I love that I found my church
May 10, 2009 at 1:41 pm 5 comments
About two and a half years ago, I moved to a more urban area of San Diego and decided that I really wanted to find a new church, one that was engaged in the issues of my new neighborhood – homelessness, sex trafficking, AIDS to name a few. A few people pointed me in the direction of Harbor Presbyterian.
The second week I attended, I learned that they were starting a new Faith and Work Ministry. I couldn’t believe it! I had found a church that valued something that had been a passion of mine for years – connecting what happens on Sunday with what we do 40-50 hours each week. The serendipity was uncanny.
I jumped into serving on the leadership team, and we built an exciting ministry. We offer seminars on life calling, leadership, job transitions, etc. We hold small groups on wisdom at work, the StrengthsFinder assessment, leading like Jesus. We have Vocares (conversations on calling) for people who work in various disciplines like engineering, teaching, law. It has been a ministry that has really allowed me to use my own strengths and work within an area of passion.
This morning, I heard the pastor of the church I had previously attended for 10 years preaching on TV. While he is a gifted teacher, I was so sad to hear him essentially tell the congregation of more than 2,000 that the reason they work is to make money to support important mission work like Bible translation. Juxtapose that to the sermon my pastor gave last Sunday on how our work enables us to connect to and reveal God and His kingdom.
I am so blessed to have found my church. They don’t just give lip service to the fact that our work matters to God; they have a vision to transform the City of San Diego through mercy and marketplace ministries. This is a vision that connects to my own heart’s desires. I love my old church for many reasons, but I am disheartened in general by the fact that most churches (maybe because many pastors have never worked in the marketplace so they can’t relate) don’t help people make a connection between their faith and their work. It is such a missed opportunity.
Entry filed under: Sacred vs. Secular. Tags: church, pastors, perspective.
1. Larry Peabody | May 11, 2009 at 5:59 am
Thank you for your insight into and passion for workplace ministry. I’m interested in learning more about your “Vocares.” Do you have any printed material describing how they work? I’d love to see something like this up here in the Northwest.
I offer a seminar, “Serving Christ in Your Workplace,” described in my website at http://www.calledintowork.com. If this would meet a need in your “Faith and Work Ministry,” I’d welcome the opportunity to discuss it with you.
2. mom2olivia | May 11, 2009 at 3:42 pm
That is awesome. I am praising God for you and your new church family. I’ve been blogging allot on church unity, and I just hope more churches GO and DO all that Jesus comands us. Wish I was there!
3. Michele Corbett | May 11, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Thanks so much mom2olivia!
Larry. Your ministry looks awesome. Let me know if you are ever in the San Diego area so we can meet!
Steven Garber of the Washington Institute spoke to our ministry and introduced us to the idea of Vocares. Check it out at http://www.washingtoninst.org/programs/index.htm. Our hope is that out of the conversations about various issues in specific areas of work will come a group of people who can gather together around addressing issues in their industries. For example, maybe a group of lawyers will form a legal aid clinic – who knows what the possibilities are!
Check out this example of a Vocare: http://www.washingtoninst.org/articles/vocareBurke.htm
4. Noel | May 11, 2009 at 5:05 pm
That is so awesome Michele! Good for you! It is so wonderful when you find a church where you just connect, and feel like…….Oh My Dear God, you totally did this right?…….this is where You meant me to be……that is just wonderful! We are in the process of moving to Oregon this June and hoping we have that same Shazaamm…..when we start to look……..or just the Holy Spirit:) Love you girl………take care……..love your blog……….
5. Glynn | May 11, 2009 at 9:06 pm
We do God’s work wherever we are — Africa, Fifth Avenue in New York, wherever God puts us. We don’t work in one place to support minsitry in another. We work because that’s where God wants us to do ministry.