The Metron Manager Project

Have you ever considered that God may intend for us to take on the hardest jobs in the darkest environments instead of the best jobs in the brightest environments?

Is there anything wrong with the best jobs in good places? No, but God gets tremendous representation when we put ourselves in a position where HE can demonstrate HIS power through us and bring beauty out of ashes. I would suggest that this is MISSION in the marketplace.

Follow along as I share on the biblical concept of Kairos and what it means to act on Kingdom moments in the darkest environments.

Kairos is an ancient Greek word meaning 'the right, critical, or opportune moment' and is used 86 times in the New Testament.

“Kairos” refers to a moment in time where we can change things.

In part 1 of this series I share a crucial perspective on Kairos and co-laboring with God and how we must embrace RISK. Why? Because Risk leads to Reliance and Reliance leads to Dependance!

I share the first part of a wild personal testimony that was part of a Kairos season God directed me to act on.

Highlights include:

• 2 hour Interrogation by Israeli Security
• Everything is miserable
• Nearly starting a war in the middle east
• Riot
• Relational fallouts
• Homeless on the street in Tel Aviv
• Miraculous provision in a Kairos moment

Ok friends. If you are an entrepreneur you are going to love this. If you feel compelled to create, innovate, redeem and restore you are going to love this. If you are passionate about the gospel of the KINGDOM you are going to LOVE this.

Today we have a rare opportunity to talk with author, thought leader & entrepreneur Jordan Raynor.

Jordan helps Christians respond to the radical, biblical truth that their work matters for eternity. He does this through his bestselling books (The Creator in You, Redeeming Your Time, Master of One, and Called to Create), he also offers the podcast titled (The Call to Mastery), and weekly devotional (The Word Before Work)— his content that has served millions of Christ-followers in every country on earth. 

In addition to his writing, Jordan serves as the Executive Chairman of Threshold 360, a venture-backed tech startup which Jordan previously ran as CEO following a string of successful ventures of his own. Jordan has twice been selected as a Google Fellow and served in The White House under President George W. Bush.

This is a PROFOUND interview!

Hear from a truly global entrepreneur who has seen it all. From operating a redemptive coffee company in remote China all the way to flying private jets … when you hear his story you will be understand.

Samuel Gurel a legendary Redemptive Entrepreneur. Follow along as he unpacks major life lessons and authentically addresses the hits and misses in his journey.

Check out these highlights:

• Is it ok to just go do business?
• Repenting of becoming a missionary
• Cultural pressure to do something ‘spiritual’
• We were created to hear the voice of God!
• How do you get to the point where things just work?
• How do you gauge effectiveness?
• What happens when you actually surrender to the Lord?
• Minor shifts made things fall into place for Kingdom impact
• The leading and trailing indicators of holistic success in your calling
• Finding the right FIT and not FORCING something
• The risk of comparing yourself to others
• Finding freedom to really WORK
• The value of working a for someone else
• Recognizing your work is of EQUAL importance in the Kingdom
• What do you do when you feel unqualified for your calling?
• Core principles of business that work in any industry
• The 2 part ‘WIN’ on any given day
• How do you manage your impact on the people around you?
• Business thinker or Ministry thinker?
• The keys to identifying the place of FAVOR and GRACE in your life
• The secrets to an effective MISSIONS or BUSINESS calling
• How do you find the RIGHT kind of mentor?

We are back with Matt Brown in Uganda!

Follow along as Matt shares significant updates and progress regarding their clean water company in Uganda. Things are moving in the right direction!

Matt shares the setbacks (drill rig fire) and the progress. We also discuss the KEYS to success in a Kingdom Enterprise as lived and learned by Matt and Jessica Brown as they stand up this new company. I'll give you a clue: Family as Priority and Hearing God moment to moment.

You will be inspired as you dive into this second phase of the Uganda Startup with Matt and I. This is the REAL DEAL when it comes to Redemptive Entrepreneurship and Matt is doing things well even in the midst of a LOT of hardship.

Message to All Nations is building and piloting a ‘Digital Church’ that serves regions that are not able to have organized church. 

Follow along as I interview Dr. Wagdy about the state of the post covid church in the middle east and the incredible opportunity to pivot towards Digital and Hybrid local church expressions. He and his team have successfully developed and modeled not only the technical side of Digital Church but also crafted a system for follow up and church planting among those who respond to Christ due to faith based media. 

We discuss the opportunities and challenges missional entrepreneurs and job seekers face in working in the middle east. Also, we explore the incredible opportunities opened up by technology that allows Believers from the west to use their vocations missionally without even leaving their house!!

You will be incredibly encouraged and inspired by Dr. Wagdy’s journey and the emergence of Digital Church. The Kingdom of God continues to expand through creativity and co-laboring with Christ.

Highlights Include:

• The urgency of subduing the digital airspace of creation
• Incredibly successful Digital Church launch
• How they began their ministry as Medical Practitioners who were not interested in media ministry, and are now providing programing on over a dozen satellites and millions of viewers!

Check out this LIVE talk that Josh Richardson, of Harvest Group, and I presented at our last NWA Marketplace Mission Consultation.

The consultation was a very meaningful time and Josh was able to share some hard won wisdom that comes from his experience starting up an operation center for his employer, Harvest Group, in Tunisia.

