Have you ever called the helpline for your malfunctioning WiFi router only to be greeted by a very friendly and very foreign representative on the other side of the phone? There’s a decent chance you’re speaking to a twenty-something in an office in Gurgaon, India, the same city where G.O.D. International’s India headquarters is.
Call centers from corporations around the world make up the business centers of this densely populated and underemployed city. While call centers provide many jobs, the hours are long, the weekends are rare, and work is done through the night when it is daytime for the Western World.
A similar work situation characterized many of Jesus’ disciples. In Luke 5, Jesus interacts with a tired Simon (Peter) at his place of work, the lake. Simon, who was a fisherman, tells Jesus, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing” (5:5). Simon, along with James and John, knew a life of night shifts and financial struggle. Jesus’ response was not to tell them to work harder and just add a ministry schedule on top of their demanding job. Instead, upon the obedience of Simon to drop his net into the water, Jesus helps them get a windfall catch of fish—he gives them financial support and a transitional time to be able to learn from and work with Jesus (5:6).
G.O.D. India connects young people to meaningful employment that develops skills.
As a development organization, G.O.D. is also involved in addressing the occupational needs of those who want to follow Jesus. We connect workers and students with affiliated businesses who we know are able to provide a fair wage and flexible enough hours to allow employees to take classes and work with us in ministry.
These jobs are also meant to offer skills development relevant to their ministerial work. For instance, some of our ministry partners have been able to volunteer much needed administrative support to local primary schools in Gurgaon using skills they have learned from practice daily at their jobs. Another ministry partner, Rajib Laishram, volunteers his time with us in Search Engine Optimization and Media, which is exactly what he does at a day job for some other businesses we have connected him with.
These opportunities are not limited to skill development and job security, but naturally open the door for ministry and networking.
Regarding his employment and volunteer situation, Rajib stated, “Working with G.O.D. helped me open a whole new world. With a diverse team I was able to learn a lot of things. I'm really fortunate to work with creative people. G.O.D. has helped me understand what it really means to trust God and work as a team.”
Rose Oungh, who works as a bookkeeper for a company in our network, said, "I was working for a company where I was so stressed out and was looking for a new opportunity, that is when Manohar . I'm so glad I joined this because it helped me build my professional skills like in accounting where I'm now a bookkeeper which I never thought of doing. I also have the flexibility of time for ministry work. I'm blessed to learn more about God’s word while also doing my job.”
Stateside and at the collegiate level, the Institute for G.O.D. also has a thriving job placement program.
This model is one we’ve practiced here in Nashville for years. We have close relationships with a number of businesses who we know will provide fair employment, and who are familiar with the flexibility needed for people to be able to volunteer. In fact, job placement with local business partners starts as soon as new students come to the Institute for G.O.D. to learn the Bible and study community development.* These business partners provide invaluable experience that is often immediately applicable to our development work efforts, both locally and in the third world.
Our jobs don’t have to distract us from following Jesus. We know that Simon, James, and John don’t stop fishing because, at the end of the Gospel of John, this is exactly what Jesus finds them doing (John 21:3). Simon’s act of obedience to Jesus didn’t take him away from his job into full time ministry. Instead, Jesus tells Simon, “from now on you will be catching people.”
After helping Simon get ‘back on his feet’, Jesus gave him a new focus. He was still a fisherman, but the way he utilized his skills and the considerations he would make with his time lent towards his greater calling: following Jesus.