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| Latania and Lannia Deloach at St. Paul's Community Church, home to Ohio City Power Faith-Based Workforce Development 2012. |
Spirituality and Ohio City Power Faith-Based Workforce Development Programs by Albert Wagner, Operations Manager, Ohio
City Power
“The mission of Ohio City Power is to improve the spiritual and physical well-being of a community with programs and services in faith-based economic development.” – Betsey Merkel, Ohio City Power Communications
The focus of Ohio City Power faith-based
economic and workforce development programs is primarily to guide
the homeless back into the workforce, and that is very good. Less,
however, is mentioned about how spiritual development fits into the picture.
With Christianity as the essence of the Holidays it is a good time of the
year to reflect on how this part of the mission fits into improving the overall
well-being of the individual.
Ohio City Power's workforce programs are
designed to move people from being jobless (or underemployed, homeless, etc.)
to being productive members in society. Being productive is often
associated with financial contributions. Ohio City Power's mission
includes, in addition to this, a basis of the whole being of the person. This
could involve changing a person's perspective and/or priorities in life as a
whole.
Entering The Workforce
Most people think of entering the workforce as a
means of making money. Having an income to survive is a part of life for most
people. However, a job can bring more than that. It can also bring
things such as independence, self-worth, time management skills, and a change
of values and how this fits in with the well-being of the person, as a whole is
what’s unique.
When a spiritual element is added, it gets one
to think about what they are working toward. Is the goal to accumulate
possessions (keep up with the Joneses), or is the goal to find your purpose in
life and how you fit in? This time of the year, especially, is a good
time to reflect on where you are going since it is focused on what Christmas is
about.
A Biblical concept is that earning money is
primarily about gaining virtues, and also secondarily about making money
(Thessalonians). Gaining virtues is important in the spiritual life, as it
assesses how you are improving yourself to what you are working toward. This is part of the concept of the workforce program that is less
emphasized.
What is meant by virtues in a Christian sense?
As the Old Covenant was fulfilled by Jesus in the New Testament, there is
mention of “fruits of the spirit” (Galatians 5). These are things such as
love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness.
These things, hopefully, come as a result of participating in Ohio City
Power workforce programs.
Working And Your Purpose In Life
A job in this society can be looked at as part
of your personality. Is your focus on improving the quality of life in
your community, for instance? As God gave people different talents, have
you tried to find yours and do you use it to help others? As a time of
year to reflect, does your work represent God's being manifest in your life?
Thinking of these things is part of how spiritual well-being is part of
the mission of the program.
On the other side, losing a job can also make
God’s presence manifest. You might reflect on why it happened and how to pay
bills. Sometimes resentment or the feeling of injustice is prevalent. A
spiritual addition could be helpful in these and other circumstances. It
could also be looked as God having a different path in mind for you and
thinking it is time for you to move on to what you are working toward.
As seen here, spirituality in the workplace
involves less of “having the answers” and more of “asking the questions”.
A question involves asking what is true of you individually and how you
deepen your own experience.
For instance, as people age and friends and
relatives die, it leads people to thinking about what else they would like to
do with their life, in and out of the workplace. Do you want work to be
part of your identity? People start to think of their “legacy” and what
values they are passing to the next generation. Some people who have
retired like to work part time to help contribute to society, as they were
taught by their generation and that is their legacy.
How does this apply to Ohio City Power?
Making money is, indeed, a benefit of going through Ohio City Power’s
workforce development programs. However, there are also other positive
attributes wound up in this that are not mentioned as often. How the
program helps a person grow spiritually is also significant.
Happy Holiday Season To Everyone!
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- Betsey Merkel, Ohio City Power Communications
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