Too often, Christian leaders separate Sunday worship from Monday decisions, leaving faith at the door of the workplace. But what if biblical principles could shape every part of business—strategy, marketing, finance, people, and culture? In this second part of their conversation, Greg is joined again by Dr. K. Shelette Stewart, Harvard leader, corporate veteran, and author of Revelations in Business. Together they unpack how to close the gap between Sunday and Monday, with real-world examples from Chick-fil-A, Interstate Batteries, and more. This is a practical blueprint for leaders who want their work to create both impact and Kingdom significance.
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Revelations In Business Pt. 2 With Dr. K. Shelette Stewart
We’re about to spend some time with Dr. Shelette Stewart. She wrote a book called Revelations in Business. Normally, I wouldn’t hold up a book and say, “You should go buy this book, but you should go buy this book. Why?” In the early days of Convene, we used to say, “We’re turning the Sunday stuff into Monday stuff for better lives and better businesses.” We’ve been working for twenty years on how to best do that with executives and leaders. Shelette Stewart shows you how to do that in one book.
She basically says, “This is how to turn the Sunday stuff into Monday stuff in marketing and strategy and excellence in people, in finances. How to incorporate biblical principles into your daily practice?” She has twenty years of leadership experience. She’s worked at AT&T and Coca-Cola. She has example after example of companies that’ve turned the Sunday stuff into Monday stuff. Join me and Dr. K. Shelette Stewart from Harvard University as we talk about Revelations in Business.
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I’m excited to be with Dr. Shelette Stewart again, a Christian author, an international speaker, and a consultant. She’s got over twenty years of leadership experience in strategic planning, in marketing, in business development, with places like Coca-Cola and AT&T. She’s a recent graduate of Harvard Business School and serves in a leadership role there at Harvard. She’s the author of the award-winning book, Revelations in Business.
I would say this is not just a book that is full of platitudes that you made up on a writing deadline. This is a book full of solid, hardcore biblical integration of things like strategy, marketing, people, and excellence. The whole gamut. I’m so pleased that you wrote this. In the early days of Convene, Shelette, we used to say that Convene was about turning the Sunday stuff into Monday stuff for better lives and better businesses. I think that your book actually does that. It turns the Sunday stuff into Monday stuff.
That’s why we love having you hang around, Convene, and one of our speakers who is criss-crossing the Country, is one of the speakers at our conference. There is this gap that we need to talk about a little bit. We just need to unpack a little more and talk about why there is this gap between Sunday and Monday. Why have so many books been written, but not as many people are doing it? What are some of your thoughts about this? Why did you write the book in the first place?
Bridging The Sunday-Monday Gap: Biblical Principles In Business
First of all, thank you so much, Greg, for having me again. It’s always a pleasure and honor to share with you and your audience. I absolutely love Convene and enjoy serving as a speaker at the forums across the country and even at your summit. Thank you. It’s always a delight to chat with you. You raise a very interesting and important question about why we have this gap. That was really part of the reason that inspired me to write Revelations in Business.
Part of the gap in terms of church on Sunday and work on Monday, and never the two shall meet, has to do with our socialization and our culture, particularly in the Western world and especially in the United States, where typically there’s this barrier around bringing biblical principles into the workplace and into the marketplace and into the schools. It’s so unfortunate because we’re seeing the remnants of taking the word of God out of those institutions now.
It's so unfortunate because we're seeing the remnants of taking the word of God out of those institutions now. Share on XThat’s what I love about Convene and your organization is that you’re encouraging Christian leaders to bring the word of God back into the private sector, back into the public sector, where it does belong. That was part of the inspiration for me. It’s interesting. One of the books that inspired me to write Revelations in Business was Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose Driven Life. I love that book because it really challenged me to think about my purpose. After reading it, Greg, I was grappling with how to apply these principles to the marketplace and to the workplace in a very practical, pragmatic way.
