A Call to Mentorship The Christian Working Woman

Presented by Lauren Stibgen



I am going to age myself. My first job was one I secured by applying to an ad in the newspaper. I mailed my resume and cover letter that were printed from my Smith and Corona word processor. So, here I am with almost 30 years of work under my proverbial belt. I say this because it can be so easy for me to forget what it was like to enter the workplace for the first time, aspiring to be in a higher role. And, it can be easy for me to not want to spend the time thinking about generational differences and needs in today’s workforce.



In fact, given the work I do, I often lament that I do not enjoy hiring new college graduates due to the amount of handholding it can take to work with them and the differences in how they view work. It wasn’t until I spent time with some young professionals that I saw how blind I can be. By not taking time to understand what they needed, I was not leading at all in a way that God had called. Jesus is our greatest example. He served people of all ages and vocations. Narrowing my focus was doing what served me and not what served the kingdom. The truth is, we are all experiencing firsts every single day. While someone new in their professional career may be learning what it means to step into the role of managing others, on the opposite end of the spectrum someone else is learning to let go after years of leading a team. Maybe it is letting go due to a career change or even letting go to retire. As a follower of Christ, I am called to see all of them. In the case of addressing the broken rung, I want to shift my focus to early-mid career professional women.



As Christian leaders should care about the younger professionals in our workplace. While some of us may occupy that C-Suite, the pool of upcoming women who can take our spot is dwindling. They are leaving the workplace. While the study itself doesn’t take time to address the why, I can tell you a little of what I have seen.



One of the noted issues women face, according to the McKinsey[1] study, is that of microaggressions. And women of color face microaggressions at an even greater rate than their peers. These experiences are another contributing factor to women leaving the workplace. Microaggression is defined as a statement, action, or incident regarded as an indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. As Christian working women, we need to care about the social issues other women face—especially women of different race and ethnic decent. While I consider my example of microaggression minor, it did occur, and it did impact my promotion. At the time, I was a director. I was asking for that next step up to a vice president spot. My boss at the time stated he didn’t see this being possible with my commitments as a mom—you know, having to be there to get them at school and such. I kid you not. My initial reply was that I was sorry he felt that way, and I then asked for examples of how my work had been interrupted or less than. I also inquired about the gentleman in my working group who coached football and left early three days a week. Well, you guessed it, I received the promotion. However, this is etched in my mind. It was so clear, man: ok. Woman: not ok.



The broken rung statistic from McKinsey suggests that for every 100 men promoted to manager only 87 women were promoted. Men hold up to 60% of managerial positions. Have you been passed over or felt the wind come out of your sails when you didn’t receive a position you wanted? Discouragement—this overwhelming feeling of not being chosen. As a Christian working woman, we even struggle with these feelings. Although, if we are abiding in God’s Word we know there is one who chose us before the foundations of this world—Jesus. Even in the abiding and knowing that our heavenly calling is higher, we can still sit in these feelings. As a Christian woman,