Called to Create

Jordan Raynor

Description

We were created by an infinitely creative God to reflect his love and character to the world. One way we do that is by continuing his creative work. In this energizing book, serial entrepreneur and bestselling author Jordan Raynor helps artists, entrepreneurs, writers, and other creatives reimagine our work as service to God and others, addressing such penetrating questions as- Is my work as a creative really as God-honoring as that of a pastor or missionary?- What does it look like to create not to make a name for myself but to glorify God and serve others?- How can I use my work to fulfill Jesus's command to create disciples?- Will what I make today matter in eternity?To answer these questions, Raynor shares compelling stories from an eclectic group of 40+ Christian entrepreneurs, including the founders of TOMS Shoes, Charity: Water, Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out Burger, Guinness, HTC, and Sevenly, as well as nontraditional entrepreneurs such as C. S. Lewis, Johann Sebastian Bach, and J. R. R. Tolkien. Raynor's "show" rather than "tell," story-driven style makes you feel as if you are sitting at the feet of some of the godliest and most successful entrepreneurs of all time.Perfectly poised to reach today's growing creative class, this unique work restores God's position as the first entrepreneur, helping readers see the eternal value in the work they do today.

Sujets

• Philosophie et théologie

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 07 novembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781493409327
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2017 by Jordan Raynor
Published by Baker Books
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.bakerbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2017
Ebook corrections 09.26.2019
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4934-0932-7
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2011
Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)
Excerpts taken from Culture Making by Andy Crouch are copyright © 2008 by Andy Crouch. Used by permission of InterVarsity Press, P.O. Box 1400, Downers Grove, IL 60515, USA. www.ivpress.com.
Excerpts taken from The Missional Entrepreneur by Mark L. Russell are copyright © 2010 by Mark L. Russell. Used by permission of New Hope Publishers. All rights reserved.
Endorsements
“Entrepreneurship provides a blank canvas for Christians to put their belief into action, and in Called to Create Jordan gives us a strong theology and a great imagination for what this might look like in the world. This is key reading for both the aspiring entrepreneur and the active founder alike.”
Dave Blanchard, CEO and cofounder of Praxis
“Creativity isn’t optional, not if we’re serious about conforming to the image of Christ. Creativity is the natural and supernatural byproduct of a Spirit-filled life. I’m so thankful Jordan wrote this book to challenge the church to embrace creativity and entrepreneurship as a means of glorifying God and loving others!”
Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker and lead pastor of National Community Church
“Creating a purpose-driven business or a nonprofit can be one of the significant ways to live out the gospel and serve others around you. This book will inspire and challenge you to action and change.”
Scott Harrison, founder and CEO of Charity: Water
“I have had the privilege of starting several businesses, both secular and faith-based, but have never written about my experiences. I would hope that, had I done so, my book would have been the one that Jordan Raynor has written. He has captured the essence of being entrepreneurial and—better yet—being an entrepreneur following the call of God. At my age and stage of life I am looking back with fulfillment and gratitude that when God calls, he also equips. May thousands of new entrepreneurs read this book and follows God’s call to create for the glory of the Great Creator.”
Ron Blue, founding director of Kingdom Advisors
“Millions of Jesus followers live in suspended animation, missing their true destiny in Christ and vocation. Called to Create is a tomahawk missile on course to set these captives free and invite them into a wild adventure of honoring God in the marketplace, reimagining calling, purpose, and vocation while embracing whole-life discipleship. It is a bold work that will inevitably change lives . . . perhaps yours!”
Mike Sharrow, president and CEO of The C12 Group
“ Called to Create is a book that will warm your soul and light a fire in your heart. In this book, Jordan has brought to light an aspect of God’s character that is both beautiful and compelling. His words will inspire you to look at your creative work—whatever it may be—as an act of worship and a reflection of God himself. Called to Create gives validation to the creative work you do and challenges you to continue that work as a service to the world around you. You will be motivated to go create something beautiful and live out the calling on your heart. Called to Create is the book that will give you the confidence to say, ‘My work is valuable.’ This is a must-read book for all Christian creatives, whether you’ve started your work or are still dreaming about it.”
