritual discipline). Prayer establishes a relationship with God that directly impacts our relationships with people, which also translates to the interactions between leaders and their employees.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Frequently in the marketplace, leaders seem to focus on supporting their employees physically but forget to care for their employees\u2019 intellectual development and spiritual health. <\/span>Praying for employees <\/span><\/a>can remind us as leaders of the whole, integrated humanity of our employees (mind, body, and soul). Furthermore, multiple executives mentioned praying not just <\/span>for<\/span><\/i> but with <\/i>their employees.<\/i><\/span>\u00a0One executive said,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u201cIn 35 years of praying for employees, we\u2019ve only had one person say no, and it was the employee\u2019s husband.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    \u2014<\/span><\/i>Christian Executive Participant<\/span><\/p>\n

    Another executive echoed the positive response of her employees, saying that no one had ever refused her prayer. Praying for and with employees is a way to express care for them, as well as contribute to their spiritual health. For Christian employees, it is a great encouragement, and for non-Christian employees, prayer can plant seeds of faith. <\/span>(See C12\u2019s <\/span>recent meeting resource<\/span><\/a> on incorporating prayer in business.)<\/span><\/p>\n

    Care Influences Employee Engagement<\/b><\/p>\n

    In addition to gathering data through focus groups at the Executive Forum, CFI conducted in-depth case studies and interviews across five organizations actively integrating faith into daily business practices. We collected survey data from nearly 350 participants across all levels of the organizations, prompting them to reflect on the care they perceive and the level of organizational commitment, trust, and personal growth they have experienced at work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    L<\/span>eaders from industries across the marketplace continue to express the dire challenge of sourcing<\/a>, retaining, and developing<\/a> talent. Overwhelmingly, the data provided evidence to indicate that the integration of faith and love in the workplace enables employees to be more committed to, engaged in, and satisfied in their work. Our research suggested that employees\u2019 perception of care from the company they work for drove an increase in employee commitment to the organization, as well as an increase in trust in corporate leadership.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Further Findings<\/b><\/p>\n

