Workers put faith in career ministries

John Wanak, unemployed for more than two years, sought help from an unconventional employment agency -- his church.

Willow Creek Church in South Barrington operates a career ministry, and there Wanak learned how to bridge the gap between his professional life and spiritual life. With the help of two, six-week sessions there, he moved on to become a teacher at a West Chicago school.

"It provided me a great deal of encouragement and spiritual nourishment," Wanak said.

Ray Ercoli, who runs the career ministry, himself sought help from the church when he was unemployed, and ended up with a job there that has lasted 14 years.

"What we have to offer has been a benefit to our community," Ercoli said.

Job seekers across the nation are increasingly putting their religion to work to gain support and encouragement to land a job. Ercoli said more employees in Illinois are relying on organizations like Willow Creek Church's career ministry to achieve fulfillment in their professional lives.

"Job seekers are trying to match their faith perspective with their career," Ercoli said. "Too often, people take whatever job that comes along, whether or not it's the right thing to do."

Willow Creek Church is affiliated with WorkMinistry.com, a national job search and staffing Web site that provides employment resources to faith-based and community organizations. For three years, the Chicago-area-based Web site has provided coaching and counseling to participants in their job search process.

"Everybody's personal circumstances are unique," said co-founder Bill Broderick. "Our role here is to say whatever you want to do, we can do it for you."

WorkMinistry.com receives on average more than 5,000 visits per month. It is affiliated with about 150 groups in 25 states and has helped fill more than 50,000 jobs nationally, including 2,000 in Illinois.

"All the networking groups are run by faith-based church community volunteers, but there's no faith requirements," Broderick said. "Some groups do prayers, some do not. Everybody gets a job."

Jeremy Wills, regional manager at Career Concepts USA Inc., volunteered to create a ministry at his church, Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, eight months ago.

"Oftentimes, people just aren't willing to take accountability or don't know how to take accountability about taking steps," Wills said. "We're not there to find them jobs. We're there to encourage them to take those next steps to their career."

The seasonally adjusted Illinois unemployment rate in September was 5.1 percent, down from August's 5.4 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

Richard Kaye, labor economist for the state Employment Security Department, said faith-based services could lead to job search success.

"It's just another tool in the arsenal for both employees and employers," Kaye said. "Anything that works is an added benefit."

While several religious organizations rely on faith to secure jobs, others such as Chicago's Jewish Vocational Service identify themselves as a "non-sectarian" employment agency.

"The main thrust of JVS is not religious," said Arlene Shafton, coordinator of community relations. "It's part of the Jewish religion; we help all people. What we're doing is what I call the Jewish value to help somebody help themselves."

Faith-based and non-sectarian organizations rely on a common theme for success: strength in numbers.

"In the job search, it's very lonely," Shafton said. "But there is a general understanding that there are people out there with whom they have a similar background."

For Wills, of Harvest Bible Chapel, success manifests itself in faith alone.

"It's our foundation," he said. "It's what holds us up."

Ercoli, of Willow Creek, says his experience revealed advantages and disadvantages in seeking faith-based support.

"It can be a real advantage in getting your foot in the door," he said. "I also think sometimes people trust their own personal perspective on how a person should behave based on faith and they don't really get to know them well."