What does this mean if I, as a Christian, am to submit to a leader whom I don’t respect? How do I know if I’m in my position by divine assignment or by default? My own fault, and it’s time to move on. Those were some of the challenges that I was facing at the time in my career, and what really ultimately inspired me to write Revelations in Business and the whole notion of connecting your business plan with God’s purpose and plan for your life.
Just as a quick tangent, I don’t know if you’ve looked at the Barnes study that came out six months ago, but I’m going to save you reading about 100 pages. It is shocking what one of the results combined with another part of the results says, “Christians want to represent faith in the marketplace, but they don’t want to stand out.” I’m like, “Wait. Those two things cannot go together.”
You cannot influence something and not stand out, especially in today’s culture. I know that’s not really exactly what we’re here to talk about, but you cannot say, ‘I want to make a difference as a Christian business leader, but not stand out,” or “I want to make a difference as a Christian business leader, but don’t want to inculcate and appropriate biblical principles to strategy.” You cannot leave God at the strategy door.
I actually read the study. I had the honor and opportunity to speak for the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. I studied that in preparation for speaking at their international conference. What was so interesting was the fact that I hear that from Christian leaders constantly. They want to honor God in the marketplace and in the workplace, but they’re afraid.
The Bible says in 2 Timothy 1:7 that he has not given us the spirit of fear, but a power and love and a sound mind. I encourage our audience today to be bold, to be liberated and emancipated, and to take a stand for God in the marketplace. We are his ambassadors. At the end of the day, our businesses are not ours. We’re just stewards of his businesses. What better way to glorify him than by leveraging his strategies, his principles, and his practices in the marketplace?
Be bold, be liberated and emancipated, and take a stand for God in the marketplace. We are his ambassadors. Share on XUnlocking Kingdom Impact: Defining And Embracing Biblical Business Strategies
That’s a great place to say, “Let’s get practical.” What is a biblical strategy?
Yes, good question. You and I both know, Greg, that in business we spend quite a bit of time discussing the whole notion of a strategy. We all know that strategies are simply activities or action items to achieve a certain goal, a certain aim. We know what a strategy is. Biblical strategies are really similar. However, they leverage the sovereign word of God, leverage his principles. Again, we’re stewards over his businesses. We are to glorify him in the marketplace. How can we do that if we’re not really leveraging what the Bible says in a way that’s very strategic and also practical and pragmatic? Those are what biblical strategies are.
Why is it important?
It’s so important because again, we are salt and light. Others are watching us. We are ambassadors and stewards of his businesses. We are to glorify him in the marketplace. There’s another reason it’s so important, and I think this lends itself to our point earlier about some Christians not wanting to stand out.
The Bible says that we are not to be conformed by this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Biblical strategies, Greg, allow us to operate in the business world without being of the business world. Operating in the business world without being of the business world. That sets us up to achieve not just success, but more importantly, significance, and that we’re leaving a positive lasting legacy.
We are not to be conformed by this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Share on XI love that you quoted my friend, Auntie Anne, in your book, and she says, “I don’t understand how a Christian can be in business and not have God at the core. If you’re a Christian, God is with you. How can you not take him to work?” Auntie Anne Beiler of Auntie Anne’s pretzels, right?
Yes, don’t you love that? I love that quote. I was very honored that Ann Beiler, the founder of Auntie Ann’s Pretzels, endorsed my book, as well as Dan Cathy, the chairman and CEO of Chick-fil-A. I believe that this whole notion of bringing God to work has resonated with people like Dan Cathy or Anne Beiler, and a number of other leaders, because it’s needed today more than ever.
Our lack of biblical literacy compared with the incorrect dichotomy that we put around work. It’s like “That was a great sermon, pastor. I’m off to work tomorrow morning, and so I’ll see you in a week for another great sermon which has nothing to do with my Monday to Friday.” At service master because you quote Bill Pollard as well, at ServiceMaster, where I was for twenty years. We used to say that “We wanted work to be something that made a difference in people’s lives.” We didn’t say that “We should build a big company and ignore service workers.”
