Newsletter - December 2017

SfK Newsletter Vol. 2017-12 December 8, 2017 View this email in your browser

"We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

When Brethren Disagree It is impossible to always have agreement with people within an organization or an enterprise. It is the case no matter how well they get along and they maintain a good team spirit, even within a church that is supposed to consist of people of the same spirit. This is more so within a business that is composed of people of different motives and goals. A missional business is not an exception. Without conscious attention and intentional efforts, a missional business can face significant challenges in the midst of disagreements. The following article suggests some pragmatic tips in handling disagreement among brothers and sisters in Christ. CLICK TO READ

MINISTRY UPDATES On November 14-16, a 3-day strategic meeting (Nov 14-16) with a missional entrepreneur in Cambodia and his team members took place in Chiang Mai, Thailand. We have agreed on establishing an alliance effective 2018. This strategic alliance will help strengthen SfK Ministries significantly. Praise the Lord who provides! God has also provided an implementing member in Tanzania, Africa. Although there are a few details that need to be ironed out, we are excited about possibilities and are confident in Christ's wondrous provision.  On November 26th, Jeffrey had a meeting with a large Korean American church in southern California to explore the possibility of collaboration in 2018. The meeting went smoothly and we are waiting to take the next steps. We are excited about what the Lord will do through this relationship. Jeffrey delivered a message about the Ministry of Reconciliation in conjunction with work, business and Business as Mission at New Jersey Harvest Church in Closter, NJ on Dec 1, 2017.  There were a couple of fruitful meetings in Pennsylvania to explore the possibility of strategic alliance. Nothing concrete came out of the meetings, but the efforts to seek collaboration will continue through alliance or partnership. SfK Kingdom Fellows and potential supporters got together with Jeffrey in California and New York. Jeffrey plans to continue meeting with groups and individuals through December 22nd. During his trip to the U.S., Jeffrey has shared with people several products made by a few freedom businesses in Kolkata, India, Kathmandu, Nepal and Bangkok, Thailand. He has also shared a couple of products sold by a Cambodian missional business. We seek to establish a network of trading posts in different cities to promote these products, which expect to produce synergy for the Kingdom of God through holistic transformation. And, the Lord has prepared a veteran businessman to lead our endeavor for this trading line of business for SfK Ministries. Praise the Lord!

UPCOMING EVENTS & PRAYER REQUESTS  Jeffrey will travel to Atlanta, Georgia, Denver, Colorado and Los Angeles, California to meet with several potential supporters. Products made by freedom and missional businesses will be shared, as well as messages to challenge and inspire people to become involved. Please pray that these meetings will produce many fruits that will honor God.  Jeffrey has agreed to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of Freedom Business Alliance, a global trade association for freedom businesses. Please pray that he will serve with integrity, excellence and stewardship. SfK Ministries has begun to update its Strategic Plan (2018-2020) and its Vision 2020. Please pray that this process will be realistically ambitious in God's eyes. All members of SfK Ministries have begun to establish their 2018 business plans and budgets. Please pray that this process will go smoothly and bear godly fruit. Feb. 9, 2018: SfK Life (USA) will hold its board meeting. Mar. 20, 2018: SfK Korea will hold its board meeting. Please pray that these meetings will be conducted in a godly manner and will produce beneficial decisions and execution plans. SfK Missional Business Academy (MBA) schedules are filling up quickly for 2018. So far, SfK MBA has been scheduled tentatively for April in Korat, Thailand, May in California, July in Kigali, Rwanda, October in Chiang Mai. Please pray that the preparation will be made thoroughly and SfK MBAs will produce significant impacts in the lives of people in the corresponding countries.  SfK Ministries seeks partners and supporters. As the Lord expands the ministries of SfK, we trust that He will also send partners and supporters as needed. Please pray that the Lord will help us open our eyes to see His will and ears to hear His voice clearly..      May the Lord will help you finish 2017 well and prepare you for a renewed start in 2018. God bless you richly to be a blessing to others. Wishing you great joy in celebrating the Advent of our Lord Jesus Christ!

