Called to Work is a 6-week program for small groups in parishes and congregations to explore questions of vocation and profession—how God calls in our everyday work.
All materials are available for free online for participants and facilitators.
Called to Work is a program of the Collegeville Institute Seminars, a research project of the Collegeville Institute at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. Generously funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc., the Seminars seek to develop resources for congregations around lived realities of Christian faith in the world today.
How does the program work?
Called to Work gathers small groups for conversation about God’s call in our work and professional lives. The program includes sessions on different aspects of vocation:
- Work in Our Lives
- God at Work
- Work’s Challenges
- Work, Service & Calling
- The Next Chapter
Short videos on vocation from our Lives Explored video project are paired with each Called to Work session, to view as a group or for personal reflection.
Before each meeting, participants reflect with readings, prayers and Scripture in the Participant Guide. The small group gathers to share stories and learn from others about the meaning of their work and faith.
Meetings are designed to last approximately 2 hours a week for 6 weeks, with small groups of 6-8 participants.
Who can use your materials?
Called to Work has been offered in churches across the country to explore vocation and profession with their members. Our ecumenical materials have been used by hundreds of participants in diverse congregations, including Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and congregational faith communities.
Small groups can be led by pastors, staff, or lay leaders. No prior facilitator training is required.
To register your Called to Work group, please fill out the registration form below to receive the password for the facilitator resources.
Why offer Called to Work?
Check out our top 10 list of reasons to use Called to Work.
To learn more about leading a Called to Work group, read an interview with Jane.
See what past participants had to say:
- All of the sessions touched on my experience as a professional. It gave me opportunity to reflect on ethical and moral challenges and the fact that decisions I make have a strong direct impact on the lives of others.
- I developed more of a sense that no matter what I’m doing, it is in some way God’s calling. The fact that I put myself into my work and show passion and desire to make a difference in the lives of others demonstrates my profession as a calling.
- Telling our stories of how we were led to our professions was memorable. We see pieces of our own story in the stories of others and gain insight into our own journey through the observation of another’s journey.
- It showed me that even though I may spend a lot of time at work and get paid well for the work I do, it’s not how I define myself. I define myself through the mixture (not balance) of all of the vocations in my life. I have many callings and can be influential in a variety of ways.
Register your group
To register your group for Called to Work and receive the password for the facilitator resources, please complete the following form. (Participants do not need to register individually.)
Please contact Jessie Bazan at jlbazan@CollegevilleInstitute.org for more information about Called to Work.
