Some Christians may think that the words \u201cfaith\u201d and \u201cwealth creation\u201d are incompatible, but Matt Bird isn\u2019t one of them. Last year the social entrepreneur called on Britain\u2019s churches to start businesses and to encourage their parishioners to do the same. Now Bird, founder and chief executive of Nayba, the Christian charity, wants them to go a step further.<\/p>\n
\u201cA food parcel can sustain a person and their family for a few days, but a small business can sustain it indefinitely,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Church often over-spiritualises and underplays practical answers to community needs. I believe that the ability to start a business is a God-given gift and that we should encourage the Church to do this as a way of serving the community.\u201d<\/p>\n
He wrote his column in <\/span>The Times<\/i> in January 2021 \u2014 headlined \u201cIt\u2019s time for faith-driven entrepreneurs to emerge<\/a>\u201d \u2014 expecting to be \u201cshot down in flames\u201d for suggesting that the Church should get involved in profit-making. Instead, he has been inundated with inquiries from churches nationwide eager to help people to become entrepreneurs. He rapidly formulated his ideas into a book and a month later published The Spirit of Enterprise<\/i>: Helping entrepreneurs transform neighbourhoods<\/i> on Amazon.<\/span><\/p>\n Read it all<\/a> (subscription required).<\/p>\n "Enterprise has a biblical footing based on the idea that wealth can foster wellbeing if it is used in the right way." On the "Spirit of Enterprise" course in churches https:\/\/t.co\/eyYQBRTGHw<\/a><\/p>\n — Madeleine Davies (@MadsDavies) November 8, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n