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Stories & Blog
A Job-Maker Story
Read the series: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
In the previous article, we looked at the potential of job creation for culture-changing gospel impact. This month, we hear an illustration of this from a job-maker in East Asia.
In the previous article, we looked at the potential of job creation for culture-changing gospel impact. This month, we hear an illustration of this from a job-maker in East Asia.
A Job-Maker Story
by Martin, a job-maker in East Asia
A few classrooms and a few teachers. Would this make much of an impact? Together with our like-minded national partners, we began a discipleship-focused English training center 14 years ago with the desire to make a difference in the lives of individuals and families in our rapidly growing city. Today, we have more than 60 nationals on staff and almost 500 students. We have impacted our city by providing a needed service with a good reputation. What makes us different?
Kingdom culture is the model for our company culture. No one is required to become a Christian in order to work at our company, but new staff members learn quickly that our decision-making wisdom comes from following Jesus. As we work together, they see us handle life differently.
Take Tina’s situation. A parent pressed her for information about a teacher’s experience, and Tina told a lie. Tina is not a believer, but she was convicted of her wrongdoing and quickly confessed it to her supervisors. Because others had overheard, the situation needed to be acknowledged in a meeting, and because she had given false information to a customer, it needed to be made right with the parent also. Tina was able to confess, repent, and receive forgiveness for her mistake instead of losing face or hiding from the situation. Why? Because our work environment is a safe place to follow ethical principles — unheard-of business approaches in this culture.
Transformational professional development follows a basic discipleship model. We share our lives 40 hours a week and actively disciple our staff on a daily basis.
Aaron started his teaching career with us and soon became a believer. He moved into a supervisory position a few years later, but we discovered that he had repeatedly been dishonest about some of his work. We confronted him and demoted him, but assured him that he could continue as a teacher and rebuild his trustworthiness. In this culture, most young men would lose face and leave, but to our surprise, he stayed! He said, “Where else would I go where people will walk with me until I learn to be responsible and mature?”
Now as our new Assistant Manager, Aaron encourages others struggling with their mistakes, telling them, “If you leave, you will only be taking your problems to the next job. Here, your trainers are patient and they will help you learn to do your job well, because they really care for you.”
Our training process prepares both American workers and national workers to serve in the Kingdom. Casey came as an intern, and after a summer with us, she learned effective tools for teaching English and sharing the gospel cross-culturally. She is now teaching English in another unreached part of the world.
As a company that values community impact, we also provide opportunities for our national staff to respond to God’s call to serve others. Kelly spends half of her work time teaching and the other half providing training programs in parenting, kids’ character building and teen abstinence for public schools, local churches, and more.
A company with a good reputation that develops staff with excellent skills and a heart for people — that is workplace discipleship.
The people in this story are real but italicized names have been changed to protect identity.
Kingdom culture is the model for our company culture. No one is required to become a Christian in order to work at our company, but new staff members learn quickly that our decision-making wisdom comes from following Jesus. As we work together, they see us handle life differently.
Take Tina’s situation. A parent pressed her for information about a teacher’s experience, and Tina told a lie. Tina is not a believer, but she was convicted of her wrongdoing and quickly confessed it to her supervisors. Because others had overheard, the situation needed to be acknowledged in a meeting, and because she had given false information to a customer, it needed to be made right with the parent also. Tina was able to confess, repent, and receive forgiveness for her mistake instead of losing face or hiding from the situation. Why? Because our work environment is a safe place to follow ethical principles — unheard-of business approaches in this culture.
Transformational professional development follows a basic discipleship model. We share our lives 40 hours a week and actively disciple our staff on a daily basis.
Aaron started his teaching career with us and soon became a believer. He moved into a supervisory position a few years later, but we discovered that he had repeatedly been dishonest about some of his work. We confronted him and demoted him, but assured him that he could continue as a teacher and rebuild his trustworthiness. In this culture, most young men would lose face and leave, but to our surprise, he stayed! He said, “Where else would I go where people will walk with me until I learn to be responsible and mature?”
Now as our new Assistant Manager, Aaron encourages others struggling with their mistakes, telling them, “If you leave, you will only be taking your problems to the next job. Here, your trainers are patient and they will help you learn to do your job well, because they really care for you.”
Our training process prepares both American workers and national workers to serve in the Kingdom. Casey came as an intern, and after a summer with us, she learned effective tools for teaching English and sharing the gospel cross-culturally. She is now teaching English in another unreached part of the world.
As a company that values community impact, we also provide opportunities for our national staff to respond to God’s call to serve others. Kelly spends half of her work time teaching and the other half providing training programs in parenting, kids’ character building and teen abstinence for public schools, local churches, and more.
A company with a good reputation that develops staff with excellent skills and a heart for people — that is workplace discipleship.
The people in this story are real but italicized names have been changed to protect identity.
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