It was very inculcated, and Bill Pollard would write essays all the time saying, “This is what I believe.” Here’s what was exactly said, “To be an ever-expanding and vital market vehicle for use by God in the lives of people as they serve and contribute to others. Ever-expanding and vital market vehicle for use by God in the lives of others as they serve people.” That was an example of turning the Sunday stuff into Monday stuff that helped us build a $9 billion company. In your book, you talk about a lot of things, but how about let’s talk about some examples of biblical strategy?
Beginning From Within: God’s Guidance In Business Ventures
There are so many examples. I’ll share a couple with you that I share with a number of Christian leaders. It’s really interesting, Greg, because with biblical strategies, they are typically completely contrary to what the secular world would tell us. What Wall Street tells us, or business schools, or just the marketplace in general.
One strategy that I encourage executives who are considering starting a new business or joining a new board of directors, as well as young folks who are just starting their careers, is to begin from within. You and I both know that the Bible in 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians talks a lot about the fact that the Spirit of God resides within us, that God dwells within us. We are to begin from within by praying to the God who resides in each and every one of us and asking him what the next move should be.
We are to begin from within by praying to the God who resides in each and every one of us and asking Him what the next move should be. Share on XShould we join that board? Should we start that business? Is this the industry for me? Again, this is completely contrary to what the business world typically will tell us. They will say, “Look outside of ourselves to the external marketplace and find a growing industry and pursue a career in that,” or “Find a market niche and build a business or an entrepreneurial venture around that.” That’s a biblical strategy that starts off by honoring God.
Sometimes, some of the Old Testament stories are completely antithetical to reason. Sometimes there’s a story that is completely rational. You should march around the walls of Jericho seven times, and they’ll fall down. If you presented that to your board of directors, they’d say, “I think we need a new CEO.” This is exactly what God said to do, and it worked. Sometimes God’s going to say, “Do something that isn’t rational.” Sometimes he’s going to say, “Do something that is completely rational.”
In fact, that’s an excellent point, Greg, that lends itself to another strategy that I often share with others. This whole notion around people and performance indicators. Oftentimes, people and performance indicators will say, “Don’t do it. The business case doesn’t support it. Don’t try to open up that restaurant in that neighborhood. Several restaurants have tried and failed.” Oftentimes, one strategy, a biblical strategy, is to pursue peace. The Bible says, “God is not the author of confusion and Jesus is the Prince of peace.” Pursue peace.
Here’s the key. Even when the data says it won’t work, even when people are saying it’ll never work, if you feel that God is truly leading you towards that commercial or professional endeavor, and you have peace with it, and you know that the Holy Spirit is leading you, pursue that. The Bible says that he can do a new thing through us. He may be doing something new through you that the world has not seen. I encourage leaders to pursue peace and step out on faith and still pursue that, even when people and performance indicators say it won’t work.
Do you think that there are some CEOs, some leaders who are listening, even maybe some young leaders who are starting out in their career, listening to us, where there is a disconnect between doing a new thing? “Yes, I’m looking at my Bible. It says that, but I’m doing something on this Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in such and such a city, and doing a new thing has no bearing on my daily.” Why do you think that is? Do you think people think that the Bible is a dusty musty historical document that doesn’t really mean anything? Where’s the problem?
I think the challenge, Greg, quite frankly, is that people have a challenge in seeing the Bible in very practical, pragmatic terms and applying even the biblical stories and the principles to the challenges that we face today, the global challenges. It can be done. The Bible is a living, breathing document. It’s the sovereign word of God.
The Bible is a living, breathing document. It's the sovereign word of God. Share on XThe key is that we must be intentional, proactive, and diligent in praying and asking God to lead us in terms of the new thing, the new entrepreneurial venture, the lateral move in corporate America, the promotional opportunity, or starting the ministry. Oftentimes, we have to step out on faith, and we have to really discern the practical, pragmatic aspects. That takes some work on our part. There’s a certain level of accountability, and I’m not certain that a lot of people are ready for that or open to it.
Real-World Impact: Companies Thriving With Biblical Strategies
How about some real-world examples of customers or companies, organizations that have employed biblical strategies?
