Five Ways Pastors Can Affirm Faith, Work, and Vocation

Art Lindsey, over at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics, writes

“Today’s evangelical Church has largely failed to address the subjects of faith, work, and calling. There is a tendency to focus on issues pertaining to salvation, evangelism, or basic personal discipleship (Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, etc.) but to ignore what most people do forty, sixty, or eighty hours a week…

…There isn’t anything wrong with recognizing someone’s faithful service to the church. However, we’re much more likely to recognize that instead of someone’s faithfulness to their vocation outside the church.

Fortunately there are some churches and organizations that are beginning to wake up to this need. There is certainly much that can be done to preach and teach on topics of faith and work. But there is much that can be done to implicitly address these topics as well.”

Art offers five things that pastors can do to communicate implicitly the importance of work and vocation.

1. Watch your language
2. Pray for people in professions
3. Interview workers
4. Commission people for ministry in their work
5. Stress that you can have a ministry at work

Thanks, Art, for this helpful post!

For more detail on how each of these can be practiced in your ministry, check out Art’s post, “Five Ways Pastors Can Affirm Faith, Work, and Vocation.”