Work experience is extremely important when starting your career in whatever field you want to enter. Before I knew about Greensboro Fellows, I was nervous about working in a full time job after college. I was immediately intrigued about the ease into work while being spiritually formed during the fellows program. I originally wanted to work in church ministry. But talking more about the overall value of work before the year started helped me open my interest in any work I would be doing during the program. I am now working at the Arc of High Point, a social service non-profit organization that helps support adults with disabilities. At first, I was a bit nervous about the job because I didn’t have much experience working with people who have disabilities. I was still open-minded about the role because I could gain great work experience.
After the first week, I knew that this was the job God wanted me to have during my fellows year. At our first Roundtable of the year, we discussed Dorothy Sayers' essay “Why Work.” This essay opened my eyes to how I saw my work and work in general. Sayers says that “It is the business of the Church to recognize that the secular vocation, as such, is sacred.” No matter the work you do, you can serve God. You can glorify and serve God through any type of work, not just direct church ministry. We can also focus too much on how our work impacts others without focusing on the work itself. According to Sayers, “The only way we can serve the community is to serve the work.” If we focus on our jobs as just time with people, we lose the value of the work God gave us to do in the first place. It will be more purposeful if we view work this way and approach it accordingly. If you are considering applying for fellows, or even if you’re already in a full time job, work with a servant's heart and view your work, wherever you are, as a service for the glory of God.
With grace,
Matthew Manu