By now it is almost a truism that the faith and work movement struggles with reaching blue collar workers. A number of very smart people have tried to do something about that. More than any I have seen so far, W. David Buschart and Ryan Tafilowski have succeeded with their new book Worth Doing: Fallenness, Finitude, and Work in the…
Category: Future of the Movement
What Does Justice Require?
Excerpt from Economic Wisdom for Churches. THESIS 50: Christians should be taught that if the pope knew about the exploitation practiced by the indulgence-preachers, he would burn the church of St. Peter to ashes rather than build it with the skin, flesh and bones of the sheep. Martin Luther, 95 Theses Jobs, poverty, globalization, environment, debt, racism, trade – does…
Being White in the (White) Faith and Work Movement
To mark the occasion of Martin Luther King Day, we are reposting this article from our archives. It was originally part one of two; read part two here. The post originally ran on Feb. 6, 2018. “The American ideal of racial progress is measured by how fast I become white.” James Baldwin As a white person I’ve never been very cognizant…
Talking about Privilege, Part II: Lousy Jobs
See Part I here. I recently met a man who had worked emptying pig intestines in a sausage factory. Now that is a lousy job. But there are plenty of ways a job can be lousy. Whether it’s packing boxes in a swelteringly hot warehouse, listening to coworkers brag about one-night stands, or getting eclipsed for a promotion by someone…
Teaching Kidpreneurship in Manila’s Slums: Stories from BAM Global, Part 4
A curriculum for “Kidpreneur” has been developed and launched in the slums of Metro Manila. “We need to create new social movements in order to end poverty,” says Dr. Corrie Acorda-De Boer, cofounder of Mission Ministries Philippines (MMP). Among the poor, this mission has helped start more than one thousand early childhood preschools and programs, as well as holistic-oriented churches.…
Jesus is Coming. Look Busy.
The “faith and work movement” in America is in danger of deepening the sacred-secular divide . . . by approaching and understanding church in some secularizing ways. If we want to find the sacred in the world – including in our workplaces – we must first find it in our churches. And when we do, our work can be revolutionized. That…
Exploring Common Practices for Faith and Work in Local Churches
How will the Church in the 21st century “equip the saints for works of service” (Eph. 4:12) for the vast challenges we face in the world today? This seems overwhelming at first blush. But then I remember that God’s people are touching every area of our cities through their daily work, and it’s the Church’s privilege and responsibility to send…
Theologies of Public Life
First in a series. The Holy Grail of the faith and work movement is to figure out how to bridge the gap between having the insight (God cares about work) and actually giving it the central place it ought to have in the church’s doctrine and discipleship. Mark Greene was right at Lausanne in 2010 when he said that the good…
We Have a Mandate to Act: Stories from BAM Global, Part 3
Arleen Westerhof initiated the European Economic Summit. Since 2014, Christians active in the area of business, economics, and policymaking have gathered yearly in Amsterdam. Before starting the EES, Arleen prayed fervently for influential Christians to rise up. She now witnesses answers to these prayers: “I see skilled and anointed followers of Jesus Christ all around the globe involved in social…
Vocational Discipleship: A Universal Desire Among Workers
Reprinted from Made to Flourish. Made to Flourish editor’s note: Barna Group just released a new study, Christians at Work, which explores how Christians relate to their workplace lives, and how their faith intersects with the rest of their lives. One main theme of this research centers around vocational discipleship. Made to Flourish executive director, Matt Rusten, sat down with Barna…
The Green Room 