Christian Group Promotes Bible-Based Career Guide
A nonprofit Christian organization that focuses on teaching people how to create a "strong foundation" and be good stewards of their talents has released a career assessment tool based on the Bible.
Crown Financial Ministries, a 35-year-old Georgia-based organization, released the guide "Career Direct" which is based off of 10 years of research.
Handre de Jongh, director of Crown South Africa, told The Christian Post that the assessment tool was inspired by Crown founder Larry Burkett's experiences counseling families on financial issues.
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"During the many years Larry was counseling families on their finances, he frequently observed people in career fields that didn't match their talents and abilities," said de Jongh.
"It concerned him that so many people were not aware of their strengths and therefore was not being good stewards of their talents."
Launched in the 1990s, Career Direct has been used by an estimated 120,000 people and is available in 17 languages. The assessment tool focuses on four levels: namely personality, interests, skills and values. Available in several nations, according to de Jongh, the assessment tool will expand to six additional countries this year.
"People are in a fix today as the economy keep on pressing and job security, as well as job availability become more scarce by the day. Young people are unsure what to study, and gone are the days where one could study something and change at free will," he said.
"There are many assessments available, but very few focus on all four levels in one assessment and there are very few biblically based assessments available that focusses on one's design and matching it to a career."
Robert Dickie, III, president of Crown Financial Ministries, argued in an online opinion piece that the old model of job hunting does not work.
"…with more than 60 percent of Americans saying they are not satisfied with their current jobs, it seems obvious that it's time to consider new patterns for choosing a profession," wrote Dickie.
"It asks up front the basic question of life – who are you? – before telling you how to spend most of your waking hours during your adult years."
According to de Jongh, the Bible has much to say about the issue of work and career choices. These principles include "God created man in His own image," "all work has meaning and dignity," "God has a plan for each person's life," "our work is a stage for ministry and witness," "Christians need to be excellent in their work in order to glorify God," and "God is the final authority on our work."
Crown Financial Ministries is a member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, an accreditation agency for Christian ministries that has an estimated 1,700 member organizations.