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The 7 Enemies of Thanksgiving... by Dr. Stephen R. Graves

U.S. Americans celebrate the fourth Thursday of November as the Thanksgiving Day. Families gather together and celebrate this special day in their own traditional way. Many people eat turkey, cranberry and pumpkin pie, watching American football game. Also, they typically express thanksgiving to God who has provided many things throughout the year.

We can easily remember things that are important to us, things like what we want or need. We do not need to be reminded of what we ask. But, we tend to forget that we need to be thankful unless we are reminded. Even the bible reminds us to be thankful always. (1 Thessalonians 5:18) 

I was wondering why people tend to forget to be thankful.

The most obvious spiritual reason was the depravity. Sin keeps us from being thankful.

Also, we tend to take many things for granted while they may be what someone else is praying for, leading to lack of grateful heart.

As I was looking for more reasons why people are not grateful, I have run into an article that Dr. Stephen R. Graves has written: The 7 Enemies of Thanksgiving. 

He has listed and briefly described 7 things that can easily destroy our attitude of gratitude.

These 7 things are:
1. Narcissism - If you are self-focused, you tend to take things for granted and not be grateful.
2. Unbridled appetite - If you lack contentment, you will be less likely to be thankful.
3. Disregard for the small and intangible - If you keep chasing the bigger and the better, you will not be grateful for the small and intangible things that you should appreciate.
4. Captured by consumptive culture - If you are polluted by the materialistic consumerism, you will be more likely to remain ungrateful no matter how much you have.
5. Separated memory - If you do not know how to reflect the blessings received in the past, you will remain discontent about the present.
6. Upward comparison - If you compare yourself with people who have more and live wealthier, you will tend to feel unhappy and want more, leading to discontentment and ungratefulness.
7. Lack of vulnerability - If you have always been in a position to give or help, you tend to elevate yourself unnecessarily too high, thus feeling no need to thank anyone.   

To read the entire article, please click here to go to the link.

On this upcoming Thanksgiving Day and beyond, I pray that you and I will learn to cultivate the attitude of gratitude more in our heart and put it into practice in our daily lives.

I wish you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving Day! - Jeffrey  

