ANCC Impact Men · Course 6 of 7
Faith at Work
Purpose, work, money and resilience through success, uncertainty and change.
Employed, self-employed, unemployed, studying, retired and unpaid caring men. No earnings level or employment status is assumed.
Read at your own pace or ask ANCC about current group arrangements. Meeting dates, venue, access, costs and trained leaders are confirmed separately. You can listen, ask questions or pass. Your private reflections belong to you.
For a paper workbook, use your browser menu to print this page or save it as a PDF. You can also write your responses in a private notebook.
What you will practise
- Separate personal worth from job title, earnings and public success.
- Complete a simple private spending plan and know where qualified debt help belongs.
- Choose an integrity action and create a practical next step for work, learning, caring or retirement.
Your six sessions
- 1. Worth beyond a job title
- 2. Integrity under pressure
- 3. Money without secrecy or shame
- 4. Resilience through work transitions
- 5. Ambition with boundaries
- 6. Purpose on an ordinary Monday
Read each Bible passage in its full context using NIV or another suitable translation. The teaching and exercises below are original ANCC material. The course offers Christian learning and companionship; professional health, safeguarding, financial and legal needs require the appropriate support.
Session 1
Worth beyond a job title
Read Genesis 1:26–28 and Ephesians 2:8–10
Recognise human dignity before achievement and identify meaningful contribution in your present season.
Genesis places human dignity in being made in God’s image. Ephesians describes a life of good works that follows grace. Neither passage makes a man’s worth depend on his income or his ability to impress others. Paid work can be valuable, but it is not the whole measure of a life.
Some men receive recognition through careers; others contribute through care, study, community service or endurance through illness. Unemployment, redundancy, disability and retirement can challenge identity as well as finances. A supportive church should notice these pressures without assuming that the solution is more effort or a more positive attitude.
Ask what is possible in your present circumstances. Purpose may include a responsible job search, care for a relative, learning, treatment or a small contribution to a neighbour. It is also legitimate to receive help. We can honour ambition while refusing to treat exhaustion, wealth or status as signs of spiritual success.
Talk it through
- Where does human dignity begin in Genesis?
- How does grace relate to good works in Ephesians?
- Which kinds of contribution are often overlooked?
- What is a meaningful and realistic contribution in your current season?
A fictional situation
A man who has lost his job avoids church because the first question is always what he does for work. How could a group show interest in his life without making employment his identity?
Practise together or privately
- Map roles beyond paid work: friend, learner, neighbour, carer, citizen and member of a faith community.
- Name one contribution in each relevant role, including receiving support where needed.
- Choose a way to introduce yourself that does not depend on a job title or salary.
In your own workbook or notebook
Roles that matter in my present season
A contribution I can make within my limits
Support I am willing to receive
During the week
Take one small action aligned with your present responsibilities. Speak with someone if job loss or work pressure is affecting your mental health.
Optional prayer
Creator God, help me receive my dignity from you and use my present opportunities faithfully. Amen.
Session 2
Integrity under pressure
Read Daniel 6:1–10 and Colossians 3:22–24
Identify an ethical pressure and prepare a truthful, proportionate response.
Daniel’s colleagues cannot find corruption in his public service. Their opposition exposes the relationship between faithful conduct and costly pressure. Colossians asks believers to work sincerely before God. Read the historical household setting carefully; the passage must not be used to excuse exploitation or remove modern workplace rights.
Pressure can involve dishonest invoices, hidden mistakes, discriminatory jokes, unsafe work or misleading a customer. A responsible response begins by understanding the facts, relevant policies and appropriate reporting channels. Courage may include asking a clarifying question, refusing a dishonest action or seeking confidential professional advice.
Do not promise that integrity will always produce promotion or protect someone from retaliation. Practical wisdom matters. A person facing exploitation, discrimination or unsafe conditions may need union, legal or specialist employment support. The group can help him prepare questions and remain connected while he seeks appropriate advice.
Talk it through
- What do Daniel’s colleagues observe about his conduct?
- What pressures can make small dishonest acts feel normal?
- Which facts and policies need checking before acting?
- How could the group support someone without giving unqualified legal advice?
A fictional situation
A supervisor asks a worker to alter a maintenance record to show that a safety check happened. The worker fears losing his job. What immediate boundary and appropriate source of advice would help?
Practise together or privately
- Choose a fictional workplace dilemma and identify the people affected.
- Separate known facts, assumptions, policy requirements and advice needed.
- Practise a clear response such as, “I cannot record a check that did not happen. Let us ask the responsible person how to correct this.”
In your own workbook or notebook
An integrity pressure I want to prepare for
A truthful response within my role
The appropriate advice or reporting route
During the week
Review one relevant workplace or volunteer policy. If a live issue is serious, seek qualified advice rather than relying on the course discussion.
Optional prayer
God, give me courage to act truthfully and wisdom to seek the right support. Amen.
Session 3
Money without secrecy or shame
Read Luke 14:28–30 and Proverbs 21:5
Create a simple private spending plan and distinguish budgeting education from debt advice.
Jesus’ building illustration appears within teaching about the cost of discipleship. It is not a promise of financial success, but it recognises the importance of considering a commitment carefully. Proverbs commends thoughtful planning. Together these texts can prompt a practical conversation about resources without turning money into a measure of worth.
A basic spending plan lists reliable income, essential commitments, other spending and the difference between them. Use realistic figures, including irregular bills and variable income. If essential costs exceed income, the answer may require benefits advice, debt help or other specialist support rather than a more disciplined attitude.
Money discussions should protect privacy. Nobody shares account details, debt totals or bank logins in the group. Volunteers do not recommend investments, credit products or which debts a person should stop paying. A qualified debt adviser can consider an individual situation. ANCC can offer companionship and help someone reach appropriate support.
