FAITH DRIENSINGAPORE
Faith Driven Singapore / Facilitator guide / Session 2
Session 2 of 8 · 88–103 min · 15–23 voices · 78 coded contributions

God Owns My Business

The money session, and the one where the room talks about ownership, funding and what it means to hold a business loosely.

Run of showThe questionsWhat the room says
78coded contributions across the three runs.
97minutes on average, from 88 to 103.
6questions put on average; four to eight across the corpus.
38%of contributions came from women.
Three runs on tape

What happened the last three times

Same topic, three different evenings, three different rooms.

Side by side

The numbers

RunWhenVenueMinVoicesFilmFilm %Intro→DiscFacil.
Cohort 1—startup hub8815standard31%1.73 → 2.557%
Cohort 22025-05convention centre used by City Harvest Church10020standard36%1.4 → 2.5639%
Cohort 32026-02corporate office10323substitute19%1.33 → 2.4641%

This session carries the lowest average depth of the eight. It is also the one where the facilitator talked most in Cohort 1.

Run by run

What each evening was like

Cohort 1. Met in a startup hub for 88 minutes with 15 voices in the room. The standard film was shown, taking 31 per cent of the evening. 7 questions were put. Coded depth rose from 1.73 in the introduction round to 2.5 in the discussion. The facilitator took 57 per cent of the turns.

Cohort 2 · 2025-05. Met in a convention centre used by City Harvest Church for 100 minutes with 20 voices in the room. The standard film was shown, taking 36 per cent of the evening. 5 questions were put. Coded depth rose from 1.4 in the introduction round to 2.56 in the discussion. The facilitator took 39 per cent of the turns.

Cohort 3 · 2026-02. Met in a corporate office for 103 minutes with 23 voices in the room. A substitute film was shown, taking 19 per cent of the evening. 8 questions were put. Coded depth rose from 1.33 in the introduction round to 2.46 in the discussion. The facilitator took 41 per cent of the turns.

01
The plan · about 97 minutes

Run of show and what to show

Plan for 15 to 23 people. The sequence is the one feature of the evening with a measurable effect, and it should be run whole.

Run of show

Timing

  1. 0:00Arrive and welcomeSay why the room exists. Keep it short.10 min
  2. 0:10Introduction roundName, business, what brought them, a fun fact. Visible timer, one minute each.25 min
  3. 0:35FilmObserved film share for this session ran 19 to 36 per cent of the evening.15 min
  4. 0:50DiscussionThree questions keyed to the film, tables of six to eight, one recorder each.40 min
  5. 1:30Commitment and closeOne action each before next month, then pray.10 min

Ask about funding gaps and what the person is holding onto. Stress as the warning light is the film's own frame and the room takes it.

Which film

What to show

Standard

FDE promo, Kaestner intro, the Bertie Lawrence / WastePlan profile from South Africa, then J.D. Greear on steward versus owner.

Substitute used

Cohort 3 substituted the FDE Group 'Identity in Christ' episode with Phil Vischer of VeggieTales on bankruptcy and identity.

The Vischer substitute gives the room a failure story to answer, which suits a session about not owning the thing you built.

A substitute was used in 1 of the three runs. Across all 24 sessions, substitution made no measurable difference to depth (2.10 against 2.19, p = 0.24). What it changes is the subject matter.

02
What the room actually talks about

Subjects this session produces

Share of the 78 participant contributions carrying each subject, against its share across all 618 contributions in the corpus.

Over-represented

Relative to the corpus

Wealth and stewardship29% vs 20% corpus
Prosperity and blessing5% vs 4% corpus
Spirit-guidance and prayer31% vs 23% corpus
Rest and Sabbath6% vs 5% corpus
Cultural material and who speaks

Frames, stance and gender

Frames raised: Differences between church cultures (3), Expatriate and transnational life (3), Shame and failure (1), Contrast with a home country (1), Western hustle and VC norms (1).

Where the room took a position on that material, it pushed back or negotiated 5 times against 0 endorsements.

Who speaks: 24 contributions from women, 39 from men.

The church as institution13% F  ·  4% M
Risk and failure2% F  ·  11% M
Spirit-guidance and prayer19% F  ·  12% M
Identity and success2% F  ·  8% M
03
What was asked

Every question put, by cohort

Choose three. No recorded session got through more than about three at any one table, so the rest are a reserve rather than a plan.

