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Paul Michalski
Founder of Integrous LLC
Paul Michalski has been on a journey that resulted in the creation of Integrous LLC, a law firm providing integrity advice and legal counsel to faith-driven clients. Integrous is the by-product of a 50-year journey, including 30+ years as a lawyer and 13 years of involvement in marketplace ministry and the faith-work movement. It also reflects Paul’s life-long commitment to “integrity” as a core value and his personal purpose statement: “To serve by redeeming work through the impartation of wisdom, spotlighting God’s truth and connecting its meaning to organizational cultures and practices.”
Paul graduated from Harvard College, magna cum laude, in 1983 and Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, in 1986. He became a partner with Cravath, Swaine & Moore and for over 22 years practiced corporate law in New York and London.
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Embassy as a Model for a Christian ERG
— by James Bruyn
What makes a Christian ERG unique from other ERG’s is the centrality of the cross. Paul Williams in his book Exiles on Mission suggests that Christian communities like ERG’s could be viewed as embassies carrying the authority of the kingdom in their communal and individual witness while projecting something of the culture of the Kingdom of God. He suggests that God’s sovereign presence is what turns an association of people with certain ideas and practices into an embassy of the Kingdom of God. He suggests that the members of this embassy could be viewed as a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9) with a ministry of reconciliation.
An embassy can only exist in a foreign territory if they are welcomed there. In the same way a Christian ERG needs to be cognizant of and respect the conditions under which they are welcomed into the organization. The leadership of the ERG needs to ensure that their activities do not impede corporate objectives or consume company’s resources.
Prayer
A vital devotional and prayer life is not a “nice to have’ but mission critical since an embassy or ERG is an ambassadorial community operating in spiritually foreign territory. Through the life of prayer the Christian ERG can perceive possibilities far better than they can calculate on the basis of their most sober evaluations and judgments. This spiritual practice should include prayer for business objectives. A Christian ERG are men and women of faith who are contributing to the objectives of the organization through the power of prayer.
Contribute to business objectives
Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit an ERG could explore pursuing in community a missional strategy that is aligned with the corporate goals and objectives in partnership with one or more executive sponsors,. This outward orientation should flow from the community’s “upward” orientation to avoid assimilation.
This missional strategy may involve solving real-time business problems which makes the ERG more visible in the organization and excite employees about participating. This might include planning activities that have a direct impact on business operations, talent acquisition and development or workforce diversity and inclusion. This might include service projects that contribute to polishing the company’s brand while allowing members to “pay back” something to their communities. Service activities would also align with millennial values around benevolence. Christian ERGs may also wish to explore collaboration with other ERGs.
Where possible the ERG should annually set objectives in line with the corporate objectives and establish SMART goals. In line with the corporate performance evaluation process, the ERG should evaluate their activities each year and report to their executive sponsor measurable outcomes. These objectives should go beyond the business work that would have been done by individual employees had the ERG not existed. For example if a current corporate need is supporting single parents having challenges with a COVID school year, this could be a specific effort envisioned and coordinated by the ERG. ERGs that help the business succeed should get recognition and support from business executives which should, in turn, lead to more developmental opportunities and visibility for the members of the ERG.
Engage in the Stories and Culture of the workplace
Everything an ERG does should deliberately and thoughtfully engage the stories and culture of the workplace. The stories of which an ERG finds itself in include both the story of God and stories of the corporate culture in which that story is to be told. These story’s help the members of the ERG see their lives as a connected, meaningful existence in which God’s will is mixed with their free will in ways which demonstrate purpose.
When a Christian ERG comprehends the culture of their organization then they should be able to communicate with it in ways that will be both prophetic and redemptive. Just as ambassadors show respect for their host company, so also Christian ERGs should be marked by respect for their company, and the deepest expression of this respect is love. With a posture of love, God can use a Christian ERG to reveal his power to the leadership of the organization, and to bring blessing to the people who work for the organization. With a posture of love, ERG’s can promote right relatedness with God, coworkers, customers, and creation. This posture of love may look like treating all coworkers as if they were Christ in a spirit of hospitality. Or it may look like celebrating with joy the sheer existence of each coworker, manager, customer as a unique beautiful and worthy instance of God’s creation without regard to their moral quality or spiritual maturity.
