Job Seekers Find Hope Through Churches' Employment Assistance Programs

With so many people out of work or underemployed, local churches are stepping up to the plate.  By providing employment assistance to those seeking work, church members are living out their faith by reaching out to the community. 

Snellville United Methodist Church
Snellville United Methodist runs a branch of the internationally recognized Crossroads Career Network. For nine years, this program has connected job seekers with employers. Crossroads meetings are held the second Monday of each month from 7-9 p.m.

“It is all about helping people that are either unemployed, misemployed or underemployed,” said Greg Purves, Ministry team co-leader. “We have a curriculum that has been tried and polished up every year," he added. The program has been around for 20 years.  

Purves said the program has provided assistance to an estimated 2,300 in 2010.  In 2009, 2,000 job seekers were assisted. 

Crossroads offers an eight-week workshop that is geared toward providing a structured approach to job hunting. During these eight weeks, participants have access to training classes that focus on job skill assessments, interview skills, resume writing and networking.  They are also given a workbook that focuses on growing your career. The first few weeks focus on attitude, aptitude (skills) and altitute (the job market). 

The eighth week is dedicated to “Hearing and Following God’s Calling.” Workshops are taught by professionals.

These workshops are led by three facilitator teams that rotate every eight weeks. Teams are made up of male and female leaders, usually a husband and a wife. Purves believes that often, men are more comfortable opening up to a man, and women are more likely to speak with another woman about things close to her heart.

This program has been credited with providing spiritual affirmation to those with fears about finding employment. And for job seekers that need to voice their fears, there are people associated with the program that just listen and provide support.

Whatever is shared in the workshop stays in the workshop.

“I am here to seek assistance to get a different position from what I am doing now, because I feel underutilized,” said first time program attendee Linda Bakalis, 51, who works as a corporate receptionist. “I appreciate working and I love to work, but I would like to be an administrative support.” 

A month after relocating from Orlando, Latisha Bellamy, 28, came to Crossroads to network and receive assistance with her job search. She recently graduated from Valencia Community College. Prior to going to school full time, she worked at the Orange County Jail as an Administrative Assistant for the inmates’ substance abuse program until 2009.

“I really like this program. I learned something new about targeting the companies that you want to work for; so I will select my five companies,” Bellamy said. “My money is low right now, but [Purves] said they will work with me so that I can attend the workshops.”

Kathi Clotfelter came to Crossroads to help her fiance, son and daughter find a job. While networking, she ended up finding a caregiver for her mother.  

“I told them we are having a family night, so let’s go to Crossroads," said Clotfelter, who is the Snellville Senior Center director. "You never know who you are going to meet that will help you. Most people are all good-hearted and they want to help someone who is down,” said Clotfelter, who is also a former longtime Crossroads volunteer.   

Founded by Brian Ray in 1995, Crossroads charges churches annual membership fees of $600. If a church prefers to pay for a single lifetime charter membership, the fee is $5,000. The fees include access to all the resources Crossroads has to offer, and churches are free to share it with job seekers as well. It is estimated that there are 150 participating churches in the United States and Canada.

The churches are then given access to collections of Christian career resources. Ray is the author of Maximizing Your Career, Real Success at Work, New Job Jump Start and The Mastery of Leadership. He is also the former Vice President and Executive Committee Member of the Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, responsible for Human Resources, Operator Ventures and Administration.

Rona Rahtz, another co-team leader, has twice found employment through Crossroads. She is currently employed as part-time Administrative Assistant to the director of Health Wholeness at Snellville UMC. She quickly pointed out that because the 33 volunteers represent 16 different churches, the program is non-denominational.

“We cover this meeting in prayer,” said Rahtz, “it is Spirit led and prayer fed.”

Cannon Church
In October of 2008, Julie Farschman, a member of Cannon Church, told Associate Pastor Amy Morgan that she wanted to do something to help people find employment. Before the recession even began, Fraschman recognized that people were losing their jobs. She wanted to do something to help. Relying on her experience and expertise in human resources, she proposed creating a class that would prepare job seekers for their search. 

After settling on a date, an announcement was placed in the church’s bulletin about the class. Farschman said she started the one-and-a-half hour class with about 10 people. Class sizes range from 3 to 25, with a total of nearly 500 since the program's inception. 

“In that first class I went through everything, from how to write a resume to how to negotiate the offer,” said Farschman.

She asked that first class if they wanted to meet again or if the one class would be enough. They all said they wanted another meeting. And with that request the Job Support Group was founded.

Farschman calls the program “grass roots,” because it was started and continues to be moved and shaped by the people that need it.

Classes transformed into more in-depth sessions, which covered each aspect of the job search more thoroughly.  The intimacy of the program has remained.

“We really never meant to make a program, it just sort of happened,” said Farschman, owner of HR Initiatives, Inc.    

Cannon’s program is very low key, relying on word of mouth. A temporary banner placed on the church’s roadside lawn makes the attendance unpredictable. The program has also seen an increase in facilitators. Now, in addition to Farschman, there are four more. All of them encourage attendees to go and network at other job searching ministries.

Many of the participants at Cannon have gone through the Crossroads eight-week workshop and believe that the two programs, although different in size, structure, fees and atmosphere, do complement each other.

Ceci Lanatta, first time Cannon attendee, said, “Crossroads teaches the academics of looking for a job, but Cannon gives us the practical, real world tools and a safe environment in which to practice them.”

 Lloyd Pringle, an unemployed Electrical Engineer, attends both Cannon and Crossroads job search meetings. Because he has gotten his last two positions from Cannon leads he calls the Cannon program his “lucky charm.”

After losing his job of 18 years at Aon Consulting, David Gates started attending faith-based networking sessions. He was going to three of these meetings a week and even began to act as a facilitator. In September of 2009, he was offered a position with a local IT development firm, Nova Logic, through networking at the sessions.

In July of 2010, Gates was laid off again. He continued to facilitate Cannon’s job search sessions while unemployed. Five weeks ago, through a networking contact, he has secured a position with Dell SecureWorks in Dunwoody.

“With 80% of jobs coming from networking, networking is key to job searching,” said Gates.  “That is what we try to do here; teach people how to network effectively.”

Fore more information on SUMC's program, contact the church at (770) 972-9360 or email gpurves@att.net

For Cannon's Job Support Group, call David Gates at (404) 693-4451 or email david.gates3@gmail.com.