God@Work Open Space Conversation

11.25.14    

The Process

•  Prompt •  Open Space Conversation •  Reporting •  Creation of Experiments

The Law of two feet

“If you are not learning from, or contributing to the conversation, us your two feet and find a different conversation.”

Kingdom Calling A foundational book for our discussion on faith and work at Mill City. The source of our 4 Handles.

Every Good Endeavor Visions of Vocation

A great read, helping us think about all the ways in which we serve God through our work.

This book takes a more general approach to faith and work by discussing the foundations of vocation for the Christian worker.

Resources

The  Prompt    

Theological Framework –  God created work to be good –  Work is a mess because of sin –  God is a worker, and invites us to join in his work –  God is working for salvation –  Some of our work matters for eternity    

“The God@Work conversation is distinct in that we are not

just talking about what we do for God, but what we do with

God in our work.”  

4 Handles

Inherent Value

Relationships

Character Formation

Ethics

Questions    

What does it look like to be a Leader of those who don’t have a faith, without incorporating your faith?

How Can Vocational ministers work in a way where they don’t feel

trapped in the Christian bubble? What does it look like to work amongst vocal non-believers?

How do you navigate opportunities to share about God/ acknowledge Him at work when you are restricted to do so?

What does worship look like at work?

Does working with God mean working where you are passionate?

What is God doing in our work to shape us to interact with people who are different than us?

Is any work not “God’s” Work?

Isn’t our whole life work in a way?

Are we each created for a specific type of work?

Are there any spaces where God is not at work?

What does it look like to “plant justice” in more light-hearted job settings?

Group 1: Inherent Value

•  Is any work not God’s work •  Some work is not Go’s work

but God is always at work •  Where is the line of God being

there/not there? •  Is God’s work, our work, and

Satan’s work different things? •  Our categories for God’s

presence are limited and finite •  What if we though about

God’s kingdom and not God’s presence

•  What does Worship look like at work? •  Excellence – set apart •  you almost can’t understand

the importance of excellence until you fail.

   

“Secular” and “Sacred” aren’t different spaces, they are

different stories.

– Michael Binder

Group 2: Relationships

“Jesus blended normality, radicalism, and attraction”

Normality: Jesus… •  Hung out with whoever…

was “real”… didn’t dress up his language.

Radicalism: Jesus… •  Walked around

unashamed of his identity, and who sent him

•  Was politically radical •  Healed people •  Spoke against the

religious people

•  Was unpredictable •  Didn’t flaunt his wisdom •  Went against the grain Attraction: Jesus… •  Had confidence in his

mission, identity, the truth. •  Had compassion (maybe

our strongest asset in relationships with non-believers).

•  Was trustworthy

“Jesus saw the value in retreating with God and being energized/changed… abiding

was crucial … If we work in places where we are not

energized by our work, where and when do we get energized

like Jesus did?”

- Group 2

Group

3 – Character Form

ation

•  Are we created to do one thing? – Where we “need to be” is a time based

question… maybe I need to be in a space (career) for a time.

– Calling questions are easier when you work for a company with a clear mission.

– Organizations and individuals both answer the calling question.

•  Work as all of life… – We compartmentalize or lives, “work” is

really much broader than our “job.” – “Rest and work balance” is a better

framework than “work life balance”

Reframing “work”

“If your life works, your work works”

“Your passion can be outside your job and still be your work”

“Is there a specific context we are called to influence, to work with”

“There is a difference in the ‘work’ I get paid to do,

and the work I do as a person.” “Do you need to be passionate about your work… well maybe the question should be are we passionate about doing our work well?”

What next…

Exp

erim

ents

God question

Clear Steps

Feedback Loop

Don

’t P

red

ict

the

outc

ome D

on’t Pred

ict the outcome

“It’s better to act your way into a new way of thinking than think your way into a new way of acting…”

Example

•  God question: – What has God been doing in my job history?

•  Clear Steps: – Write down all my past jobs, meditate on

how God formed me through that job, write that down.

•  Feedback Loop – Share my reflections with my wife over

dinner.

Participants: Laura Blackledge

Raymond Blackledge Elin Holmquist

Chris Aldrich Drew McNamara

Tanya Zwald Kiefer Anderson

Stephanie Williams Anne Mickelson

Allie Noble Will Lee

JD Larson

Open  Space  Conversa3on    11.25.14