Which Wave Are You Riding?
On October 29, 2020, Portuguese surfer António Laureano caught what may be the biggest wave ever ridden — an estimated 101.4 feet tall off the coast of Nazaré. That’s not just adrenaline. That’s a moment built on timing, preparation, and courage to commit.
But waves aren’t just for surfers. Every leader is riding a wave, too.
At The Good Place Institute, we often talk with business owners and executives who sense God calling them into something deeper. They’ve been generous. They’ve added Bible verses to their websites. Maybe they’ve even held prayer meetings or sponsored Christian conferences.
And yet, they still ask:
“How do I truly integrate my faith into my business?”
“What does it mean to lead like Jesus… not just believe in Him?”
These are wave questions.
Let’s break it down:
🌊 Wave One: Generosity
This is where many faith-driven businesses start — and praise God for it. Giving to churches, nonprofits, or missions is a beautiful reflection of stewardship.
But the generosity wave doesn’t change how the business itself functions. Leadership, hiring, pay structures, decision-making — those often still follow worldly models. Generosity is a good wave, but it’s not the whole wave.
🌊 Wave Two: Evangelical Sprinkling
The second wave is where we are sprinkling evangelism (also a Bible Study, a care group, praying before meetings...all good things) on top of a worldly business model still measured by the Wall Street success criteria...
This wave reflects good intentions, but too often, it stops at the surface. The business model remains largely secular — just with a spiritual garnish. One foot in the Kingdom, one foot in the world.
🌊 Wave Three: Holistic Kingdom Integration
This is where the tide truly turns. In the third wave, faith doesn’t just shape some things — it reshapes everything. It's a desire for God's Kingdom to come in your organization and not have Him bless your Kingdom...
Leaders in this wave start by anchoring their organizations to a Charter — one that aligns vision, purpose, and culture with God’s design. They define success not just by revenue, but by three aims:
- Develop people to their Full Potential
- Building up Good Places
- Contributing to economic regeneration
They design systems - hiring, operations, decision-making, finances - to reflect God’s character. They lead with stewardship, not control. Humility, not ego. Wisdom, not expedience.
Their business becomes a place - not just a company. A place of flourishing. A place where people are known, developed, and empowered. A Good Place.
So… which wave are you riding?
No shame if you’ve started with generosity or evangelical sprinkling - we all begin somewhere. But let’s not settle there. The Kingdom isn’t looking for branded Christianity - it’s looking for faithful presence.
Jesus didn’t say, “Go sprinkle faith on your org chart.” He said, “Follow me.” That invitation reaches into every aspect of life - including how we lead, design, hire, manage, and grow.
The third wave isn’t just about doing good things - it’s about becoming a good place.
If you’re ready to paddle into deeper waters, we’re here to help.
We believe the business world doesn’t just need more generosity or evangelical sprinkling - it needs leaders willing to build differently. We want to meet you where you are and journey with you to the next wave.
The surf is up. The question isn’t whether waves are coming.
The question is: which wave are you riding?
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