Tough economic times can bring heightened awareness to those in need within the community. Some people need help finding a job, a place to live or food to eat, and others need help getting their GED or simply someone to talk to. Christian Women’s Job Corps, a ministry of Woman’s Missionary Union, provides an environment in which women work one-on-one with women who need these kinds of help and, more importantly, to share the gospel with them.
Karen has had a hard life. She was dependent on drugs for more than 20 years, she lost custody of her children and she was homeless. Karen needed direction in her life. Karen needed the Lord.
Kathy Brown, a trained mentor through the CWJC of the Midlands of Columbia, met Karen in a shelter several years ago. Brown began a relationship with Karen when she had just become a Christian. She spent time with Karen, she listened as Karen shared her life story, she did Bible studies with Karen, and she celebrated when Karen got back on her feet with a new job.
“Karen was willing to talk about her life, so I knew a level of trust was there,” Brown said.
It would be easy to describe this ministry as one that strictly meets the individuals’ physical and economic needs. But CWJC has much greater purpose, and with an eternal impact. “The foundation of this program is for every participant to agree to work with their mentor and participate in weekly Bible study,” said Beth Lengel, site coordinator of CWJC of the Midlands. “It is exciting to see our ladies growing in their reading of God’s word.”
“The purpose of CWJC is to provide a Christian context in which women in need are equipped for life and employment, and a missions context in which women help women,” according to Sandra Tapp, South Carolina WMU associate executive director.
More than 10 years ago, Lengel and her husband owned a vocational services business and were praying about where God was directing their efforts, when a friend introduced them to CWJC. The Lengels attended a site coordinators training, where they were taught about the ministry, its mission, the mentoring process and how to set up a site.
Lengel said the ministry not only was something they could do, it was “a ministry with our names on it!”
Brown was an employee at the Lengels’ business before she became a CWJC mentor. In fact, Brown’s own life experiences made her a much more effective mentor because she was homeless for a brief amount of time during a painful divorce and experienced custody issues related to her own three children.
“I understand the women I mentor because I’ve been there,” Brown said. “I know where they are coming from.” Brown has since pursued advanced education – she will begin working on her doctorate in January – and is still an active mentor with CWJC of the Midlands.
Early on, Brown would mentor Karen every other day and still likes to call just to check on her. “Karen means so much to me. I treasure the time I’ve spent with her,” Brown said. “Mentoring will change your life – we go into this looking to change their lives, and then we realize our world is changed as well.”
The national and state CWJC trains and equips approved site coordinators to begin local ministries such as CWJC of the Midlands. It takes a minimum of nine months to a year to get a site up and running. During this time, site coordinators recruit and train mentors, network with the community, involve prayer, conduct needs assessments, enlist other volunteers, and locate and identify participants. Bible study and mentoring are keys to the success of the job corps. The mentor’s influence is critical in the success of the journey to self-sufficiency.
Recognizing that there are also needs with homeless men in the community, Lengel’s husband Frank began a Christian Men’s Job Corps of the Midlands site that connects male mentors with male participants, helping them in many of the same ways as the CWJC and includes Bible study.
“Mentoring is a time commitment, and involves calling to check on the participants and talking to the ones who are lonely or struggling. It’s showing God’s love to those who feel unloved,” Beth Lengel said.
For more information on CWJC, contact the South Carolina Woman’s Missionary Union at (803) 765-0030, (800) 723-7242, or visit www.scwmu.org.