There are so many, and I reference quite many of them in my book, in Revelations in Business, but let’s go back to the last strategy, this whole notion of pursuing peace even when people and performance indicators say it’ll never work. That’s the legacy that Truett Cathy left with Chick-fil-A. People in performance indicators said you cannot start a business by simply selling chicken and only chicken.
It won’t work. Here we are with them being closed on Sunday and their revenue being stronger than many of their competitors that are open all seven days of the week. That isn’t just with corporate America. If you look at Hollywood, that’s also the story around Mel Gibson and The Passion of the Christ.
People said, “Don’t even think about making the movie. It’s just too much of a controversy around it. People will never go to see it.” It continues to be one of the highest-grossing films of all time. Again, I encourage our audience to step out because he may be doing a new thing. If you feel called, honor the calling. Take time, even though your schedule may be busy. You may be swamped. Take time and honor that calling.
Here’s one you might not know of, a friend of mine, Blythe Hill. She’s about 30 years old. She’s one of our speakers at the Convene FCCI event called Leadership Collab that we’re doing in San Diego. Blythe is about 30-some years old. She decided, “What if I got my girlfriends to wear a dress for the entire month of December, and they’ll go around to their friends and ask them to give money to them to support sex trafficked women and people who are enslaved as workers around the world?”
“We’ll just see if some of my friends and I can raise some money and send a little bit of money to these causes around the world. I won’t be a cause, I’ll send money to good causes like International Justice Mission and see what happens.” She started, I think, about 10 years ago now, maybe 8 years ago, people said, “You’re not going to get women to wear a dress for the entire month of December. Forget about it.” Does that sound fun, Shelette? Wear a dress?
Not necessarily.
So far, she’s raised $13 million with a little idea that people said, “Don’t do it.” She said, “That’s what God told me to do.”
Look at the return on her investment, and her investment is just being obedient to him. I’ll share with you another example. Interstate Batteries. They’re headquartered in Dallas. Their CEO at the time was Norm Miller. The example of this biblical strategy was what I call stirring up the gift. The Bible tells us in 2nd Timothy 1 to 6 that “We’re to stir up the gifts that God has given us.” As leaders, we’re to stir up the gifts in our employees. I believe that the hallmark of an excellent leader is one who gets others one step closer to walking in their divine purpose.
The hallmark of an excellent leader is one who gets others one step closer to walking in their divine purpose. Share on XHere’s what Norm Miller did, as you know, instead of just stirring up the gift with his employees, he came up with a creative global media campaign called I Am Second. The whole notion is that Jesus is first and we are second. He not only stirred up the gifts of his employees, but also a whole generation, and even engaged celebrities around the whole media campaign of I Am Second. It’s another way of just exemplifying a biblical strategy of stirring up the gifts and others, but in a way that’s not just confined to your company, not just confined to your department or organization, but it’s more kingdom-focused.
I loved watching Lindsay’s story in the I Am Second video series. Lindsay, who just happened to be around for the founding of In-N-Out Burger, is now the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar company. You say, “Why is that an interesting video?” It’s an interesting video to me because there aren’t too many CEOs of very large companies who say, “I am second,” but Lindsay said, “I am second.” Her life is very raw and on display of some of the errors that she made that we’ve all made those kinds of errors in our lives. We’re not all perfect, but there’s a CEO saying, instead of “I’m great,” “We’re great.” You can be great. She’s saying, “I made mistakes. God used my life in In-N-Out Burger. Here’s how we try to honor God, and I am second.” What a great example.
In fact, I reference In-N-Out Burger in Revelations in Business as well as a number of other organizations, particularly in the marketing aspect. Another biblical strategy has to do with leveraging marketing as fishing. That’s where I reference In-N-Out Burger. The Bible says, and Jesus tells us that we are to follow Him and He’ll make us fishers of men.
What I would encourage the leaders to do is to think of their marketing efforts not just to drive awareness and engagement and revenue, but for a kingdom focus. We serve an excellent God, and so our marketing endeavors should exemplify excellence. In-N-Out Burger, as you know, prints biblical scriptures on its packaging. The Forever 21 retail store will print John 3:16 on their shopping bags.
