Workplace Spirituality

Is your workplace spiritually friendly? Is the company you work for ethical in its business procedures? Does it live up to its social responsibilities? This class gives you some criteria to use in thinking about your company. If the business doesn't measure up, does that mean you should leave - or can you help to change it? We will cover some of the following topics:

What is Workplace Spirituality?

In this part we will introduce some definitions that clarify the difference between spirituality and religion, look at an overview of the workplace spirituality movement, and consider our theology of work itself.

Your Spirituality in the Workplace

personalizes the topic through a deeper discussion of spirituality in the workplace in contrast with "faith at work", the risks of "junk-food spirituality," the essential traits of a spiritual person, and the specific on-the-job behaviors that result from those traits.

The Ethics of Working It All Out

Explains some of the complex issues in running an ethical business, as well as issues of corporate social responsibility. If time permits, we can discuss the changing concepts of business in the 21st century and how our Christian faih relates to those changes.

Living Into Your Spiritual Future at Work

discusses the principles for a spritual workplace. Earlier we talk about essential traits of a spiritual person; here we will look at a spiritual workplace. We will end by considering ways to become a spiritual leader at work.

(This class will draw from a 200-page book Nanacy has been writing during the past year, so we won't be able to cover all these topics in depth. However, the material will be available to class participants.)

Group Leader: Nancy Smith

Nancy is a Deacon in the UMC affiliated with Old South. She grew up Lexington, Kentucky, attended Union College (Methodist), move to Massachusetts with her husband, and completed seminary at BU School of Theology. She has more than 15 years experience directing the Christian Education programs of Methodist and UCC churches in Kentucky and Massachusetts, She and her husband live in Peabody, and have two grown sons and three grandchildren. She was led to Old South in an unexpected way, and after visiting with us, she requested her appointment be to Old South.