Vocational Stewardship

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Steward YOUR Vocation

Latest News

Read the latest interview of Kingdom Calling here

Check out recent research showing that more pastors are preaching on work. here

IVP says: Kingdom Calling to be produced as an audio book
Release date to be announced later this year

Check out Today's Christian Woman interview with Amy Sherman
Read interview here

Kingdom Calling awarded Book of the Year
Kingdom Calling was chosen as Christianity Today's Book of the Year in the category of Christian Living.

Connecting Our Work to God's Mission
Sherman’s sermon on work & God’s Mission featured on preachingtoday.com

Sherman highlighted in Christianity Today
Amy Sherman was chosen by Christianity Today as one of the 50 most influential Christian women shaping the church and culture

Rejoicing the City

Upcoming Events

May 13-14, 2015
SURGE School
Phoenix, AZ

April 22-24, 2015
National Vocation Infusion Learning Community Retreat
Kansas City, MO

March 16, 2015
“Talking Points” @ Grand Rapids Theological Seminary
Grand Rapids, MI

Feb 3, 2015
Wheaton College Faculty Development Day
Wheaton, IL

May 7-8, 2014
SURGE School
Phoenix, AZ

June 18-20, 2014
Acton U
Grand Rapids, MI

August 2, 2014
City Gates National Conference
Columbus, OH

See All Events

Cliff Nellis: Combining Law and Urban Youth Ministry

Nellis_headshotCliff Nellis: Combining Law and Urban Youth Ministry

by Amy Sherman and Kelly Givens

Cliff Nellis, a graduate of the University of Chicago’s School of Law, became a Christian near the end of his clerkship for a federal judge in Colorado. He took some time off to bike cross-country, studying the bible with all the delight of the brand-new believer. During the trip, Nellis reports, “I started feeling called to ministry. I started thinking about whether I’d stay in the law or not.” Looking back, he sees that as a young believer, he “had this very narrow view: ministry is pastors in a church doing church work. I thought I was leaving law permanently.”¹ During that trip, Nellis stopped in front of a guard shack in front of a boys’ correctional facility outside Springer, NM. After striking up a conversation with the guard, Cliff was alarmed by the number of times the guard told him the kids in the facility had no hope. The guard said most of the teenage children there would go on to spend the rest of their lives in adult prison. The conversation made a lasting impression on Nellis; he began to pray for youth in juvenile correctional facilities and asked God to give him a vision for serving them.² At the end of his bike trip, Nellis promptly enrolled in Trinity Evangelical Divinity School to learn how to be a youth pastor.

Thankfully, pastors Michelle Prentice-Leslie and Wayne Gordon helped this talented young attorney see that “ministry” and “law” were not two separate entities. Prentice-Leslie introduced Nellis to the Cabrini-Green Legal Aid Clinic in Chicago’s infamous housing project. Gordon sowed vision into Nellis about how young people in the Lawndale neighborhood were more in need of good lawyers than another youth pastor. Today, Nellis is combining his love for the law and for urban youth in a creative new venture, the Lawndale Christian Legal Center. It focuses on providing low-cost criminal defense services to juveniles and young adults—who agree to receive Nellis not only as their attorney, but also as a spiritual and vocational mentor. Lawndale has a juvenile justice program and a young adults program, both geared toward court advocacy, helping these youth navigate the judicial system and being there for them during their time in custody.³

 

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1 Cliff Nellis, Lead Attorney, Lawndale Christian Legal Center, interview with Amy Sherman, June 29, Chicago, IL.

2 Lawndale Christian Legal Center website, “About Us,” www.lclc.net/about.html. Accessed 10/4/11.

3 Lawndale Christian Legal Center website, “Programs,” www.lclc.net/programs.html. Accessed 10/4/11.

Vocational Stewardship In Action

  • Cliff Nellis: Combining Law and Urban Youth Ministry

    Cliff Nellis: Comb...

    Cliff Nellis: Combining Law and Urban Youth Ministry by Amy Sherman and Kelly Givens Cliff Nellis, a graduate of the University of Chicago’s School of Law, became a Christian near the end of his clerkship for a federal judge in Colorado. He took some time off to bike cross-country, studying the bible with all the delight of the brand-new believer. During the trip, Nellis reports, “I started feeling called to ministry. I started thinking about whether I’d stay in the law or not.” Looking back, he sees that as a young believer, he “had this very narrow view: ministry is …

  • Anne Hughes and Jenny Oliver: Realtors Going the Extra Mile

    Anne Hughes and Je...

    Anne Hughes and Jenny Oliver: Realtors Going the Extra Mile By Kelly N. Givens December 7, 2011 As anyone who has tried to buy or sell a house in the past half a decade knows, the housing market is currently in a state of crisis. In the aftermath of the burst housing bubble, we’ve seen investment banks going broke, the government bailing out companies, and the U.S. economy in recession. Foreclosures have steadily risen since 2006, draining wealth from consumers and eroding the financial strength of banking institutions. Home prices have tumbled, and it’s unclear if they’ve hit their lowest …

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Resources

NEW! Great short video on Work as Worship
A new perspective on work.

Discussion Questions for Use by Vocational Guilds
Does your church gather members into small groups by profession (e.g., law, medicine, business, art)? If so, invite them to try out these discussion starters.

Ten Ways to Encourage Vocational Stewardship in Your Church
Here are some doable action steps you can take right now.

Small Group Discussion Guide on Vocation
Use these questions to enliven your small group’s ability to support members in living missionally through their daily work.

Annotated Bibliography
Short summaries of helpful books on vocation, for pastors and individual believers. Check back frequently as this list will be updated regularly.