Hobby Lobby, we’ve all seen the full-page ads in USA Today and a number of other leading news publications where they celebrate Christian holidays. Having an excellent marketing strategy and marketing execution means no profanity. It means no lewd remarks. It means no racist or sexist comments. It’s really taking marketing to a higher level so that you’re not just generating traffic for your products and services, but you are really focused on Kingdom initiative. Again, I challenge leaders, especially Christian leaders, to take it to a higher level of excellence.
Beyond The “Just”: Every Business As Ministry
This is not a question we’ve talked about, but I know that you have a lot of wisdom deep inside of you. What do you do with the person who says, “I just own a hamburger company,” “I just own a chicken sandwich company,” “I just own a company that makes chairs,” “I just own a company that cleans houses.” “See, none of what I do is really very spiritual.” What do you say to that person who says, see, I’m just, we just, we just make, I just am? As if to say, “I’m here, and the person who is the vice president at World Vision is here because they feed hungry children. I just make tables.”
I heard that comment, and I address it in my book as well. What I would say is, first of all, this whole notion of being just an X, Y, Z is ridiculous. Everything that we pursue in the workplace and in the marketplace is ministry. Especially for those of us who are his ambassadors, we have to really recontextualize our thought process and the way that we perceive and conceive of our careers and our entrepreneurial adventures.
Everything that we pursue in the workplace and in the marketplace is ministry. Share on XIt’s a ministry. At the end of the day, it’s all ministry. My challenge to that individual would be, “How are you going to leverage your hamburger stand or your clothing outlet in a way that glorifies God in a way that makes a difference long term?” At the end of the day, it’s all about kingdom focus and the kingdom agenda. Regardless of where you are in the process, this whole notion of leadership.
To me, it’s not about hierarchy. Leadership is about who we are as children of the Most High God. We are all leaders. It’s not about where we fall within the proverbial hierarchy of corporate America. I would encourage that individual to completely recontextualize their mindset when it comes to their career and their professional endeavors. It’s all ministry.
I’ve been thinking lately if God is sovereign and powerful and loving and creative and all-knowing and able to be everywhere. All the attributes of God are true. It’s a very powerful, wise, intelligent being. This very powerful, wise, and intelligent being said, “I’ve got an idea. I’m going to make a man in my image, but Monday to Friday, I’m going to have him doing stuff that is completely irrelevant. Sunday, then that’s when the real work starts.” Of course, God didn’t do that. All of life can glorify God. Things done in my name can glorify God. A cup of water. If a cup of water in my name can glorify God, then making a table in my name can glorify God. Agree?
Absolutely. That’s what I love about the platform that you have with Convene is that you are, in a very practical way, really pouring into the lives of Christian leaders. Wherever they are within the organization and whether the organization is publicly traded or privately owned, you are really helping them make those connections, Greg, in terms of the practical, pragmatic daily responsibilities, but how to see them as ministry. It’s a spreadsheet. It’s a budget. It’s a strategic plan, but it really is ministry, and here’s how. That’s the great aspect about organizations like yours, you’re really helping individuals to make those connections.
The Kingdom Advantage: Benefits Of Biblical Business Practices
I love what one of our CEOs, who’s in our network, said, “I used to see people as an expense and now I see them as this wonderful person to minister to be friends, to be with, to see to understand and to love. People are an expense. How do we reduce the expense line item called payroll?” How about some thoughts about the benefits? If somebody bought in, they were listening at the beginning, they said, “I’ll listen to Shelette, Harvard, that’s a good calling card,” and they’ve they’ve now said, “I’m in. Give me just some benefits. What happens if I start to do this selfishly? What are some of the spiritual benefits, or what are some of the benefits?”
There are so many benefits, but the overarching ones that I reinforce when I’m around the world speaking are these. By truly following biblical strategies, you set yourself up to maximize your personal fulfillment as well as your professional success and significance in the marketplace. You are joyful, you are delighted, and you’re enjoying your journey, but you’re also making a difference. That difference is not just your revenue growing and profitability, but it’s prosperity.