Krystal Whitten, creator of The Lettering Prayer Journal
“Whether you’re a business owner, an entrepreneurial employee, a student looking to make something of the world, the founder of a nonprofit, a mompreneur, a photographer, a painter, a musician, an author, or a chef, Called to Create will help you see how your creative work can be an act of worship to God. There is no hierarchy of callings, whereby ‘ministers’ or ‘missionaries’ are the only ones doing the work of the Lord. God has called us all, and in Called to Create , Jordan debunks this bad theology and offers Christian creators an inspiring, biblically based invitation to embrace creativity as a means of serving God and others.”
Mark Russell, PhD, founder of Elevate Publishing and author of Our Souls at Work , Work as Worship , and The Missional Entrepreneur
Dedication
For the One who has called me to create
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Endorsements 5
Dedication 7
Introduction 11
Part 1: Calling 21
1. The First Entrepreneur 23
2. The Goodness of Work 37
3. Discerning Our Calling 51
Part 2: Creating 67
4. Why We Create 69
5. What We Create 83
6. How We Create 99
Part 3: Challenges 117
7. Trust, Hustle, and Rest 119
8. Responding to Failure 135
9. Renewing Our Minds 151
Part 4: Charge 167
10. Commanded to Create Disciples 169
11. The Purpose of Profit 189
12. Creating for the Kingdom 205
Acknowledgments 219
About the Author 223
Notes 225
Back Ads 237
Back Cover 240
Introduction
God was the first entrepreneur. He brought something out of nothing. He established order out of chaos. He created for the good of others. Before the Bible tells us that God is loving, holy, or merciful, we learn that he is creative.
We are made in the image of the First Entrepreneur; thus, when we follow his call to create businesses, nonprofits, art, music, books, and other products, we are not just doing something good for the world, we are doing something God-like. This is important because it validates the deep desire in our souls to create.
If you’ve ever felt like your work as a Christian entrepreneur or creative is anything less than God-like service to the world, this book is for you. If you’ve ever wanted your work to feel like a calling rather than a job, this book is for you. If you’ve ever wanted to sit down with dozens of Christian creators to better understand how they connect their faith to their work, this book is most certainly for you.
This book started out with a set of questions I’ve accumulated through years of seeking to more deeply integrate my Christian faith with my work as an entrepreneur and creative. Rather than answering all of these questions myself, I have spent almost two years posing them to dozens of Christian entrepreneurs through first-person interviews and research. The stories of these men and women are what make up the majority of this book.
Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS Shoes, helps us understand how we can do ministry without abandoning a passion for entrepreneurship. Krystal Whitten, the creator of the Lettering Prayer Journal , puts a face to the deep guilt many moms face for following both the call to create and the call to motherhood. C. S. Lewis, Arthur Guinness, and Scott Harrison of Charity: Water show us how we can create products that reveal God’s character and love others. The founders of In-N-Out Burger, Chick-fil-A, and Sevenly demonstrate how the gospel can influence every aspect of how we run our ventures. Nicole Baker Fulgham, founder of the nonprofit The Expectations Project, shows us how to manage the tension between trusting in God and hustling to grow our organizations. Hymnwriter and entrepreneur Horatio Spafford provides an inspiring case study for how creators should respond to inevitable adversity and failure. J. R. R. Tolkien and “the Inklings” model how Christian community can help renew our minds as we create. HTC cofounder Cher Wang demonstrates the multifaceted purpose of profit, while PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel casts a vision of heaven that gives deep meaning to our creating both today and for eternity. These are just some of the stories you will find in the following pages. 1
Who Is an Entrepreneur?
Our collective fascination with the topic of entrepreneurship has risen drastically over the last century. The number of mentions of the word entrepreneurship in American books has increased sharply just in the last decade. 2 It’s a word we throw around a lot. But it can be a difficult word to define. What exactly is entrepreneurship and who is an entrepreneur?
The word entrepreneur first appeared in a French dictionary in 1723 to describe a person who undertakes a task with financial risk. 3 Contemporary dictionaries define an entrepreneur similarly. Dictionary.com says an entrepreneur is “a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.” 4 Merriam-Webster defines an entrepreneur as “one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise.” 5
While these definitions are good, they leave something to be desired—namely the act of creating something new that many people associate with the work of entrepreneurs. Today when we hear the word entrepreneur people like Steve Jobs, Oprah