Faith and Work

Faith and Work in the Leadership Centre

In the Fall of 2020, the Leadership Centre of the College hosted an online Faith & Work series of workshops and webinars. We explored the relationship between faith and work as we had done in previous in-person programming. In this webinar series, particular care was given to our present context—where the pandemic and other pressing social questions were shaping our work and the environment in which we work. It was a great opportunity to connect the dots between the Gospel and your everyday work life. There was no charge for participation in this series.

In the Spring of 2021, we also held an online books study, exploring the book by Matthew Kaemingk and Cory B. Willson, entitled Work and Worship: Reconnecting our Labour and Liturgy. This book study was a brilliant way to introduce these key themes, and to remind us that most of us participate in the Mission of God, not primarily through church programs, but through our everyday work. More, that our worship and our work have to connect in meaningful ways, if we are to be faithful to the God who in Christ is renewing our lives, our work, and our communities.

We anticipate further developments in our Faith and Work programming in 2022—to consolidating in fresh ways the work we have already done in this area. Stay tuned for details!!

For now, here is a sample of the Faith and Work programming we held in 2020:

Creative Calling: Integrating Faith and Work

This Cohort met weekly on Thursday evenings. There were 3 workshops led by Tim Keener of Christian Direction, and 3 interviews/webinars with guests hosted by Roland De Vries. Through this series we:

More clearly saw our true identity in the light of the whole Gospel.
Better understood our personal calling and how it involves us in Jesus’ mission.
Learned how to shape culture and community as representatives of Jesus, for the common good.
Formed ongoing relationships that encourage our community’s well-being.

Offered Collaboratively with Christian Direction, Montreal

This edition of our Faith and Work program was offered collaboratively with Christian Direction, a Montreal organization committed to the social and spiritual transformation of cities…one person, one group, one neighbourhood at a time.

Program Details

Workshop Dates

Three workshops were led by Tim Keener on the mission of God, and how our work should be conceived of a part of that mission. The breadth of God’s mission is particularly important since it is oriented toward the redemption of all things in Christ. Those workshops will be held in alternative weeks, on the following dates:

October 29 – Whole Mission of God.
November 12 – Kingdom Calling – Vocation
November 29 – Prophetic Witness

Three webinars were also held, with Roland De Vries engaging in dialogue with guests who helped us reflect on our work and our faith and our following in the way of the risen Jesus.

Webinar with Fiona Crossling

This webinar involved a presentation and conversation with Fiona Crossling, who is Directrice Général of Acceuil Bonneau, an organization that provides support to those who are homeless and at risk of homelessness. The organization “Accompanying homeless people or people at risk of homelessness in their daily lives by providing the basic necessities for a better quality of life and well-being on their path towards social reintegration and housing stability.”

Webinar with Steven Garber

Steven Garber is a Senior Fellow for Vocation and the Common Good at the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust (Washington DC) and was formerly Professor of Marketplace Theology and Leadership. He is also author of Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good. In this webinar we explored the nature of our particular vocations as a pursuit of the Kingdom of God, and as a working toward the transformation of the world in goodness and beauty.

Webinar with Patricia Hewlin

This webinar entailed a presentation and conversation with Patricia Hewlin who is professor in the Desautels School of Management, McGill University. Patricia spoke to us about questions of prophetic witness and how this relates to our vocations and work contexts. We live in a moment of constructive social disruption, and we explore how our faith and work are and should be shaped by this reality.