The Development Of Vocational Stewardship Among Indonesian Christian Professionals

Christian professionals, through their daily work, have important roles in God’s mission. However, little empirical research has been done to understand their journey to connect their daily work with God’s. If the church of Jesus Christ is to have the transformational impact that the world needs then we must better understand our vocations from a biblical and missional perspective. In this thorough study, Dr Sutrisna Harjanto explores the formational elements of the integration of faith, work and mission among Indonesian Christian professionals. From detailed semi-structured interviews with twenty-eight participants, this study provides deeper insight into the development of vocational stewardship and the role of empowering relationships and communities. Through careful analysis and evaluation, the resulting book is an educational perspective on the theology of work and mission, beneficial for those in positions to equip and support Christian professionals as they work to fulfil God’s mission through daily work.

This qualitative research explored the development of vocational stewardship among Indonesian Christian professionals. Twenty-eight participants were purposively selected from the populations of Christian professionals in Jakarta and three surrounding cities. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview. Theology of work, holistic mission, and formation related with developmental perspectives were key theories to frame the discussion on the research findings. The findings suggest that three robust dimensions of vocational stewardship, calling, service, and the meaning of work, were developed through different phases in a life time process. Four phases of development identified through this research were introductory, formative, transition, and generative. For a fruitful formation, Christian educators need to take into account the unique characteristics of each phase. Central to these phases is the formative phase that significantly impacts the rest of a person's vocational stewardship journey. Also needing special attention is a crucial transition that follows, the early phase of integrating faith into work life. For most participants, these two key phases took place in their emerging adulthood. The study also finds two important resources for the development of vocational stewardship: networks of empowering relationships and empowering communities. This includes the crucial roles of mentor and mentoring community in the formative and transitional phases. To give fruitful support, Christian educators need to provide well-functioning networks of those resources, whether in the local church or parachurch ministry context. Attention also needs to be given to the types of support most suitable with the phase of vocational stewardship development of those who are targeted.

There has been an explosion of publishing in the faith–work movement in the last twenty years. Work is increasingly seen as the new frontier for Christian mission. However, the church and theological colleges have failed to keep up with the interest among, and needs of, workplace Christians. This book is the urgent corrective that is needed, moving past Theology of Work 101 to much deeper encounters with God’s word as it relates to daily work. These twelve academic papers look at work through three different lenses: the workplace, the church, and theological education. It is prefaced by Mark Greene from the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity, reflecting on what work, church, and theological education would look like if there was no sacred–secular divide. In the concluding remarks, the editors imagine a future where each domain is transformed by the gospel, working dynamically together for the life of the world. While academic in terms of depth of thinking, quality of research, and referencing of crucial sources for further exploration, this book is never dry. Rather, it’s life-giving and provocative for every vocation, asking fundamental questions of the reader: What is the work that God is calling you to do? How can the gospel transform your work? And how well-positioned are churches and colleges to be at the forefront of transforming vocation? With contributions from: Mark Greene James Pietsch Peter White Peter Docherty Gordon Preece Keith Mitchell David Fagg Ian Hussey Colin Noble Andrew Matthews Sarah Bacaller Samuel Curkpatrick Maggie Kappelhoff

We all want to make sense of life, of who we are and why we are, and to know that what we do—day in and day out—matters. But daily demands often lead to a life that feels void of meaning and disjointed from our deepest beliefs. Steven Garber challenges us to move beyond our fragmented sense of reality and begin to see all we are and all we do—our work, play, relationships, worship, and loves—as significant to God. Once we discover that there is no chasm between heaven and earth, we are able to understand the coherence of the work of God and of our lives in the world. This is the seamless life—to see the truest truths of the universe woven into the very meaning of life, labor, learning, and liturgy.

Christianity Today Book Award winner Imagine the scenarios: a CEO successfully negotiates a corporate merger, avoiding hundreds of layoffs in the process an artist completes a mosaic for public display at a bank, showcasing neighborhood heroes a contractor creates a work-release program in cooperation with a local prison, growing the business and seeing countless former inmates turn their lives around a high-school principal graduates 20 percent more students than the previous year, and the school's average scores go up by a similar percentage Now imagine a parade in the streets for each event. That's the vision of Proverbs 11:10, in which the tsaddiqim—the people who see everything they have as gifts from God to be stewarded for his purposes—pursue their vocation with an eye to the greater good. Amy Sherman, director of the Center on Faith in Communities and scholar of vocational stewardship, uses the tsaddiqim as a springboard to explore how, through our faith-formed calling, we announce the kingdom of God to our everyday world. But cultural trends toward privatism and materialism threaten to dis-integrate our faith and our work. And the church, in ways large and small, has itself capitulated to those trends, while simultaneously elevating the "special calling" of professional ministry and neglecting the vocational formation of laypeople. In the process, we have, in ways large and small, subverted our kingdom mandate. God is on the move, and he calls each of us, from our various halls of power and privilege, to follow him. Here is your chance, keeping this kingdom calling in view, to steward your faith and work toward righteousness. In so doing, you will bless the world, and as you flourish, the world will celebrate.

C. Neal Johnson offers the first comprehensive guide to business as mission (BAM) for practitioners. He provides conceptual foundationas for understanding BAM's unique place in global mission and prerequisites for engaging in it. Then he offers practical resources for how to do BAM, including strategic planning and step-by-step operational implementation.

Vols. for 1973- include the following subject areas: Biological sciences, Agriculture, Chemistry, Environmental sciences, Health sciences, Engineering, Mathematics and statistics, Earth sciences, Physics, Education, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, History, Law & political science, Business & economics, Geography & regional planning, Language & literature, Fine arts, Library & information science, Mass communications, Music, Philosophy and Religion.

Christ, the Bread of Life, taught that if we give a cup of water to the thirsty, we are actually giving it to Him. Yet all too often, Christian organizations will fall into a one-sided mission. In Cup of Water, Bread of Life, Ron Sider documents ten ministries worldwide that help the poor and oppressed, and integrate much needed social action with evangelism. He focuses on key members of these missions, showing how they have learned from their past mistakes and how they are now impacting the world, both in word and in deed.