Newsletter - November 2017

SfK Newsletter Vol. 2017-11 November 10, 2017 View this email in your browser "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Philippians 4:19,20) Business as Mission (BAM) is not a technique or skill that one can master quickly. Rather it is a substantial change in perspective on work and business. It is a holistic worldview and lifestyle that integrates the Word and the deeds strategically in business on a long-term basis towards the advancement of the gospel on earth. BAM is not a stop gap for the funding shortage that traditional missions experience. BAM is not a means to an end, but in and through itself the gospel of God must be lived out. BAM is clearly a global movement. But it is not complete nor perfect. It still has many needs and gaps. The following article, prepared in 2009 by Mats Tunehag (Chairman of BAM Global), addresses this very issue and after eight years this article still remains valid and true. I trust you will find insights from this article. - Editor A Global Overview of the Business as Mission Movement: Needs & Gaps Mats Tunehag Category: Perspectives Issue: 01-2009 Business as Mission (BAM) is part of a wider global movement that recognizes and responds to God’s call to the whole Church taking the whole gospel to the whole person in the whole world.BAM is a relatively new term, but is based upon biblical concepts. The BAM concept is holistic in nature and content; it is built upon the truth that God has the power to transform people and communities spiritually, economically, socially, and environmentally. BAM does not accept the unbiblical and pervasive paradigm of a dichotomy between sacred and secular, where “church” or “missionary” work is considered a spiritually superior “full-time ministry” and doing business is considered less “spiritual”—or worse. In the last fifteen years the BAM concept has spread across the world and the number of BAM initiatives has grown dramatically. However, there are still major needs and gaps in the global BAM movement. This article will attempt to identify and briefly elaborate on a few of them. The following nine points can be used for prayer, discussion, planning, and action. CLICK TO CONTINUE... MINISTRY UPDATES WEC BAM Conference (October 14-16), Chiang Mai, Thailand Jeffrey met with WEC's leadership on BAM to explore the possibility of collaboration for the Kingdom. The meeting went well and we pray for a tangible and fruitful collaboration.  SfK MBA Kigali II (October 30 - November 4), Kigali, Rwanda. SfK Ministries held its second MBA in Kigali in 2017, following one held in April. The training went very well with Jeffrey Lee, Sung Soo Kim, and Dan Mutiganda sharing the training responsibility. All 12 participants are committed to pass their learning to others in a constructive way. The participants have been carefully selected by Kigali Diocese of Rwanda Anglican Church so that they may develop their own training curriculum for the congregation members of hundreds of churches within the diocese. SfK Ministries will continue working with them in their journey.  Nanuri Co. Ltd., Kigali, Rwanda. Currently, it is undergoing the the first of a three-phase development project.  The initial phase involves the construction of a medical center and a guest house. Jeffrey shared a message on one of its weekly prayer meetings and participated in its board meeting to prepare for the upcoming completion of the construction and subsequent grand opening of two businesses. The Nanuri Community consists of a group of families and provides driving forces behind this company's ambitious project.  Sky Bay, Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand, the implementing member of SfK Ministries in Thailand, continues to expand its business incubation activities while expanding its own SNS marketing programs. It organized the SFK MBA Chiang Mai and will be hosting the first business plan contest. It is also pilot testing the SfK Shared Accounting Service with the help of a Kingdom Fellow, Hana Lee, from Seoul Korea on its accounting capability.  New Life Corporation, Bangkok, Thailand is a missional business that focuses on serving Thai nationals who worked in Korea and have since returned to Thailand. New Life desires to take a holistic approach towards caring for their spiritual needs through six churches in Thailand as well as economic needs through 14 cafes. They are also preparing to enter into the organic chicken farming business. SfK Ministries desires to work with them to establish, develop and position themselves within this market to produce synergy for the Kingdom of God. SfK Shared Accounting Service is still under pilot testing. We face some challenges, but with creative minds working together, we will be able to overcome them.  UPCOMING EVENTS & PRAYER REQUESTS SfK Life Board Meeting (November 10, 2017). Please pray that the board members will consider and decide all issues presented with God's divine discernment and wisdom.  Strategic Planning Session (November 13-16, 2017) in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Two will come from Cambodia and one will come from Korea. Please pray that this strategic planning session will be fruitful for the Kingdom of God.  Jeffrey's Travel to the U.S. (November 17 - December 22) - Jeffrey and his wife, Kristin, will visit Los Angeles, Denver, New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta. In addition to spending time with their children over the holiday season, they plan to share the activities of SfK Ministries and develop financial resources. For this trip, they will share with supporters a variety of products made by a few freedom businesses that rescue, equip and empower women entrapped in modern slavery including human trafficking. Please let us know if you want to host small gatherings in your living room to learn more about SfK Ministries. Please pray that their trip will be fruitful with inspiration shared with many people on the transformational power of missional businesses.  SfK Ministries Business Plan and Strategic Plan - SfK Ministries has begun the process of preparing its business plan and refine its strategic plan. Please pray that this process will be handled with God's wisdom.  Kingdom Fellows Needed - We all are blessed with God-given talents. You can participate in SfK Ministries even remotely using your God-given talents. Kingdom Fellows are fellow workers for God's Kingdom. They share the vision, mission and core values of SfK Ministries, and desire to love and serve God and His Kingdom by helping equip and empower missional businesses. These missional businesses in turn love, serve, equip and empower those around them and within their communities. You are invited to use your talents in equipping and empowering these transformative missional businesses. Please contact us at info@sfklife.org for more details.  Until our next update about SfK Ministries and its transformational impact, we pray that God will richly bless you to be a blessing to many people around you! SUBSCRIBE Friend us on Facebook                                                                                  Follow us on Twitter                                                                                  SfK Ministry Website                                                                                  Copyright © 2017 Synergy For the Kingdom Ministry, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: Synergy For the Kingdom Ministry 5440 Enfield Way Suwanee, GA 30024 Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

Freedom business provides hope and freedom for women trapped in modern slavery, including human trafficking. Faith-based freedom business is a missional business or business as mission (BAM). It rescues, educates, equips and empowers these women to be what God designed them to be.