By truly following biblical strategies, you set yourself up to maximize your personal fulfillment as well as your professional success and significance in the marketplace. Share on XIt’s having peace of mind, it’s having talented employees, it’s having reliable suppliers, loyal clients, and customers. It really positions you for maximizing your personal fulfillment, professional success, and aligning with true prosperity. Lastly, Greg, you’re leaving a positive lasting legacy. You’re achieving significance. I encourage Christian leaders, don’t just focus on success. The world is focused on achieving success. We must take it to a higher level. For us, it’s kingdom significance.
Interesting, as you know, this works all around the world. I was privileged to be in Rwanda a little while ago, speaking with Pastor Warren, and it was great. We tried this mock Convene forum day. For the audience who don’t know, Convene has a day when our members get together with each other and work on their businesses. We said, “Let’s try this in Rwanda.”
We got together with about nine Rwandan business leaders. This is a country that came from 25% of its population being killed in an ethnic genocide. That was over a million people killed in the country in the space of 90 days. We thought, “Maybe this notion of working on your business together won’t work.” We got these nine Rwandan business leaders together, and some of them had returned to their country from other countries they had left during the genocide.
Global Reach: Biblical Strategies Transforming Cultures Worldwide
There was this deep desire to start a Convene group in Rwanda because they’re saying we need to number one, inculcate biblical principles into our daily practice, and we need to work with each other to help each other instead of going it alone. One person said after we had spent three hours together, “We’re usually not transparent with each other. We’re only competitive with each other, so we withhold our information, but you created an environment that allowed us to be transparent.” This whole notion of leveraging biblical strategies works all over the world.
Even though performance, and maybe some people said, “This won’t work,” you stepped out in faith and you initiated it in Rwanda. What others have to do is even in the face of this, could be a potential barrier. If you feel that God is leading you to do it, then do it. I was in Kunming, China, speaking to business leaders a few months ago. Of course, there are definitely barriers when it comes to speaking about biblical truths and Christianity.
I could not be as forthcoming with these scriptures, but I could be transparent with the general principles. That’s what I spoke to those business leaders there, the principles, but it was so interesting, Greg, after the conference, some of them would come up, the Christians would come up, the few in the crowd, and say, “We know what you’re talking about, Shelette. We know what you were talking about.” Even though you may not quote the scripture, the true sovereign word of God will always reign.
That’s great. Truly getting this right can change a company culture. It can change a community as you do things outside the company, not just for yourself. It can even change an entire country. I know that some things have changed with the publisher or the printing of your book. Tell people where they can grab a copy of Revelations in Business if they want.
Thank you. We released the revised version of Revelations in Business in 2017. The first version was launched in 2012. I would invite your audience to engage with me on my website. It’s simply SheletteStewart.com. If they’re interested in the book, Revelations in Business: Connecting Your Business Plan with God’s Purpose and Plan for Your Life, it’s available wherever fine books are sold. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, as well as a number of Christian booksellers. I would also invite them to engage with me on social media. I’m on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram. I would love to hear from them and love to connect with them.
That’s great, I think you are actually taking that Convened tagline from twenty years ago, turning the Sunday stuff into Monday stuff, and you’re actualizing it. The book is not, as I said at the beginning of our talk, thoughts from Shelette on an evening of writing. It’s hardcore biblical blueprints that if you want to know how to structure something biblically, how to market something biblically, how to honor God with your firm, this book is a living, breathing blueprint on every page of how you can get that done. I am so grateful for who you are and that you’ve decided to invest a little bit of your time with Convene and folks out here. We’re very grateful.
Thank you, Greg. It’s always an honor and a privilege to share with you and the team. Thank you for the opportunity to align with Convene. The Revelations in Business platform is so complementary to the mission and vision of Convene. I believe that it’s God ordained, and I’m just delighted to be a part of your network and your organization. Thank you so much for all that you do for the kingdom.
Thank you so much. Talk to you soon.
Thank you. Take care, Greg.
