The Best Christian Places To Work

The Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI) announced the 33 Certified Best Christian Workplaces in the US for 2008 at the Christian Leadership Alliance (CLA) conference.

Parachurch & Mission:
- Apartment Life - Hurst, TX
- Coalition for Christian Outreach - Pittsburg, PA
- Crown Financial Ministries - Gainesville, GA
- EQUIP - Duluth, GA
- Joni and Friends - Agoura Hills, CA
- MOPS International - Denver, CO
- New Mission Systems Int. - For Myers, FL
- Open Doors with Brother Andrew - Santa Ana, CA
- Tacoma Rescue Mission - Tacoma, WA
Christian Schools:
- Bellevue Christian School - Bellevue, WA
- Christian Heritage Academy - Northfield, IL
- Indian Rocks Christian School - Largo, FL
- Lenawee Christian School - Adrian, MI
- Stoneybrooke Christian School - Ladera Ranch, CA
- Wheaton Academy - West Chicago, IL
Higher Education:
- Evangel University - Springfield, MO
- Huntington University - Huntington, IN
- The Master's College - Santa Clarita, CA
- The Master's Seminary - Santa Clarita, CA
- Olivet Nazarene University - Bourbonnas, IL
- Phoenix Seminary - Phoenix, AZ
Publishing:
- Harvest House Publishers - Eugene, OR
- Howard Books - West Monroe, LA
- Urban Ministries, Inc. - Calumet City, IL
- INJOY Stewardship Services - Duluth, GA
Service and Product:
- Alliance Defense Fund - Scottsdale, AZ
- DeMoss Group, Inc. - Duluth, GA
- Envoy Financial - Colorado Springs, CO
- Logos Research Systems Inc. - Bellingham, WA
- Samaritan Ministries Int. - Peoria, IL
Churches:
- Crossroads Community - Cincinnati, OH
- Southland Christian Church - Lexington, KY

The survey, administered by the Best Christian Workplaces Institute (BCWI), involved more than 7,834 employees in 67 organizations across the US to identify great workplaces with a Christian mission and/or values.

Based on the survey, people love to work for the Best Christian Workplaces for two reasons: the cause and the culture. As one staff member said, "I get to use my skills to help thousands of the poorest children in the world ... and work at a place where people care about me." "This is a good example of why people are measurably more engaged and fulfilled in their jobs working for these Christian organizations," says Al Lopus, President of BCWI.

The Best Christian Workplaces Institute has surveyed more than 65,000 employees across North America in the past six years. BCWI is a research based organizational and human resources consulting firm based on Mercer Island, Washington.

"With the tight labor market, organizations are more concerned than ever about finding and keeping their talent. Having high levels of employee engagement not only leads to superior results but is like a magnet for attracting loyal staff," says Lopus. For more information about the survey log on to http://www.bcwinstitute.com/ or contact Al Lopus, (206) 230-8111 or alopus@bcwinstitute.com.

Best Christian Workplaces Institute's purpose is to serve faith-based organizations by creating processes of discovery, facilitating organizational effectiveness and encouraging practices that build healthy workplaces.

[Source: Christian Newswire]

Are You Burned Out?

According to a London Daily Mail poll, more than half of those reading this right now are completely burned out on the job. How can you tell if you're burned out? If you have lost that satisfied feeling at work and don't even revel in your own job accomplishments, there might be a problem. Are your coworkers asking if everything is okay with you? Have they noticed you acting depressed or even moody on the job? Have you been snapping at everyone?

Here's a telltale sign of work burnout: the minute you return from a vacation, the joy, happiness, and relaxation you felt are instantly gone, and you can't even manage to come back from lunch on time.

Another sign: procrastination is your new middle name.

Dr. Alan Shelton, author of Transforming Burnout, studies worker burnout. He notes that you shouldn't feel alone if you're feeling this particular burn. Some three-quarters of all workers are hit with this feeling from time to time. According to Dr. Shelton, vacations, days off, new hours and outside interests don't always help. Professional counselors can help, especially if you're a workaholic who is stressed out by a desire for everything to be perfect all of the time.

The important thing is to find balance between work and other pursuits. Then work isn't the only focus. Dr. Shelton also suggests the following:

• Get a physical to rule out more serious health problems.
• Take care of the spiritual side of life. It will give you focus. Meditation and prayer can help with burnout because they take the focus off work. Make relaxation a priority in your life.
• Remind yourself that each morning is a new day to be appreciated. On the way to work find two or three things that make you happy, even if it's just a beautiful forest preserve on the side of the road or watching your kids.
• Exercise helps beat job burnout.
• Sleep helps beat job burnout.

[Research by John Tesh]