This week provides us the opportunity to take the big ideas that Dr. Stephen Johnson and Dr. Jeanene Reese have outlined in their Spotlight sessions and apply them to a very specific topic: our work. How can you ensure that your the career you choose aligns with God’s will for your life? Or, maybe a better way to ask the question, in light of a broader understanding of God’s will: How can your work align with God’s will by participating in the ongoing work of God in the world? How can your work be an expression of the missional impulse?

To help us think through these questions, a panel of ACU faculty and staff from different parts of the university gathered to share their reflections on their own work. The panel includes

• Dr. Allison Garrett, Executive Vice President
• Byron Martin, Director of the Office of Multicultural Enrichment
• Julie Goodenough, Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball Team
• Dr. Monty Lynn, Associate Dean of the College of Business Administration
• Dr. Dana Pemberton, Chair of the Department of Teacher Education

 
http://vimeo.com/79212777
 

Discussion Questions:

• How did scripture and theology shape the way the panelists thought about their work? Provide specific examples. 
• Which panelist resonated most with you? Why?
• Have you thought about how your future career (and your current work!) can reflect the ongoing work of God in the world? At this point, how would explain it to someone else? (Don’t worry; you don’t need to have it all figured out. This is something you’ll hopefully think about throughout your life.)
• Are discussions of vocation merely a luxury of the elite? You’re receiving a college education, putting you in the top 7% of the world’s population. As a result, you have a wide-range of choices about which career to pursue, and thus it’s meaningful for you to try to discern your “calling.” What about the vast majority of the world’s population who do not have the choices you enjoy? Is the concept of “vocation” meaningful to them? How so or why not?