EP 89: Why Business Is a Calling, Not Just a Career with Mike Baer, Part 2

Episode notes

What if your work is more than just work? In this episode, Steve Adams sits down with Michael to unpack the real story behind Business as Mission - and how it led to the creation of IBAM. It started with a mission trip in Thailand. A businessman handing out medication, wondering where he fit in. Then came a book, a training, and a realization: business wasn’t separate from mission - it was central to it. From there, the journey expanded into Kyrgyzstan, where business became a tool for transformation in a nation facing massive unemployment. What began as simple training turned into something much bigger - entrepreneurs starting businesses, building relationships, sharing the gospel, and planting churches in places with no prior witness. This conversation reveals how God brings together experience, calling, and opportunity in ways we don’t always expect. It challenges the idea that only pastors or missionaries are “in ministry” and reframes business as a powerful, God-ordained platform for impact. You’ll also hear how this model has scaled across nations, why excellence matters, and what it truly means to be called into business.

• EP 102: Grants, Government Partnerships, and Kingdom Impact, Part 140 / 100
• EP 101: When Business Becomes Discipleship, Part 221 / 100
• EP 100: Business, Failure, and the Making of a Disciple, Part 138 / 100
• EP 99: Excellence, Trust, and Everyday Mission, Part 2
• EP 98: How Christian Leaders Stay Grounded When Work Gets Heavy, Part 1