Opportunities facing ERG’s
Some of the challenges facing ERG’s include:
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Community is not a next generation value
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For many people community is defined by projects, values and interests.
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People will commit to an ERG when the perceived identity or values of the ERG are aligned with their values or identity. Otherwise they may just check it out, and then drop out.
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While larger organizations are beginning to realize that employee retention, productivity and well-being are linked to respecting expressions of faith in some form in the workplace, many organizations have not embraced a public commitment to inclusive, faith-friendly workplaces.
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As corporate business and employment models change in response to new technology and other global events (e.g. pandemics) the ERG also needs to respond. A Christian ERG could explore how they can model a leadership role during these seasons of change as opposed to be a being a passive participant.
Bibliography
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Paul Williams, Exiles on Mission (Baker Publishing Group, xxxx Kindle Edition), 101-102.
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Theresa M. Welbourne, Skylar Rolf, Steven Schlachter The Case for Employee Resource Groups: A Review and Social Identity Theory-Based Research Agenda (CEO Working Paper Series, Nov 2016),
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ERGs Come of Age: The Evolution of Employee Resource Groups (Mercer, January 2011),
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Brian J. Grim, Melissa E Grim, Measuring the Fortune 100’s commitment to religious inclusion (Religious Freedom and Business Foundation, 2020) https://religiousfreedomandbusiness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/REDI-Index-2020-FINAL.pdf
To view all footnotes, please refer to this document.
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Michael Ross
Assistant Professor of Sport Management | Shorter University
Mr. Ross is from Blairsville, GA. He spent his undergraduate years at both Georgia College and State University and Piedmont College, which he graduated from in 2012. He played basketball for both institutions. He then went on to pursue his Master’s in Sports Management at the University of Georgia and graduated from UGA in 2014. During his time at UGA, Mr. Ross volunteered for the NABC and worked as an intern for the NCAA D1 Men’s Basketball Final Four held in Dallas, Texas. He is currently seeking a PhD in Sport Management from Troy University.
Mr. Ross served as a high school Assistant Athletic Director for 3 years. He started a youth training company in 2014 as well called Elite Level Training which focuses on the fundamentals and functional movement of various sports. He describes this as a gigantic blessing and has been fortunate enough to run multiple camps and events while also training over 250 athletes in individual lessons ranging from recreation age to professional athletes. During the summer, Mr. Ross also works part time with the Atlanta Hawks running youth and promotional events throughout the city of Atlanta and state of Georgia.
Mr. Ross lists traveling, scuba diving, spending time with friends/family, church and the outdoors as other activities he enjoys and participates in regularly. His favorite bible verse is Proverbs 27v17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” He is extremely excited to be a part of the Shorter University family and looks forward to everything this calling has to offer!
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What Does It Mean to Be Called?
— by Luke Bolton
God’s Calling: A Biblical Summary for Entrepreneurs
Over the years I have enjoyed many jobs, from trim carpentry and truck driving to university teaching and financial services. With a passion to serve God, I finished degrees in theology – but did not enter church ministry as a full-time job. In God’s plan, my theological education has been woven into work with investments and a wealth management firm.
As a younger man I often wondered, “Am I called to work in the ministry?” But as I reached midlife, I found myself asking, “Am I called to serve in the marketplace?” Like other Christians, I want to embrace God’s call and do something of significance.
Perhaps you too have wrestled with the idea of God’s call. How does God’s call intersect with being a business-person or entrepreneur? What does it mean to be called in business?
The Many Uses of Calling
The language of calling is used very broadly. Likely you have heard people refer to their job (or hobby) as a “calling”. In the church, people talk about “calling” as one aspect of hiring a new minister. Others will be quick to point out an important distinction between our “calling” and our job.
