The idea for RightNow began over the Atlantic on a flight home from Tanzania, Africa. It was the summer of 1998 and I had just spent the past four weeks filming a documentary about a missionary team living in a remote part of the country for the sake of the Gospel.

It was my first time overseas and I loved it for three reasons:

1. I loved using the things I was learning at Baylor in my film and digital media degree for a real-world project outside of the classroom.

2. I loved spending up-close time with the missionaries on their turf. Their days were purposeful and yet normal.

3. I loved the adventure. A new country, new people, new cultures and new experiences.

During the flight home I remember praying, “God, how can I do more of that? I want my life to count and I want to do something significant for you.”  When I got home, I contacted several mission organizations to see if they needed a guy like me. I reached out to 40 different organizations.

Each mission organization sent me a packet that included a cover letter, a marketing brochure and a questionnaire to fill out. Soon my desk was overrun with packets and questionnaires and I still had no direction on what step to take next.

Meanwhile my two roommates at Baylor were finishing up their accounting degrees. These smart, passionate guys were being recruited by several large accounting firms and were invited to golf outings, fancy dinners, bowling nights and other extravagant events. I was amazed at the amount of attention my roommates were receiving.

In my young, naïve mind the only way to really have an impact for Christ was to do “full-time ministry.” It was eye-opening to pursue a career in ministry and get met with brochures while my roommates were being wined and dined for spring internship positions.  My understanding of ministry would expand over the years, but God used this experience to help lay the foundation for what would become RightNow.

That fall, I read Bob Buford’s book Halftime, which targets people ages 45 to 65. Its tag line is “moving from success to significance.” Although I had no “success” to speak of, I was hungry for significance. I didn’t want to wait until the middle of my life to start asking the questions about the kind of impact I could make for the sake of the Gospel.

I wanted to make a difference right now.

God used my Africa trip, my recruiting experience and Halftime as inspiration to help launch RightNow in 2000. The goal of RightNow was to help people step-up and serve right now—whatever their job, wherever they’re living.

I believe that where you live doesn’t make you a missionary. The mission we are on makes us missionaries. For those who follow Jesus, we have a mission to love God and love others.  That mission takes us into our homes, our neighborhood streets, the halls of our school, the offices at our work and to the nations.  Yet as we live, so much competes for our time and attention. That’s why I love challenging people to become TRADERS —trading in the energy we spend on ourselves in order to serve others for the sake of the Gospel.

RightNow has its own tag line: Others before self. Christ above all.

If that simple statement permeated our minds and hearts each day, the world would be changed.

I want to be a Trader.

Brian Mosley
President
RightNow