Barrington-area churches address spiritual needs of the unemployed

Church and community leaders in the Barrington area this Labor Day weekend are taking a fresh look at the meaning of the holiday and the spiritual support needed for those without jobs.

The coordinated effort is part of an outreach by the Barrington Career Center. Though the center serves 100 communities, with only 18 percent of its clients coming from within the Barrington school district, a unique partnership exists with the area immediately around its headquarters, Executive Director Monica Keane said.

One example is the village of Barrington's declaration of 2010 as "The Year of Employment," the basis for a quarterly forum aimed at helping facilitate job creation in the area, Village President Karen Darch said.

But this weekend's focus at area churches represents a partnership with the Barrington Career Center to celebrate the dignity of work and address the pain of its loss.

Rev. Jim Wilson, senior pastor of Barrington United Methodist Church, said the role of work in human life is one he's regularly spoken of in years past. He said scripture itself describes a role people are meant to play in maintaining world order.

"Work is integral to who we are," Wilson said. "Work is not evil. Work is not the result of sin. It's part and parcel of our human nature to work."

At the same time, especially in times like these, it's important to remember that a person's identity should not be tied too tightly to work.

People who lose their jobs can emotionally and psychologically start to isolate themselves, Wilson said. This is a bad, counterintuitive response because it's the strength and support of the community that's needed at such times.

Keane said the career center, in addition to teaching job search skills, offers people a chance to talk with others.

Wilson said his church has run an employment ministry the past couple years that has been quite successful in bringing people and jobs together.

Rev. Zina Jacque, pastor of the Community Church of Barrington, also says there is a biblical basis for the relationship between people and their vocations.

"Scripture teaches us everyone is born with gifts and has a purpose in life," Jacque said. "When work is lost, you still do not lose your gifts."

She said the childhood experiences of surviving the Great Depression by people now in their 70s and 80s can be of immense value to those for whom today's economy is a new phenomenon.

And at her church Sunday, she is trying to get some currently unemployed congregation members to share their recent experiences.

Jacque said that in an affluent community like Barrington, unemployment can be a source of embarrassment and a reason to avoid social situations like church. But she believes the embarrassment is less in a small congregation like hers where members know more about each other than just where they work.

Community Church of Barrington supports the career center financially and devotes 10 percent of its income this year to children and the hungry, segments of the population that are certainly affected by unemployment.

Roshny Mampilly, a member of the Barrington Career Center board, will be among Sunday's speakers on the issue of employment at her own church, Holy Family Church in Inverness.

She is a human resources professional who definitely sees the logic of a church role in the issue of unemployment.

"I think people come to church for solace and hope," Mampilly said. The effort by the career center and churches is aimed at "re-establishing unemployment as a continuing issue - just understanding that there's a lot we can do for people who are unemployed."

And she pointed out that Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital is a partner in the fight, sponsoring wellness programs that address the stress that comes with unemployment.

"The dignity of work is so much more than a paycheck," Mampilly said.

While church and community leaders said they don't remember a recession that has hit so hard and lasted so long, they see hope every time a long unemployed person finds work.

"I think you're hearing little success stories," Darch said. "Hope is one of those incredibly important aspects of life."