More resources
Check out these resources to help equip you for a strategic career that makes disciples:
Core resources
The Fruitful Work Career Guide - We’re building the guide for students as they consider their careers. This book contains our core teaching and advice.
Fruitful Work Career Bot - This is a surprisingly effective tool for helping you come up with ideas, explore the disciple-making impact of roles, and receive tailored, thought-provoking advice.
More resources
Interested in exploring further how to make a huge impact for Jesus with your careers?
Once you’ve read our career guide and tried out our career bot, these resources will help you go deeper. They’re organised around Fruitful Work’s three focus areas: understanding impact, career choice, and radical generosity.
Understanding Impact
Because Jesus’ mission of making disciples is so important, it really matters that we achieve it strategically. A focus on impact and effectiveness is part of what it means to use the talents He’s given us wisely (Matt 25:14-30).
Since careers have so much potential for impact, we believe that how we choose and use them is crucial to us living fruitful lives.
Featured resources
Effective Giving - Fruitful Work - Article
Read our draft article on why and how we should give effectively.
Click here to read it.
Effective Christian Giving - Olly Perkins - Talk
See how strategically giving our money can help bring 1000s to know Jesus.
Click here to watch the 40-minute talk.
Other resources
Impactful Missions - Ed Michaelson - Podcast
Fruitful Work co-founder and mission organisation founder Ed Michaelson shares some thoughts on doing mission effectively.
Listen here to the podcast.
Missions Full Report - Christians for Impact - Report
A report on how we can work and give to most effectively support international missions.
Click here to read this report.
Career Choice
Whilst we acknowledge that many are called otherwise, we believe that three career routes are particularly strategic for making disciples. We encourage you to prayerfully consider these:
1) Gospel patronage: Those fueling gospel work by pursuing high-earning careers and giving sacrificially.
2) Full-Time Ministry: Those preaching, discipling, and leading in paid ministry.
3) Discipling culture: Those shaping culture and institutions to pave the way for the gospel.
Featured resources
Gospel Patrons - John Rinehart - Book
Read three examples from history of those resourcing, partnering, and strategising with those who proclaim the gospel, fuelling transformative works of God.
You can check out or purchase the book here.
On the way to work - Chris Gillies - Book
Biblical insight, practical wisdom, and real-world examples on finding purpose and living faithfully in the workplace, written by an experienced finance director.
You can check out or purchase the book here.
Revolutionary work - William Taylor - Book
A practical, Bible-based vision for how everyday work fits into God’s plan.
You can check out or purchase the book here.
Other resources
Level up your Impact - Fruitful Work - Article
Read our advice on how to increase the disciple-making impact of any career.
Click here to read this article.
Radical Generosity
In our quest for using our careers to make disciples, money is one of the biggest opportunities - and biggest dangers - facing each of us. It has the potential to transform the world; it also has the potential to corrupt our hearts.
A radical and sacrificial generosity is the solution - and it’s something God calls us to now.
Adapted from John Wesley, we suggest that our attitude to money should be “get all you can, keep as little as you can, and give as effectively as you can”.
Featured resources
The Treasure Principle - Randy Alcorn - Book
Free for students, email us at Hello@fruitfulwork.org for a hard copy.
Click here to check out or purchase the book.
Generous Living - Richard Garnett - Talk or Podcast
Listen to the last podcast of Richard’s life on why we should be radically generous, the Kingdom impact generosity has, and why we should seek the most impact.
Click here for a 20-minute talk.
Listen here to the 1-hour podcast (it contains the above talk and more).
Earning to Give - Alan and Katherine Barnhart - Short Film
See how this couple cap their income, allowing them to give over 99% of it away!
Check out this 17-minute short film here.
Every Village in India - Gospel Patrons - Short Film
Learn from Ed, one of our co-founders, about the power of sacrificial generosity.
You can watch it here (it’s 15 minutes).
Other resources
Work Like a Doctor, Live Like a Nurse - Renee Lockey - Video
Find out why Dr Lockey lives off a nurse’s income, giving away 75% of her salary.
Check out the 8-minute video here.
Be a faithful disciple
Lastly, even more important than how we make disciples is how we are faithful disciples. This remains our first priority.
The key to impact is our relationship with Jesus. In his words: “If you abide in me, you will bear much fruit” (John 15:5)
Featured resources
Kingdom Impact and Healthy Spirituality - Ed Michaelson - Talk
See how our relationship with God is fundamental to our impact.
Click here to watch the talk (it’s 1 hour and 17 minutes).
Parable of the Talents
Matthew 25:14-30
Read how Jesus wants us to use our resources well for His Kingdom.
Must read bible passages
Great Commission
Matthew 28:16-20
See how our primary mission is to make disciples, not simply converts, but also how as disciples we should obey all of Jesus’ teaching, including caring for the disadvantaged.
Parable of the Rich Fool
Luke 12:13-34
Read how Jesus wants to ensure that money is not our master.
From those given much, much will be demanded
Luke 12:35-48
There’s a particular burden on those who’ve been given much to have a high impact.
Paul’s Teaching on Generosity
2 Corinthians 8:1-9:15
Learn from the example of the generosity of the Macedonian churches.
The Shrewd Manager
Luke 16:1-15
Here Jesus chastises the “people of the light” for not shrewdly using their wealth to influence eternity.