Have you ever noticed that when something is brought to your attention, you seem to notice “that thing” more and more and more? This is actually called the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, or sometimes the red car syndrome. For example, when I’m thinking about purchasing a certain item, I suddenly start noticing that product more, and the relevant competitive products more as well.
Well, following our national Crossroads Career conference on October 23, 2021 with about 60 like-minded teammates, I’ve started to notice recurring themes of:
- How many people come to crossroads in their careers,
- How similar many of their situations are, and
- How many different ways there are to support them.
I’m reminded of Ecclesiastes 1:9 which says, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Not that each person is the same; they’re all brilliantly unique, but the underlying issues they face have many commonalities.
This month, we’ll be highlighting several perspectives on what conference attendees are taking away from the conference, and how it impacts our ability and opportunity to minister even more effectively to others. For those three themes above, what I personally took away from the conference was:
- Crossroads Career differentiators – Many tools and people exist to support people in transition, but very few draft off of Jesus Christ as the center point for their efforts. Crossroads is committed to keeping Christ at the center of our mission and the resources we offer.
- Depth and breadth of ministry – The conference participants reflect years of experience with huge hearts of compassion to serve others.
- Unlimited opportunities – We’ve just scratched the surface with the expanded boundaries that technology, volunteers, and affiliations are giving us to serve others.
Additionally, in the eight days since the conference, God has given me multiple opportunities to serve and address those three themes! From a 50-year-old chief strategy officer, to a 27-year-old business consultant, to an over 60-year-old CEO…all of them seeking answers to similar questions of “What do I want to be when I grow up?” and “What’s next for me?”
The problems facing job-seekers are nothing new, but the solutions could be. We have the opportunity to help them hear God calling, maximize their potential, and get the right job! Thanks for praying and pointing people to this ministry. Lives are being impacted!
Dave Sparkman currently serves as the volunteer Crossroads Career board chair and local ministry leader. He is also the founder and managing director of Spark Your Culture, a corporate culture consulting firm. Prior to that he worked at UnitedHealth Group, a Fortune #5 public company, serving in the role of Chief Culture Officer. His unemployment experience came from the implosion of Arthur Andersen, where he served as the West Region Managing Partner, People.