SfK Ministries aims to serve the needs of these freedom businesses with intellectual, financial and value chain capital so that they continue to produce significant Kingdom impact in the lives of people and the community they serve.

To serve them effectively, SfK Ministries needs like-minded people like you.

May I invited you to partner with us?

Below is the link to a video clip that presents a faith-based freedom business story.

SfK Ministries and Freedom Business

Also, for your information, below is the personal letter from Jeffrey Lee on how you may be engaged in this worthwhile ministry.

My dear fellow believer in Jesus Christ,

As the holiday season is fast approaching, won't you consider giving to support goods causes for the Kingdom of God?  I am writing this personal letter to ask you to consider supporting SfK Ministries.

SfK Ministries supports businesses with a missional purpose operating in Asia and Africa. These businesses produce significant Kingdom impact, but are small and lack crucial resources for their operations. They need advisory and financial support. They exist for the Kingdom Impact in people and the communities they serve. SfK Ministries exist to support these business for transformation, particularly in the least evangelized and poorest nations where challenges are greater than most other countries.

We would like to ask you to consider partnering with SfK Ministries to support these missional businesses.

SfK Life Corporation, a US entity carrying out the ministry, is a non-profit corporation approved by the IRS under its code 501(c)(3). All your donations are tax-deductible for federal income tax purpose.

There are several ways to support SfK Ministries:

• Donate electronically via paypal.  Click HERE for the link to our donation site.
• Mail your contributions to:  5440 Enfield Way, Suwanee, GA 30024. Please make checks payable to "SfK Life Corporation". You will receive a receipt.
• You may give in check or any other financial assets, including stocks and real estate to SfK Life Foundation at The Denver Foundation located at 55 Madison St # 800, Denver, CO 80206 (303) 300-1790

All your contributions are tax deductible, and a receipt of your donations will be sent to you.  

Your donations and support will go a long way in supporting the various missional businesses throughout Asia and Africa.  We hope you will choose to support SfK Ministries before the year-end.  

May God bless you richly to be a great blessing to others around you.

To learn more about SfK Ministries, please visit our website at www.sfkministries.org.