    Integrating faith in business can be intimidating for some leaders. One forum participant expressed fear \u201cthat people will hold me to a higher standard that I am not capable of attaining.\u201d Participating leaders shared how they overcome their fears as well as overcome other common challenges like retaining and developing employees, creating values-based cultures, and resolving conflict to improve business performance. Christian leaders have a responsibility to care for the people entrusted to them, and our studies have proven the integration of leaders\u2019 faith enhances both businesses and lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Download the <\/span>2020 State of Faith in the Marketplace<\/span><\/a> abstract prepared especially for C12 to learn more about our findings and the results of Christian leaders integrating their faith and businesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    To access the complete report and receive further research findings, visit <\/span>www.wheaton.edu\/cfi<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16890,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26,31,30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership","category-organizational-culture","category-strategy"],"yoast_head":"\nHow Top Christian Executives Integrate Faith in Business<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Integrate your faith into your business decisions & create competitive advantages in employee retention & strategy. 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CFI is a full-service research and training institute at Wheaton College, driven by many of the same aspirations that drive C12 members: <\/span><b>cultivating a needed integration of faith and business, finding innovative solutions to complex problems through the wisdom of the Bible, and seizing the power of community with other Christ-centered leaders<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/ebooks\/state-of-faith-in-the-marketplace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">annual State of Faith in the Marketplace<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> research is one way we seek to better understand how Christian leaders integrate their faith in their daily business decisions. A glimpse at some of the major findings of this research should encourage us in the faith integration that is occurring in the marketplace <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> challenge us toward an even more transformative approach to our leadership.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To conduct research for this report, CFI led five corporate case studies in partnership with nearly 100 Christian executives and thought leaders. We collected both quantitative and qualitative data to explore the systems that result from Christ-centered leadership and the potential measures that indicate comparative advantage.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We began our exploration with focus groups at our annual Executive Forum, curating conversations with nearly 60 executives about their experiences integrating faith into business practice. We asked the following five questions:<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do you integrate your faith in your organization?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is the impact of your faith on your business outcomes?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are the challenges you face in integrating your faith in your organization?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What resources could better enable you\/your organization to overcome challenges to integrating faith and work?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How does faith impact the strategy, decision-making, and operations in this area\/ function?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\n<b>The themes most pervasive across the responses were people, relationships, values, prayer, and overcoming fear and failure.<\/b>\r\n\r\n \r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-20749\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/themes-table.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"725\" height=\"375\" \/><\/p>\r\nThe group discussed \u201cpeople\u201d at length\u2014defining them as those whom Christians are called to love, commending life transformation as a positive outcome of faith and business integration, while also recognizing opposing or differing beliefs as a challenge to effective integration. They identified relationships with employees, customers, and suppliers as a social mechanism to build trust, demonstrate grace, and serve others.\r\n\r\n<b>Prayer as Primary Practice for Integration<\/b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When asked how they integrate their faith in their work, CFI executive members commonly responded with \u201cspiritual practices,\u201d which can include prayer, worship, reading and meditating on Scripture, fasting, rest, fellowship, and giving. While several of these practices were specifically mentioned, and people and values were the most discussed topics of conversation, prayer emerged as the primary influence or method of integrating faith and business.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<img class=\"wp-image-20751 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/chart.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"430\" height=\"280\" \/>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI don\u2019t know how I\u2019m going to achieve this goal but I\u2019m going to pray and rely on the Holy Spirit.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014Christian Executive Participant<\/span><\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Defined as \u201cspiritual communion with God,\u201d prayer is inspired by an understanding of Scripture (the second most discussed spiritual discipline). Prayer establishes a relationship with God that directly impacts our relationships with people, which also translates to the interactions between leaders and their employees.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frequently in the marketplace, leaders seem to focus on supporting their employees physically but forget to care for their employees\u2019 intellectual development and spiritual health. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/xudqqIGz5Po\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Praying for employees <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">can remind us as leaders of the whole, integrated humanity of our employees (mind, body, and soul). Furthermore, multiple executives mentioned praying not just <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> but <i>with <\/i>their employees<i>.<\/i><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0One executive said,\u00a0<\/span>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIn 35 years of praying for employees, we\u2019ve only had one person say no, and it was the employee\u2019s husband.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Christian Executive Participant<\/span><\/p>\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another executive echoed the positive response of her employees, saying that no one had ever refused her prayer. Praying for and with employees is a way to express care for them, as well as contribute to their spiritual health. For Christian employees, it is a great encouragement, and for non-Christian employees, prayer can plant seeds of faith. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(See C12\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Ministry-February-2021.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recent meeting resource<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on incorporating prayer in business.)<\/span>\r\n\r\n<b>Care Influences Employee Engagement<\/b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to gathering data through focus groups at the Executive Forum, CFI conducted in-depth case studies and interviews across five organizations actively integrating faith into daily business practices. We collected survey data from nearly 350 participants across all levels of the organizations, prompting them to reflect on the care they perceive and the level of organizational commitment, trust, and personal growth they have experienced at work.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">L<\/span>eaders from industries across the marketplace continue to express the dire challenge of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/ebooks\/contendingfortalent1\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sourcing<\/a>, retaining, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/ebooks\/contendingfortalent2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">developing<\/a> talent. Overwhelmingly, the data provided evidence to indicate that the integration of faith and love in the workplace enables employees to be more committed to, engaged in, and satisfied in their work. Our research suggested that employees\u2019 perception of care from the company they work for drove an increase in employee commitment to the organization, as well as an increase in trust in corporate leadership.\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img class=\"alignnone wp-image-20752\" src=\"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/employee-perception.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"608\" height=\"326\" \/><\/p>\r\n<b>Further Findings<\/b>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Integrating faith in business can be intimidating for some leaders. One forum participant expressed fear \u201cthat people will hold me to a higher standard that I am not capable of attaining.\u201d Participating leaders shared how they overcome their fears as well as overcome other common challenges like retaining and developing employees, creating values-based cultures, and resolving conflict to improve business performance. Christian leaders have a responsibility to care for the people entrusted to them, and our studies have proven the integration of leaders\u2019 faith enhances both businesses and lives.<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Download the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/ebooks\/state-of-faith-in-the-marketplace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2020 State of Faith in the Marketplace<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> abstract prepared especially for C12 to learn more about our findings and the results of Christian leaders integrating their faith and businesses.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To access the complete report and receive further research findings, visit <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.wheaton.edu\/cfi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">www.wheaton.edu\/cfi<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>","_content_area":"field_5c1bedcaef2fa","remove_margin":"0","_remove_margin":"field_619401edba742"},"align":"","mode":"edit"},"innerBlocks":[],"innerHTML":"","innerContent":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16443"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16443\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.joinc12.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}