I was at a neighbour’s 50th birthday party on the weekend with a few dozen of their friends. I got talking with one guy who also seemed like he didn’t know anyone there. His wife eventually joined us and they shared how they’re going to stay at their jobs into their 70’s because both their parents took early retirement and became alcoholics. “We have to keep working because it gives us a sense of purpose.”

Then she asked, “So, what do you do?”

“I work for a mission agency.”

“A what?”

“A mission agency.”

She was masterful in changing the conversation swiftly to another topic, and then realizing she needed to go refill her drink.

As I was reflecting on my answer, I thought, it’s not even honest. It’s factual, but it’s not how I think about my job. A more honest answer would have been, “I’m trying to start a people movement,” which could have turned into….

“A what?

“A people movement”

“What’s that?”

“When a bunch of people believe something so deeply that they all give their lives to it in different ways without being motivated or organized by a leader.”

My first all-in attempt was in 2007, when I quit my job and started a company called People Movement Consulting to help ministries, organizations and businesses empower their people and multiply their impact. The problem was that most of them didn’t have a vision that was anywhere near compelling enough to sacrifice for. The movement didn’t have enough vision.

Next I ran a global ministry to connect westerners with the poor, praying for the sick, providing relief and supporting community development projects. The poor presented a much more compelling need, but our solutions ran out at the point where they needed jobs. The movement stalled out.

Then I turned the network toward business, starting micro-enterprise programs in several countries, so that the people we helped could have a new life-style and support their families. We aimed to give them dignity. But it turns out lots of people aren’t entrepreneurs, so this wasn’t going to bring significance to everyone. The movement required a certain skill set.

That progressed toward helping start a larger business in Africa that could employ thousands of people. It was a lot of work to get it off the ground, but many more people were able to benefit from the employment it produced. Unfortunately, we discovered that their problems run much deeper than just having a steady wage. The movement didn’t have enough power.

After that, I got involved in missions, supporting people starting new churches in dozens of nations. In one sense this covered all the bases, as the local church leaders usually cared about their people holistically. But there was still no people movement, as most of the significance centered around the leaders, not the people. The movement wasn’t for everyone.

My latest endeavour is developing a chat app that connects like-minded people to walk through pathways together on various topics. An example would be how to love a new immigrant in your neighbourhood. The foundational belief that I’ve landed on is that the all-powerful God of love is with you right now, and you can do things that matter eternally.

If I answered like that, it would have been more honest, vulnerable and engaging. Maybe she wouldn’t have walked away. Maybe she longs for God’s love in her life and a sense of purpose that’s more significant than making money.

“So, what do you do?”