Santiago el Grande, by Salvador Dali (1957)
Several years ago a lay leader in my church said, “Dave, when someone is unemployed we can pray for him or her, but we can’t teach interviewing skills or write résumés and cover letters. That’s why JobSeekers is so important.” Carol was right. We want to partner with you to help members of your congregation during a crisis point in their lives.
Impact on the Church
As the darkest economic storm since the Great Depression persists, there is a ray of hope for the unemployed members of our community and your congregation.
About three years ago I saw a letter from a church that said something like, “We will continue to scale back on the missions, ministries, outreach, evangelism, programs and staff at our church.” Most churches are experiencing similar financial challenges. During this economic storm, we have an outstanding opportunity to reach out to people who are facing one of life’s seven most difficult challenges. We have an opportunity to share the love of Christ in a very tangible and practical way.
Financial management seminars are great, but they don’t solve the unemployment problem. The bottom line is, if you aren’t earning an income, 10% of zero is zero. We’ve got to get people back to work! That’s what JobSeekers is all about.
We estimate that 50% of a church’s members are, or want to be, in the workforce. The other half are too young (14-22), retired (65+), or choose not to be in the workforce. When unemployment is 8%, a congregation with 1000 members has 40 unemployed members at any given time.
How many can you name in your congregation?
Assume a church has 1000 members and the unemployment rate is 8%. With the assumptions above, 40 members are looking for work at any given time. Also assume they are seeking a job that pays $60,000 per year and their job search lasts only six months (the national average is 10 months). That means 80 people will be looking for work per year. The income that these members will lose is $2,400,000.
How does the loss of two million dollars of income among its members affect the ministries, missions, outreach, programs and staff of a church? What are you doing to get them back to work?
That’s where JobSeekers comes in!
Rays of Hope
The good news is that people are finding jobs! If members use the strategy, tools and skills we teach AND they maintain a positive attitude, they can find a job in any market. No matter what the unemployment rate may be, all they need is ONE job – and when they do land a job, the unemployment statistics are not going to change one iota.
Together, we are helping people take the next step on their journey of faith – or maybe to take that first step into eternal life. We see the relationship on three levels:
» First, between the job seeker and JobSeekers. We address their immediate need of finding new, meaningful work in minimum time – all within the context of a caring Christian environment. If things go well, the active relationship with JobSeekers may last only a few weeks or months.
» Second, between the job seeker and your church. We can connect (or reconnect) them with your church. It’s not uncommon for someone who attends church twice a year to come to JobSeekers regularly. Sometimes a job seeker doesn’t tell anyone at church. We can help you serve the members of your congregation. If things go well, the relationship with your church may last for decades.
» And third, between the job seeker and our God and Savior. The ultimate relationship is with Christ. Working together, not only can we equip them to manage this transition, but we can help transform them into the image of Christ. If things go well, their deeper relationship with Christ will last for all eternity.
The Bottom Line
We teach each person to “do everything you can do to find a job – and to leave to God what only He can do.” All they need is ONE job, so let’s focus on the things we can control. Go get the one job, and the unemployment rate in their home will improve dramatically!