I told the group that 'Some wisdom can only be learned in the desert of Tunisia'.

I share a quick intro to Theology of Work and explain the vision behind the Marketplace Mission Consultations... Josh lays out key guidance for any missional professional who is thinking of taking a job in a remote location or who is intentional about making a great commission difference in their current workplace.

If you live in the Northwest Arkansas region feel free to join us for the next consultation on April 25th in Springdale, Arkansas.

Register soon to let us know if you are planning to attend.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/nwa-marketplace-mission-consultation-tickets-313642813097

"As syringes and other random objects continued to fly in all directions, it was clear to me why the administration had wanted to be out of that room. We were beginning to question whether we had heard the Lord clearly on this idea. As quickly as we could, we began our performance and intermittently shared testimonies from our own lives about the work that God had done in each of our lives. No one was listening. It was chaos in the seats and a number of people in the crowd were beginning to manifest demons, as well. This frightened their fellow patients and increased the disorder."

Follow along and hear my personal testimony of miracles of healing and restoration in the wildest environment you can imagine... a rally of 500 patients in a Ukrainian mental institution! 

So, what do you usually say when someone asks ‘how was work today?’, ‘anything interesting happen?’ We are spirit and physical matter so we must have a multidimensional answer to these questions.

Often the point of failure believers experience is when they apply natural responses to spiritual challenges. We have to realize that are spiritual and natural beings. Not all issues in your metron can be ‘managed’ from a natural world approach.

What exactly are you managing towards? You are managing your metron towards the righteousness of God and away from the works of darkness.  

All believers have been given authority, for a purpose. Authority to destroy the works of the devil. This is actually a significant part of your job description no matter what Metron you manage. If you are raising kids at home or a president guiding a country through a crisis, and you claim to follow Christ, you are commissioned to identify and stop works of darkness. 

When you are leading a company as a believer or working in a mainstream job, this is part of your mission. According to the original commission found in Genesis 2:15 you are instructed to keep, have charge of, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life.. in regards to the people, place and space that God has assigned to you. 

How are you going to bring a heavenly, life giving, redemptive approach to these coworkers... employees… vendors… foreign partners… false Christians… outright occult practitioners… this is the real world and Jesus has all the wisdom, power and grace you need to manage the atmosphere of your metron in a way that reverses the effects of the fall. We are commissioned to redeem and restore all that is broken in people, places and spaces.

Is it possible to actually run a Kingdom company? What does it look like to actually advance the Kingdom through event management?

Follow along as I interview Cameron Magee, the owner of Avad3 as we talk about his backstory and how he has built company on the cornerstone of Theology of Work in scripture.

Genesis 2:15 … says “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate (avad) it and keep it.” 

Work was a commission given by God to mankind prior to the fall. Work is not a result of the fall or sin and it’s not a form of punishment. The word cultivate.. which is translated from the Hebrew word ‘avad’, means work and worship. This is where we derive our understanding of work being a form of worship to God. 

The name Avad3 is loaded with meaning and deep significance.

Cameron and Avad3 are also hosting our upcoming Marketplace Mission Consultation on March 30!

Highlights Include:

• What made you choose the name Avad3?
• The REAL impact and potential of SERVING
• The mistake of being ashamed of your faith in the marketplace
• Creating margin to go above and beyond in serving and meet felt needs
• How to create a Kingdom distinctive in your industry
• Managing Kingdom culture in your company that benefits Christian and non Christian employees and customers
• How do you manage your metron practically and effectively
• Advice for those wanting to live out from Godly passion and purpose in their companies

Matt Brown and his family are back in Uganda!

The Metron Manager Podcast will be featuring the Brown family and their Kingdom Enterprise in season 2 of 'Uganda Startup'.

Follow along as Matt shares the latest developments since they arrived back in Uganda. The Brown family has been back in the USA for a few months for the birth of their daughter and now they are diving into the next phase of standing up their water business in remote Uganda.

Highlights Include:

• What is it like to be back on the ground after the first year of pioneering
• Drilling for water next weekend!!
• Business developments and adjusting the model
• Adaptation and technological innovations
• The secret to success in a brutal business environment = The right people
• The end of Covid restrictions and the new Normal in Uganda
• Practical tips such as 'Don't buy a Land Rover'!!

Did you know that God never intended you to Work Alone? Do you know that God's original design was to supernaturally co-labor with you in your vocation?

Exodus 35 says 'And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all craftsmanship; to create designs...'

In this episode I want to highlight one of the incredible benefits we have as people who are filled with the Holy Spirit. God intends us to have a co-laboring relationship with him… a connection that is designed to affect our Work. God is into work and he loves to work with you.

Follow along as I interview Micah Cain. He is the sound engineer for New Heights Church and has a long history in music and audio production. He also has a long history of actively co-laboring with the Holy Spirit, moment by moment, in his music and audio work.

Micah has developed such a close personal working relationship with the Holy Spirit that he even can anticipate live audio issues, fixes and sound engineering approaches before they happen!

This is a really inspiring testimony that you need to hear. As I’ve gotten to know Micah I have seen the Lord in him and I’ve come to realize that Micah is one who doesn’t ‘work alone’ in his Job.