Review: Uncommon Ground

By Chris Robertson, reprinted from Made to Flourish. At Made to Flourish, we often focus on the three flourishings. We argue that a flourishing pastor should lead to a flourishing church, and a flourishing church should result in a flourishing community. We are living in a moment fraught with questions, uncertainties and fear. All of which do not often lead…

Social Mobility or Restored Community: What Is Money For?

By J. Mark Bowers, reprinted from the Chalmers Center. Part one of two. What would you do if you received a windfall of money today? Imagine $20,000 fell into your lap. How would you use that amount of cash, no strings attached? Go for it. Dream! Some of us might finance a new car for reliable, stylish transportation. The more…

Walk Worthy of Your Vocation

By Demi Prentiss, reprinted from Living God’s Mission. The writer of Ephesians urges us to “walk worthy of the vocation to which you’ve been called.” (Ephesians 4:1) In the midst of daily life, that can be a challenge, especially in our daily work. In a recent blog, Bob Robinson offered six markers that distinguish a “job” from a “vocation.” He thinks…

Advice to Your Younger Working Self

Reprinted from the Salt & Light Australia Daily Devotional. A few years ago, I was asked by the Gospel Coalition Australia to contribute a reflection on work to their website, and I decided to include a “Letter to Myself as a Young Worker”. To my surprise it was very popular, it seemed to hit a nerve. It occurred to me that…

The Danger of Nostalgia

By Jim Grubs, reprinted from Minding the Gap. I began my employment with Reell Precision Manufacturing at a time when the company was flourishing. We designed and produced excellent products; we had strong net profits; co-workers enjoyed benefits that typically exceeded industry standards; and the leadership was clear and intentional about its purpose. However, as is true with all organizations, we…

Seminary Spotlight: Wesley Seminary

By Colleen Derr, president; reprinted from the Oikonomia Network. Wesley’s students serve as basketball coaches, 7-11 managers, junior high teachers, YMCA directors, corporate executives, chaplains and health care providers as well as church planters, pastors, church leaders and missionaries. Our students live in 29 different countries, speak many different languages, and are connected to over 60 different Christian denominations. What…

Study: What Workers Want from Churches

By Denise Daniels and Mark D. Roberts, reprinted from Made to Flourish. Over the past three years, I (Denise) have been working on a research project called Faith at Work: An Empirical Study, which collected data from individuals across the United States. My colleagues and I wanted to understand how everyday people think about faith and work. We also sought to learn…

How Do You Smile through a Mask?

By Sarah Heynemann, reprinted from the Salt & Light Australia Daily Devotional. It’s a pretty difficult time to be giving bad news to patients in the hospital at present. A young patient presents with a seeming innocuous musculoskeletal complaint and leaves hospital the recipient of an advanced incurable cancer. How do you relay this news with compassion and empathy at any…