One woman discovered she could not get party costumes at a reasonable price, and, when talking to other mothers, noted that they were in the same boat. She found a supplier in the USA and set up an online business providing costumes.
Similarly, the other woman couldn't find what she was looking for and initiated a service where customers can send her a 'buy to order' through Email. Her US supplier have found these items, and at good prices.
www.news.com.au/money/women-with-children-can-make-fortunes-from-home/story-e6frfmci-1225942852462
As I read all this, my mind catapulted to ponder on the many Missions around the world that have started off in a home and have grown exponentially to heights of service never originally imagined, and so have spread wider and wider the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Salvation.
This has not been something recent either. Over hundreds of years, people have seen an open door to ministry and gathered a few friends together and shared their vision and it grew from those humble beginnings.
The remarkable story of Hudson Taylor and his mission to China two centuries ago is one such example. Brother Andrew is a more modern version with many exploits into the former and current Communist States supplying bibles. Loren Cunningham is perhaps an American example, with 'Youth With A Mission'.
Australia too has seen numerous examples of such Missions kicked off in someone's house and it has often gone from strength to strength. A recent example is Red Frogs, a ministry to schoolies.
au.christiantoday.com/article/red-frogs/9422.htm
Fusion was initiated by Mal Garvin who has now stepped aside after over 40 years. One of Mal Garvin's books entitled 'Us Aussies' discusses the influence of the 'Currency Lads and Lasses' of our earliest settlement has impacted a generation of 'Christian' Australians.
Every nation has witnessed people of vision who took a Mission idea and ran with it, with the pioneering years of such missionary endeavours organised from their home.
In my own case, I initiated the Sports and Leisure Ministry in 1982. I undertook a period of eighteen months of theological development of the vision along with visiting Heads of Churches.
In 1984, working from my home office, I travelled across the breadth of the nation negotiating with administrators and CEOs and senior players in professional sports for the purpose of appointing Christian chaplains. By 2000, while we were still working from home, the Lord had honoured our faith ministry with 150 appointments of chaplains.
In addition, a network of Christian athletes was established, and the Athletes' Chronicle (a light magazine) giving the testimonies of Christian athletes was up and running. I had also established a respite facility for Australian Institute of Sport athletes.
My wife and I were released by Heads of Churches in 2000 to establish Well-Being Australia so as to refresh ourselves. We now focus on respite and cricket ministry along with other new and fresh ministries in the areas of tourism and art, that are compatible with, and balance out, our focus on respite as an important part of sports training.
From this we developed the Basil Sellers Art Centre in Moruya on the NSW south coast along with the $10,000 Basil Sellers Art Prize. Now, we've developed a Christian press ministry with articles published in 'Christian Today Australia' and elsewhere across the world. More recently, the Australian Missionary News IPTV has come to fruition, and we do it all from a home office.
This is only my own example, but I wish to emphasise that the Glory belongs to the Lord and every true Mission boasts this same claim - that the first honour is to the Lord.