The NorthStar Partnering Group, a Customer Marketing Agency based in Fayetteville, Ark., was founded in September 2001 by three former Procter and Gamble leaders, Bill Waitsman, Henry Ho and Rick West. Each of these successful businessmen wanted to create a Christ-centered business that leveraged their skills, experiences and entrepreneurial spirit to live out their faith at work. We recently asked Bill, Henry and Rick to share their story with us.

Q - What was your vision for this new company?
A - Our vision was to build a profitable small business that glorifies God through excellence in our work and through influencing the lives of all who we cross paths with in the marketplace. Our hope was that by living out our faith God would use our company for His purpose - to expand the kingdom of God in northwest Arkansas and around the world.

Q - What does running a Christian company mean to you?
A - It means running a company of people who are focused on God and his purposes. It means integrating our faith in how we do our work and putting forth great effort to do our work with high integrity, excellence and teamwork. It means at the end of the day, after we have done our part, to trust God with the results, which is not always easy to do. When we first started NorthStar, we started a fun practice of what we called "God Sightings." Any time a team member sees God working or an answered prayer, we share it with the team, and our clients when appropriate, as a "God Sighting."

Q - What are some specific examples of how you put that into practice, either as individuals or as a company?
A - First, there are four main areas:
People - We try hard to treat everyone with love & respect, whether a client, supplier, team member, etc. It is the relationships that are most important to us.
Integrity - We do what we say we will do. It is difficult the se days to find even Christians in the marketplace who honor their word regardless of the circumstances.
Giving - We give back time, money and resources to the church, community and the global mission movement.
Prayer - We bathe our work in prayer, and we praise and recognize God for the results.

Also, every Monday morning we meet for team devotions and prayer, along with business and ministry updates. We start off our week with this focus. But, beyond just Monday mornings, we try hard to create a culture that encourages gathering to pray throughout the week as needed.

Q - Do you openly incorporate and communicate your faith in your company's mission statement, purpose and values?
A - Yes, it is very clear through our mission and values that glorifying God is why NorthStar exists.

Q - Regarding your associates, is there any concern that a person of faith will somehow be treated more favorably than another?
A - No. Like all companies, we have a business to run. All team members will always be rewarded according to their performance and contributions to the company and our clients.

Q - Do you share your faith with clients? If so, how?
A - We let our clients know early on where we stand regarding our faith. Then we seek to live out our faith in front of them. We put our effort into living it rather than just talking about it. When you live out Christlikeness in the marketplace, it is pretty obvious and powerful. As St. Frances of Assissi said, "Preach the Gospel always. Use words if necessary."
We also seek to minister to our clients where they are. We are always looking for opportunities to serve and encourage our clients. We often ask then how we can pray for them. When they see how God answers those prayers, they often come to us wanting to know more about our faith.

Q - What advice would you share with business owners and marketplace leaders regarding faith and work integration?
A - • Treat people with love & respect.
• Do your work with excellence and always follow through on your commitments.
• Be good stewards of the business (relationships, time, cost, profits)
• Use team prayer as a means by which you involve God in your day-to-day business.

In the end, when people ask you why you are who you are, be prepared to tell them why.

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