Marketplace Solutions – A year of IMPACT!
Basic to our message is the desire to see key Biblical principles understood and applied – We are an Equipping Ministry. Create maximum opportunity for everyone to be led by the Holy Spirit as ministers who know that Labor is worship. We have been building relationships with those in the marketplace who have a faith and hope in Jesus Christ and long to see that faith applied in their lives every day. We are a Connecting Ministry. We have also been building relationship with traditional church leaders who desire to equip and 'send' people into all the spheres of authority as agents of transformation. We are a Mobilizing Ministry. We hold seminars; have workplace prayer group meetings, develop organization change strategies, and gather top CEO’s every month for equipping. Marketplace Solutions is making a difference and yet there’s much more to do.
Many people are receiving their own revelation and applying these insights and principles, seeing their own lives and businesses changed. Here is some of the fruit we’ve seen this year:
- The workplace is now a ‘church-place’ where believers are praying and planning together.
- Those who are ministering in the marketplace are seeing Holy Spirit encounters and behaviors are changing as they speak peace and blessing to their co-workers
- Businesses that were crippled by the economic crisis are seeing tremendous rebounds because they have put the Lord Jesus Christ in His rightful place
- Growing generosity as those with means understand that the Lord owns it all
- Fear is no longer the prevailing emotion and mindset, but Faith and Hope are rising
- Wealth creation with a desire to use the wealth to eliminate systemic poverty
- Answered Prayer! From healings, to a miracle turn-around for a large company, to new vision and changed lives.
Marketplace Solutions is here to serve you as God’s minister in the marketplace. These are exciting days to be a part of what God is doing in the earth. Let’s look with anticipation toward the coming year together and join efforts in fulfilling God’s Great Commission here in Northeast Ohio.
Two Powerful Seminars help to change Paradigms
There were two additional Seminars that impacted the region this year. In June we had Rick Heeren, VP for Harvest Evangelism in Northeast Ohio. His visit was short yet powerful. Each meeting, from Cleveland to the two here in Youngstown was critical to exposing many to the Five Pivotal Paradigms. (Go to www.4marketplacesolutions.org for more info)
Ed Silvoso says, “A paradigm is like a pair of glasses. If you use the wrong pair, reality becomes distorted, but the right ones enable you to see clearly what was there all the time.”
God’s presence is no longer confined to Sunday services as businessmen; Mayors, CEO’s, waiters and students are taking the Kingdom of God to the workplace. Our Fall Seminar – Executing Marketplace Transformation had the Mayor of Elk River, MN – Stephanie Klinzing here in Youngstown. We conducted a Leadership Breakfast with many area leaders in attendance (The Superintendant of City Schools, the first lady of Youngstown – Sonja Williams, the Mayors Chief of Staff, City Council members, the County Auditor, Pastors from 5 different cities). Over a dozen stayed an additional 45 minutes after for more Q & A.
Our Saturday seminar was indeed the best of all when area believers gathered at Youngstown Christian School. Our focus was to introduce and teach about the 5 Pivotal Paradigms for Transformation as Ed Silvoso has developed and implemented around the world. By far the highlight was the teaching on the 5th Paradigm for Nation Transformation by Mayor Stephanie Klinzing. The Mayor spoke with power and clarity about the issue of Systemic Poverty and our need to address it.
As we ended the seminar those in attendance gathered together and repented for missing the mark, for living in a way that was keeping the Kingdom of God from being revealed, and for perpetuating issues of systemic poverty. Before departing, I challenged the participants to not only pray, but to take action in their spheres of influence. Each participant took a wooden stake with the words “Jesus Christ is Lord!” - written on it and did a prayer dedication is strategic areas all over Youngstown.
Something extraordinary is happening and the keys rest with equipping the saints (wrongly referred to as lay people) to do the work of the ministry. This is why I challenge you to believe that God wants you to do greater things. Mondays will become as pleasant as Sundays once we learn to take the presence of God with us everywhere.
Economic Up Turn Seminar creates local Company Turnaround
Back in March Vicki and Kristen Moore attended the Economic Up Turn Seminar. At the end of that seminar Vicki and Kristen approached me and asked if I would come along side of them and help repurpose their company and give some direction. I quickly said, YES!
A couple of weeks later I met with them in their office, we discussed what it meant to surrender their business to the Lord and how God might begin to work on their behalf.
