Funding What God Is Doing (featuring Phillip Petrie)
For generations, the funding of missions has followed familiar patterns: churches send missionaries, donors give financially, and organizations coordinate the work.
But what if the future of missions requires something more diverse?
In this episode, Curtis Elliott sits down with Lexington business leader Philip Petrie to explore how the marketplace can become a meaningful part of global mission.
Drawing from years of entrepreneurship and international engagement, Philip shares how business leaders can think about stewardship, generosity, and the responsibility that comes with resources.
Their conversation challenges assumptions about return on investment, control, and the role of business in the Great Commission.
The result is a thoughtful exploration of what it means to fund and participate in the mission of God with open hands.
Key Takeaways
Marketplace leadership can be a genuine calling - not separate from mission but integrated with it.
Kingdom generosity grows when leaders see resources as something entrusted to them, not owned by them.
Relationships often reveal where God is inviting believers to give or participate.
Sustainable mission models increasingly prioritize empowering local leaders.
Marketplace-based mission approaches can create deeper cultural engagement.
Early generosity forms habits that shape long-term stewardship.
The future of missions may include smaller, more contextualized expressions of impact.
Chapter Markers
00:00 — The Question of Funding the Future of Missions
Curtis introduces the episode and the importance of kingdom investment.
01:16 — Business Calling and Christian Identity
Philip reflects on how entrepreneurship and faith have become integrated in his life.
03:22 — Marketplace Community in Lexington
The influence of relationships among Christian business leaders.
04:58 — A Hard Business Decision That Changed Everything
Closing company markets to rebuild culture and align the business with kingdom values.
06:54 — How Kingdom Culture Connects to Global Missions
Why relationships often reveal where God is calling believers to participate.
10:30 — The Problem with Measuring Kingdom ROI
Why obedience matters more than calculating spiritual returns.
13:27 — Stewardship vs Ownership
The danger of controlling resources instead of holding them open-handedly.
16:21 — Prayer, Discernment, and Giving Decisions
How Philip and his wife approach generosity together.
18:08 — Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
Why generosity should begin early, even when resources are limited.
20:26 — The Future of Missions
Marketplace engagement, local leadership, and new models of mission impact.
Want to learn how GO International is planting the Church where it isn’t - and what that could look like for you?
Visit gointernational.org to give, go, or grow the movement.