Perhaps one reason calling is used so many different ways is that it starts with a generic word. The New Testament word for “call” (Greek kaleo) was not a technical term. It meant to invite or summon a person to come – just as you might invite others to the dinner table (call them to supper). The word was also used to describe the act of naming someone (call him John).
Certainly, church history and denominations have played a role in how we understand calling. For example, Catholic traditions often see calling in the context of religious duties, while Lutheran and other Protestant traditions emphasize calling in the context of one’s daily work.
A Biblical Framework for Calling
Rather than digging into a historical overview how the church understood calling, I want to offer a framework to understand its biblical meaning. This framework is not original but has been articulated by theologians and teachers, such as Os Guinness in his book The Call.
The most essential insight about calling is that God primarily calls or summons people “to himself”, rather than to a particular task. Os Guinness defines calling as, “the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are…do, and… have is invested with a special devotion…and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service.” (p. 29)
This definition highlights the relationship between God, as the Caller, and his people as those called into a relationship with him. Jesus came to “call” sinners to repentance (Matt 9:13). He invites all who labor to come to him (Matt 11:28). Quite often in the New Testament, being called by God is a synonym for salvation itself.
Since the New Testament overwhelmingly uses calling to describe being called “to Christ”, we will identify this as our primary calling. Our primary calling is to respond to the words of Jesus when he said, “follow me.” This is our calling to know, trust, love, treasure, and follow Christ.
However, another aspect of calling shows up in Scripture. This secondary calling recognizes that Christ is our master and is sovereign over all we say, think, and do. Those who answer God’s call embark on a new life. As Paul urged, we must seek to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [we] have been called, with all humility… gentleness… patience…” (Eph 4:1-2). Our primary calling is to follow Christ; our secondary calling flows from it as we seek to imitate him in the course of life.
While this aspect of calling has implications for work, it does not necessarily mean God is going to announce a specific job assignment. Scripture does not lead us to anticipate words like, “I want you to be a painter” or, “I want you to start a restaurant.” Still, our relationship with Christ must inform everything we do, including how and what we do for work.
Business Leadership and God’s Calling
The topic of God’s calling shows up throughout Scripture and merits further study and reflection than possible in this brief summary. However, building on this framework, I want to offer four simple encouragements to Christian entrepreneurs and business leaders:
1. Your calling “in Christ” is who you are. Called by Christ is your identity – not a company, not a role, not financial performance. As a Christian, you have been called, justified, and loved by God (Rom 8:29-30). That is the foundation to build your life on. Building an identity on your start-up, family business, or work will not support the weight of a meaningful life. At the end of the day, the most important thing about you is that Jesus says to you, “Come, follow me.”
2. Your work matters to God, and to others, even though God’s calling is larger than just your work. In creation, God shows himself to be a skillful, hard-working craftsman. Then God created men and women in his image to continue his work and care for creation. Through your work as business owners and entrepreneurs, God is caring for the needs of others. And through that work, your character and eternal reward are being shaped. “For you [Lord] will render to a man according to his work” (Ps 62:12).
3. God’s calling is not just for those in church work or secular work; rather it encompasses both. In the Gospels we see an unusual experience of Jesus calling 12 apostles to leave their jobs and follow him. By contrast, most other believers were encouraged to continue working as a means of honoring Christ. “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” (Col 3:23). “…let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands…” (Eph 4:28). The call to discipleship is more often a call to deepen our work, rather than leave it.
4. Finally, God’s calling is not harmed by failure or confirmed by success. Since your calling grows out of your relationship with Christ, you cannot truly miss your calling unless you miss the One who called you. If you follow your dream at the expense of following the Lord, yes, you have missed your calling. But staying true to Christ and gaining strength from him, even during life’s deepest disappointments, is the measure of truly living up to your calling.
Jesus calls, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden…
and learn from me.” (Matthew 11:28-29)
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God wants a relationship with you, so it’s not just about solving problems! And, as you deepen your relationship with God through prayer, it becomes easier and easier to know His will for your life and your life and your entrepreneurship.