Part of that discussion led us to set a date for a company prayer dedication with all of their employee's. We did the dedication and repented for doing business with God as after-thought rather than as our first priority. We invited Him back into His rightful place and blessed what God was going to do in the days to come. The Moore's then proceeded to share with their employees "that as of this month, we have decided to tithe 10% of our company profits to the Lord for His Kingdom work." Sounds like an amazing step, the only problem was the company hadn't had any profits recently and it didn't appear that any were on the way. When they looked at the books for the close of business for April, the month they made this decision and faith step indeed there was a profit - though small in amount- it was a profit. They quickly tithed from that profit amount as they said they would.
Well, when God pours out a blessing it usually isn't a trickle - the next month - May - found them in even better shape. The profits from this month allowed them to catch up on the entire year of short fall. As Vicki stated recently,” being in business often feels like a roller coaster ride...we all tend to grip on to that safety bar in fear. That safety bar is not what saves you if your cars jump the track, that's a false sense of security. Instead of gripping on to it, we need to let go of our own understanding and lift our hands to the Lord and put our trust in Him. God gave us His Son as our ticket...and we're to take others along for the ride. "
"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Prov. 3:5, 6
To be “anointed for business” is to be set apart by God for service in the marketplace; to use your job as a ministry vehicle to bring transformation to the marketplace, so that the gospel will reach everyone within your sphere of influence.
Executive Exchange
A like minded executive peer group that allows for personal, spiritual and business growth as it aligns with God’s calling on our lives and desire to advance his kingdom purposes here on earth.
Executive Exchange is probably one of the most powerful weapons in the Marketplace Solutions arsenal. A little over a year ago God told me to influence the influencers. In just over a year we’ve seen amazing fruit already. CEO’s and Business Owners from around the valley are coming together and the impact is significant. Let me share just one testimony – Our monthly meetings are hosted by GBS Corp. and its President and CEO – Eugene Calabria. Every month we ask one of these CEO’s to present their company to the group. Several months ago it was Eugene’s turn to present GBS Corp.
While he shared the qualities and virtues of GBS – he also shared about a significant point of adversity the company was facing as a non-essential supplier to GM. With the onset of GM’s bankruptcy looming GBS stood the possibility of loosing millions of dollars in A.R. We needed a miracle. Every month we pray for God to move on our behalf. The Lord says that He shall supply all of our needs according to His riches in GLORY. GBS needs some riches. As we prayed we asked God to present something that wasn’t on the table and wasn’t being seen. Within a week they received a letter from GM asking them to bid on new business. The leadership team was reluctant to take any new business with GM for obvious reasons. Yet Eugene had a strong sense that this was something they needed to do. What he didn’t know at the time was that the new business would change their status as a supplier and open the door for “the miracle”. In the U.S. Bankruptcy court, the non essential suppliers were faced with writing off all or part of their receivables as bad debt expense, essentially stuck with the bill. All critical suppliers got paid – past and present A.R. included. By taking the new business GBS moved from a non-essential supplier status to a critical supplier status and not only got new business, but were paid for the outstanding debt as well. God is a God of miracles!
Initiatives
This past year saw several new initiatives emerge. Two of those initiatives are worth noting: In Cleveland we have been meeting once a month for a Cleveland Faith That Works luncheon. This group is growing into powerful ministers in the marketplace. Most significantly is how prayer has become a priority with and through these individuals. Diana Ross is a CEO of a company that recently made several key changes; the biggest of which was to hire a full time intercessor. This has already had a huge impact on the company.
The other initiative was also prayer focused. Marge Fabich works for Trumbull County Fairhaven. She had a vision to see prayer impact change in her organization. Back in the spring we partnered and began the prayer process. Since then 6 of the 7 locations are now conducting onsite prayer and dozens of employees are being changed and impacted as they seek God together for themselves and their organization.
Partnership
In 2009, God opened doors for Marketplace Solutions to serve locally and across the globe as a spiritual ambassador for transformation. There was a cost involved: a brand new website, new training materials, equipping seminars, and travel. All of these were critical yet costly investments. Many of you responded throughout the year with prayer and financial support, without which none of this would have been possible.
Thank you!
The preceding pages attest to God’s faithfulness and impact of this ministry. However, the year ahead has even greater demands and needs associated with it. I cannot do it without your support. Would you invest in Marketplace Solutions again? I need your prayers, involvement and finances. This is an opportunity to advance the Kingdom of God here and beyond. Please take a moment to write a check to Marketplace Solutions and share your thoughts with me as well. Thank you for your partnership!