workshop: February 2020

February Theme: How Does My Work Make Change?

Took place at Grace Presbyterian Church on January 22, 2020.

We asked the following questions of our panel:

1. How has my work changed me?

2. How has my faith changed my work?

3. How does my work contribute to the life of the community?

4. What changes still need to be made?

workshop: january 2020

January Theme: How Can My WOrk Be a Gift?

Took place at Grace Presbyterian Church on January 22, 2020.

We asked the following questions of our panel:

1. Which of my gifts does my work use the most?

2. Do I have gifts my work does not use? Are there other ways I could use them?

3. How has my work been a gift to me, or to the people I care about?

4. What can I “give back” through my work?

Workshop: november 2019

Took place at Grace Presbyterian Church on November 18, 2019.

Workshop: October 2019

Took place at Grace Presbyterian Church on October 23, 2019.

We asked the following questions of our panel:

1. Am I so focused on work that other parts of my life suffer? Are my priorities balanced well?

2. Do I use work as an excuse to shortchange other areas of life, like faith, or family?

3. How can I find the right balance between my work and the rest of life?

4. Is there an optimal balance between work and life, or am I always going to struggle with back and forth?

workshop: september 2019

Took place at Grace Presbyterian Church on September 18, 2019.

We asked the following questions of our panel:

1. How strongly is my sense of identity connected to my work? If my work changed, how would that affect my sense of self?

2. What parts of my work are fulfilling? How could I change the parts that are unfulfilling? Can I be content with the unfulfilling parts?

3. Does my work change or transform the world? Does it need to? What are the small ways (or large ones) where my work makes a difference?

4. Do I sometimes expect too much from my work? Are there other areas of life that suffer because of my focus on fulfillment through work? 

Workshop: august 2019

Took place at Grace Presbyterian Church on August 14, 2019.

We asked the following questions of our panel:

1. How do I know what work is right for me? Is it just a question of what pays the most?

2. How do I know whether to stay at a difficult job? When is it the right time to go?

3. When I have to make tough choices, how can I be sure which option is best?

4. How should I respond to bad decisions made by bosses, clients, others?

Workshop: july 2019

Took place at Grace Presbyterian Church on July 24, 2019.

We asked the following questions of our panel:

1. How does my work shape or form the raw material of creation?

2. What is the “structure” of my work? What are the ways I can tell if I’m doing the work well?

3. What truths does my work tell? What lies is my work tempted to tell?

4. What benefit do my fellow human beings enjoy from my work?

Additional Resource

During the session, we reviewed this 2013 presentation by Rev. Tim Keller titled “Redefining Work”:

Workshop: June 2019

Took place at Grace Presbyterian Church on June 19, 2019.

We asked the following questions of our panel:

1. How do you judge the value of your work? How do others see your work? Are these judgements accurate?

2. What are some ways that your work promotes the well-being and wholeness of others?

3. What parts of your work seem meaningful? What parts seem pointless?

4. How could you serve others better through your work? What obstacles stand in your path?

Seminar: Theology of Work

Took place at Grace Presbyterian Church on June 5, 2019.

Work is what you were made for. You are made in God’s image to rule over creation. You rule through cultivation, forming the world to flourish. (Work is not a necessary evil. Work is about more than just paying the bills.) Everybody works. Your work is defined by vocation, not compensation. You have a particular calling. You have gifts to share. Your work doesn’t have to transform culture, only contribute to it. Good work is inherently dignified and valuable. God is glorified through ordinary excellence. Good work glorifies God and serves others. Sin makes work hard, but grace restores work. The curse makes everything hard. Sloth and theft corrupt work. Sanctification comes through hard work. Grace equips you to give. Your task is to discern the God-given structure of your calling, find the right direction, to serve others and promote their flourishing.