Cohort 1 · 7 questions
  1. q0Please introduce yourself and your company (1-minute elevator pitch): tell us about your business, what brought you here, and a fun fact.
  2. q1(Audio, opening) Have you ever seen your business in the way that if you're using it for purposes that don't align with God, it is like stealing from God? (Deck: J.D. said that when we don't steward God's creation correctly it's as if we are embezzling from him — how does this metaphor impact your mindset?)
  3. q2How did J.D. describe the difference between an owner and a steward? Why is it important for us to understand these definitions as entrepreneurs and business owners?
  4. q3God is the owner and his people are stewards; the resources we use to create belong to God. How would you describe the way you use your business or skillset to the glory of God?
  5. q4Most Christians think like owners — they feel they owe God ten percent and the rest belongs to them. In what ways, if at all, have you exhibited this mindset? If you've had it before, what caused it to change?
  6. q5Considering the talents and abilities God gave you, what do you think God's purpose is for them? As a steward, why do you think God blessed you in the way that he did?
  7. q6In what ways has it been easy or difficult to make business decisions based on how God wants you to steward rather than how you want? In which ways has the lack or abundance of money shaped your thoughts and desires? (Audio framing: 'venture winter'; Alex asks for 'the VC perspective'.)
Cohort 2 · 5 questions
  1. q0Please introduce yourself and your company (1 min 'elevator' pitch): tell us about your business and what brought you here; any fun fact about yourself? (Alex added: mention which church you go to.)
  2. q1How did J.D. describe the difference between an owner and a steward? Why is it important for us to understand these definitions as entrepreneurs and business owners?
  3. q2Even though we all are co-creators, the resources we're using to create belong to God. How would you describe the way you use your business or skillset to the glory of God?
  4. q3J.D. stated that most Christians think like owners. They feel as if they owe God ten percent of their money, their time, or their energy, and the rest belongs to them. In what ways—if at all—have you exhibited this kind of mindset? If you've had this mindset before, what caused it to change?
  5. q4In which ways has the lack or abundance of money shaped your thoughts and desires? How do you process how much of a percentage God gets?
Cohort 3 · 8 questions
  1. introPlease introduce yourself and your company (1 min “elevator” pitch). Tell us about your business and what brought you here! Any fun fact about yourself?
  2. q1Phil asked the question, 'Who do you think you are?' noting that we often answer that by saying what we do rather than who we are. How did Phil describe the trap of building an identity around our work or our ambitions? Why is it particularly easy for entrepreneurs to confuse their net worth or business success with their self-worth? (Audio adds: 'how do you actually work with God and how does that work?')
  3. q2Phil shared his story of wanting to be the 'Christian Walt Disney,' only to see his company go bankrupt and be sold at a public auction. He realized he was chasing an identity God never gave him. In what ways—if at all—have you felt the pressure to do something 'amazing' to prove your value to God? If your business were taken away tomorrow, how would that impact your answer to 'Who are you?'
  4. q3Phil described stress as the 'canary in the coal mine,' noting that while peace is a fruit of the Spirit, stress is a sign we are holding onto something God wants us to let go of. He defined stress as 'holding onto outcomes.' How does Phil's definition of stress resonate with your current season of business? What specific outcomes (revenue, hiring, growth) are you holding onto most tightly right now?
  5. q4God doesn't need us; He wants us. Phil realized that God didn't need him to make vegetable cartoons; God could do that Himself. Instead, God wanted a relationship with him. How do you react to the statement 'God doesn't need your business'? Does this bring you a sense of relief, or does it make you feel less significant? Why?
  6. q5Phil referenced Psalm 23, 'The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want,' but admitted he often felt he 'wanted' for funding, success, or stability. In which ways has the lack or abundance of resources shaped your ability to trust that God is enough? How do you practice contentment when the business 'wants' for so much?
  7. q6Jessica Kim suggested that taking a Sabbath—a true day of rest—is a practical way to remind ourselves that we are not God. When we stop working, the world keeps spinning, proving we aren't holding it together. How consistent is your practice of Sabbath? In what ways can you prioritize rest this week to actively demonstrate trust in God's ownership of your business outcomes?
  8. q7God invites us to walk with Him, not just work for Him. Phil concluded that the work is for the shaping of our character and the blessing of the world, not because God needs the help. In what ways can you adjust your schedule or leadership style this week to focus more on 'walking with' God rather than just 'working for' Him?