Course Modules in Spiritual Formation - More Ideas for Assignments on Work
Seminary Curriculum / Produced by TOW Project
Here are more sample assignments to help inspire fresh thinking about how to incorporate a concern for vocation, flourishing and economic justice in a seminary course on Spiritual Formation.
Work-Themed Spiritual Narrative
Ask students to write a spiritual narrative of their journey with Christ – focusing on their work. Such narrative-based assignments are common in spiritual formation classes, so you may simply want to add this as an additional focal point to a narrative you already assign. Where have your students seen God in their callings to work, both paid and unpaid? How have they served God in their work up to this point? How do they see their callings within the larger context of the body of Christ in ministry?
Workplace Prayer App
Ask students to design the content of a prayer app to be used by people in the workplace. What prayers, scriptures, songs and readings might they include? What issues should be addressed and how should the app be organized? What kind of structure should be used? (Do people need a prayer every hour? A longer devotion at lunchtime? Music? Would they like notifications to remind them to use the app? How often do they want to be notified? Do different occupations want different structures?) If possible, have them interview several workplace Christians in the course of developing the app. They might also want to check out Pray as You Go for ideas and inspiration.
Unemployment Spiritual Resources
Ask students to develop a spiritual resource specifically for congregants facing unemployment or underemployment. This could be a set of prayers, a Bible study or Bible reading plan, a sermon on the topic, or anything else you feel would be appropriate to the specific situation.
Work Problem Case Study
Ask students to write a case study according to the normal case study method, but paying special attention to issues of work (perhaps focused around a client or congregant’s work problem, or around the way work plays into relationship issues within a family or marriage.) Discuss with them afterwards how it affected the case study process to foreground work in their analysis.
Youth Education
Ask students to prepare a lesson plan for children or youth explaining one of the following (or another work-related topic) in audience-appropriate language:
- Being made in the image of God
- The concept of Sabbath and a rhythm of work and rest
- Serving others through work
- Especially for teenagers: How to treat others justly and ethically at work
- Especially for teenagers: How to discern what work God is calling you to do
For inspiration, see the elementary school curriculum God's Story of Work for Kids.
One example of a curriculum for elementary-age children is here and another for older students is here if students need help with ideas on how to approach their chosen audience.
Image by Matthew T Rader . Used with Permission.
These assignments were written by Jennifer Woodruff Tait, web editor at the Theology of Work Project and an Episcopal priest. They were originally published in the Oikonomia Network Newsletter.
Unless otherwise noted, the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, Copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.
