It is simply the concept that business professionals can use their God-given skills and talents to assist poor entrepreneurs in developing countries who are starting small businesses as a way out of poverty. Five Talents pursues new and creative ways for business people to use their skills and talents in the overseas mission field by providing business training and one-on-one business counseling for loan recipients. The ultimate goal is a transformative experience for all involved.

Five Talents’ Business as Mission Program coordinates short-term mission trips and the development of biblically-based leadership and business training curricula for church leaders and entrepreneurs.  The curriculum covers the basics of entrepreneurship, business planning, marketing, and recordkeeping, along with spiritual support, thus equipping loan recipients to run and expand their businesses.

Unlike most training programs, the Five Talents methodology is less conceptual and more concrete in actions. It incorporates interactive exercises that are less dependent on high levels of written literacy and case studies. Five Talents is taking the lead in alleviating poverty not through handouts but through teaching sensible and biblical business practices and building capacity to manage CMED programs.



Click here to read a testimony from the 2006 Uganda/Tanzania BAM trip.

We are looking for qualified individuals to share their talents and knowledge in management and business with hundreds of poor entrepreneurs through Business As Mission and Vision trips.

1. Business As Mission trip
The purpose of these short-term mission trips is to offer support to our partners through training events for loan officers and clients in Christian Entrepreneurship and Business Planning, as well as fellowship. Travelers will have the opportunity through personal interaction to learn about the work of our partners and visit with the communities they serve. In embracing a new environment, using their gifts for training or sharing business experiences, an entrepreneur traveler will have a life-transforming experience.

2. Vision trip
A Vision trip brings Five Talents supporters and friends to the grassroots level of a partner program overseas. This trip offers interaction with staff, clients and church leaders to build an in-depth understanding of the opportunities, successes and challenges facing the partners and the work Five Talents supports.

For more information about how you or your church can be involved in a trip, contact Director of Program Suzanne Schultz at SuzanneSchultz@fivetalents.org.

To learn more about Five Talents Business As Mission trips, click here.  If you would like to download a Business As Mission Travel Application, click here. To download a Pre-BAM trip manuel, click here.