John 1:5 (ESV)
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
In 2020, we have been forced to reckon with the darkness of tragic racial violence, a polarizing election season, and a global pandemic that has left millions of people disoriented and unemployed. The author of Eccesiastes reminds us that there is “a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecc. 3:4), and this past year has held many reasons for mourning. However, Christmas is a time to celebrate the incarnation of Christ, which promises that we do not mourn nor dance alone, but rather that through both, Christ is “Immanuel”— “God with us.”
We are deeply grateful for your support and prayers during this challenging year, and we thank God for the integral role you play in our story and His larger unfolding story for creation. Below is a snapshot of what this year held for the Nashville Institute for Faith and Work (NIFW) and a look forward to what’s ahead in 2021.
This year, NIFW welcomed new members to the team to help us broaden programming, develop content, and expand our reach into the Greater Nashville area and beyond. Rose Wynne Brooks was announced as the new Executive Director; Caroline Davidson joined the team as Program Director for Gotham, our flagship faith and work leadership intensive; Dr. Paul Lim, our Gotham pastoral teacher, joined as a Senior Advisor for Program Content; Cameron Presson was hired as a part-time Content Specialist; and Anna Brown serves as our Nashville Fellow in the role of Communications and Operations Coordinator. Check out our staff page to learn more about each member of the team.
Throughout the challenges of 2020, our expanded team continued to invest in established programs even as we had to transition to a virtual format. We are incredibly grateful for the 2019-20 Gotham class, who completed the program this spring. We welcomed the sixth Gotham cohort in the fall, and God has been at work in this year’s class. The members of the Entrepreneur Support Group have continued to faithfully meet for spiritual formation and support through the unique challenges of business leadership in 2020. Read a Q&A with a member of ESG here.
We offered new programs to help equip people to love God and serve their neighbor at work. In light of the economic impacts of COVID-19, we are partnering with the VOCA Center to offer a new program titled Job Search Navigation. As a result of the commitment put into the group, a few members have already been offered job opportunities; read a Q&A with two participants of the program here. Additionally, we will launch a new faith and work program titled Foundations of Faith and Work that will accommodate people’s busier schedules. We are encouraged by the feedback we received from a pilot class we taught this fall, and we are excited to bring this program to the Greater Nashville area in 2021.
Like everyone else, our event plans pivoted in light of COVID-19 to a virtual format. In advance of this year’s election, we partnered with faith and work organizations across the country to offer The Politics of Neighborly Love, which brought together over 700 people across the country to discuss how Christians can faithfully engage the political sphere in today’s moment. We were grateful to be able to host Peace Over Performance: Centered Leadership in Disorienting Times, a leadership webinar featuring executive coach Amy Balog, and 12 Job Search Fails, a webinar to help job seekers strategically refine their job search.
As we thank God for His faithfulness amidst the challenges of 2020, we trust that 2021 will bring new challenges and new opportunities, and we are committed to being a faithful resource for you as you co-create with God to advance His Kingdom here on earth. We will be launching new programs and have a number of exciting events that we hope will encourage you in your work, including an emphasis on pursuing racial and economic justice through your daily work. If you aren't already, follow us on social media (@NashFaithWork) to keep up with what’s happening at NIFW in 2021.
It has been our joy to partner with you as you seek to faithfully engage the world through your daily work. We’re grateful for all of you who make this work possible, and we pray that you experience God at work in 2021 in new ways.