Gratefully in His service,

Jeffrey Lee

Chief Executive Officer

Newsletter - October 2017

SfK Newsletter Vol. 2017-10 October 10, 2017 View this email in your browser

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Ephesians 4:11-13) ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN WEALTH CREATION Lausanne, along with BAM Global Think Tank, has published its second article, "Role of the Church in Wealth Creation," that came out of Lausanne Consultation on Wealth Creation for Holistic Transformation in March 2017.    Ephesians 4 tells us that the church is to equip God’s people for service. This report explores: What is the role of the church and its leaders in enlightening, educating, equipping, and empowering God’s people for the service of wealth creation? How is the church to be involved in inspiring, commissioning, and releasing people who launch businesses that provide jobs and that bring redemptive influence for the benefit of the whole community, and even for entire sectors of the economy? What is the role of the church in wealth creation for holistic transformation? We acknowledge that wealth creation is a godly gift. Various material blessings can and should result from its proper use and be beneficial to the greater community. continued...   Click Wealth Creation and the Poor and Wealth Creation Manifesto to access and read more on these subjects.  MINISTRY UPDATES Exploratory Trip to Cambodia (September 6-9) Jeffrey and Chan Jung Kim, Auditor for SfK Korea, traveled to Phnom Penh, Cambodia to explore the possible expansion into this country. A 2-day seminar was held and also several meetings with potential implementing members for Cambodia. God is good all the time and provides opportunities as needed in His eyes.  Transformation Business Network of Asia Conference (September 13-16) Several opportunities have developed out of this conference that drew 500 attendees and 60 exhibitors. Jeffrey met several entrepreneurs who strive to produce transformation in the lives of people they serve. SfK MBA Chiang Mai, the Class of 2017 (September 18-27) This 9-day intensive training produced eight people who received certificates of completion and one who received a certificate of participation. Their passion to learn and practice what they learned was impressive. Teams stayed up as late as 2:30 am for a few days to work on their assignments. Most of them will participate in the SfK Business Plan Contest with their own business plans. May the Lord hold their hands in the next chapter of their life with their missional businesses!  BAM Seminar in Udonthani, Thailand (September 28) This 3 hour long discussion, led by Jeffrey Lee and interpreted by Missionary Dr. Jun Hyung Cho, addressed 40+ Thai and Laotian Christian leaders regarding BAM. Many pastors shared their broadened understanding about the power of business as God originally designed. It was encouraging to witness the change in their perception about business and BAM.  Exploratory Trip to Laos (September 29) Jeffrey traveled to Vientiane, Laos along with Missionary Dr. Jun Hyung Cho to meet the leadership team of Laos Evangelical Church (LEC). LEC is the predominant body of believers in Laos that is experiencing a tremendous growth in Christians all over the nation according to its president. Laos remains a nation closed to the gospel and external missionaries. We agreed to work together and begin with a BAM seminar in January/February 2018. SfK Life, the US member of SfK Network, has approved a term loan to an organic chicken farming business in Thailand. This chicken farming business will be led by a local church and a Thai corporation that has launched 14 cafes in Thailand particularly to help Thai migrant workers settle down economically in Thailand. Please pray that all the process will go smoothly. Jeffrey also held a couple of strategic meetings over the past month, the details of which cannot be disclosed prematurely at this time. Please pray that these efforts will bear fruits that will be pleasing to the Lord.    UPCOMING EVENTS & PRAYER REQUESTS   Oct. 2017 WEC BAM Conference (Chiang Mai):  Jeffrey is scheduled to hold a meeting with WEK's global leadership team on October 13 to explore the possibility of collaboration. Please pray that the conference will empower many BAMers to develop their full potentials. Oct. 26,-27, 2017 Lion's Den (Birmingham, Alabama):  This program screens many business plans with a missional purpose to select a few winners through a rigorous process. The winners will have survived the "Lion's Den", like Daniel. Please pray that this event will challenge many business people to work towards excellence.  Oct. 30-Nov. 10, 2017 SfK MBA Kigali II 2017 (Kigali):  This is the second MBA held in Kigali, the first being held in April earlier this year. This MBA will equip select people from Kigali Diocese of Rwanda Anglican Church so that they will in turn train Rwandan entrepreneurs in Kinyarwanda, Rwanda's local language. Please pray that the participants will be trained thoroughly to be trainers of others.  Nov. and Dec. 2017 Trip to the select cities in the U.S.:  Jeffrey and Kristin will be traveling to the U.S. and visit several cities, including Los Angeles, Denver, New York, Philadelphia and Atlanta. Their primary purpose of the trip will be attending small gatherings to raise financial resources necessary for SfK Ministries. Please pray that the Lord will prepare many willing and able people of God to respond to the needs of SfK Ministries.  Our official Launch of SfK Shared Accounting Service is scheduled for January 2018. Meanwhile, Skybay Thailand will be placed on this service for beta testing and debugging. Kingdom Fellows with skills and knowledge in accounting are called to serve as remote accountants. Responsibilities include 4-5 hours a month to help missional businesses receive monthly financial statements for more effective management and to be better prepared for any external financial investments. Please consider joining us in sharing your accounting knowledge and skills in empowering missional businesses without having to travel overseas. Also, please pray that sufficient people will respond to this call for help. Currently, an important alliance is being formed. Upon completion, this alliance would boost the scope and capacity of SfK Ministries significantly. Please pray that our efforts will progress in step with the Holy Spirit according to the grace of God. Financial Support Needed - In order for SfK Ministries to continue providing the services of equipping and empowering missional businesses in Asia and Africa, we need financial resources. We have yet to meet our budget for 2017 and we need your support. Please consider prayerfully giving your year-end donation to SfK Ministries.SfK Ministries is a 501(c) (3) organization and your donation is full deductible for the federal tax purposes.      We pray that the Lord will bless you richly so that you may be a great blessing to others around you!