Talk it through
- What is the wider context of Jesus’ illustration?
- What does careful planning make visible?
- Why might a deficit require more than reduced spending?
- Which money questions belong with a qualified adviser?
A fictional situation
A fictional household receives £1,900 a month and has essential costs of £2,050 before irregular bills. A participant says the solution is simply to give more money at church. What would a responsible response include?
Practise together or privately
- Using fictional or private figures, list reliable monthly income and essential costs.
- Add irregular costs by estimating a monthly allowance. Subtract total costs from income and name the result without judgement.
- If there is a shortfall, write “seek qualified help” as an action. Do not invent a borrowing solution or an order of debt payments.
In your own workbook or notebook
My private income and spending picture or fictional practice
A cost or uncertainty I need to understand
The qualified help I may need
During the week
Complete the private plan or use a CAP money coaching resource. If debt is causing distress, seek qualified debt advice and mental health support where needed.
Optional prayer
God, help me face money honestly, seek wise help and treat others without judgement. Amen.
Session 4
Resilience through work transitions
Read 1 Thessalonians 4:9–12 and Psalm 90:12–17
Plan a manageable next step through job search, study, retirement or changing capacity.
Paul’s encouragement to live responsibly and work with care sits within a call to love one another. Psalm 90 recognises the limits of time and asks God to establish human work. These passages invite wise use of our circumstances; they should not become accusations against people unable to work or facing barriers beyond their control.
Transitions can unsettle routine, confidence and relationships. Begin with an honest view of available time, health, caring responsibilities, skills and practical barriers. Then choose a next step that is small enough to take: update one section of a CV, ask about training, arrange advice, or plan a meaningful pattern after retirement.
Support can be concrete. A friend might rehearse an interview, help locate a recognised advice service or introduce a contact with permission. Do not guarantee employment or pressure someone to accept unsafe or exploitative work. Mental health and practical needs may require attention alongside a career plan.
Talk it through
- How does Paul connect responsibility with love?
- What does Psalm 90 recognise about human limits?
- Which barrier needs practical help rather than encouragement alone?
- What step is realistic during the next week?
A fictional situation
An experienced man is made redundant and feels embarrassed about learning new digital skills. Another participant has caring duties that limit his hours. Design a different next step for each.
Practise together or privately
- Create a skills inventory from paid work, care, volunteering, study and life experience.
- Choose one present objective and list a barrier, a support person and an action.
- If useful, practise a two-minute account of your experience or a request for information.
In your own workbook or notebook
Skills and experience I can recognise
A realistic next objective
An action and source of practical support
During the week
Take the action and note what you learn. Consider a CAP job club or another suitable local service if it matches your circumstances.
Optional prayer
Lord, guide my next step and help me recognise both opportunity and limitation. Amen.
Session 5
Ambition with boundaries
Read Mark 8:34–37 and 1 Timothy 6:6–10
Examine the costs of ambition and choose boundaries that protect integrity and relationships.
Jesus asks what is gained if a person obtains the world and loses his life. Paul warns about the desire to become rich and describes contentment. These passages do not require contempt for skilled work or enterprise. They challenge the belief that accumulation can provide ultimate security and identity.
Ambition needs an honest account of its cost. Consider health, family responsibilities, staff wellbeing, integrity and time for rest. Success can be celebrated while asking who carries the hidden burden. A man may need to reduce a commitment, decline a dishonest opportunity or share responsibility.
Contentment is not passive acceptance of injustice or poverty. It can support purposeful effort without making personal worth depend on the result. Generosity should be affordable and freely chosen. No leader should use spiritual language to pressure a participant into a donation, investment, business arrangement or unpaid labour.
Talk it through
- What question does Jesus put to our definition of success?
- What warning does Paul give about the desire for riches?
- Who may be carrying a cost that you do not see?
- What boundary would help ambition remain responsible?
A fictional situation
A business owner is praised for growth while staff work unsafe hours and family commitments repeatedly disappear. He says the sacrifice proves his vision. How should success be assessed more honestly?
Practise together or privately
- List one goal and the resources it requires: time, money, health and other people’s effort.
- Ask who has agreed to each cost and who may not feel free to object.
- Choose a boundary and a review that includes the people affected, where safe and appropriate.
In your own workbook or notebook
A goal I want to pursue responsibly
A cost or boundary I need to face
A practical adjustment I will make
During the week
Practise the boundary for one week. Review its effect without assuming that busier or richer means more faithful.
Optional prayer
God, order my ambitions so that my work honours you and treats people fairly. Amen.
Session 6
Purpose on an ordinary Monday
Read Colossians 3:12–17 and Titus 3:14
Connect purpose with useful conduct and complete a realistic work and money plan.
Colossians describes a community clothed with compassion, patience, forgiveness and love. Titus calls for learning to do good and meet urgent needs. Purpose becomes visible through conduct and practical usefulness. It can be expressed in paid employment, care, study, retirement and the way we receive support.
Review the course with attention to what has actually changed. Have you faced a financial fact, asked for help, prepared an ethical response or taken a useful step in a transition? Small actions matter because they can continue. Avoid a plan that depends on a dramatic improvement in circumstances.
Write a thirty-day commitment with one practical task, one source of support and one boundary. Include how you will review the result. If a need exceeds the group’s competence, connect to a qualified service. Mutual encouragement is valuable, but it should never become an informal lending scheme, a job guarantee or unregulated advice.
Talk it through
- What ordinary qualities does Colossians describe?
- How does Titus connect learning with useful action?
- Which change in your conduct or planning can you identify?
- What help is needed for the next month?
A fictional situation
A man leaves the course with three competing goals: clear debt, start a business and care for a parent. He cannot do everything immediately. Help him choose an order based on qualified advice, responsibilities and capacity.
Practise together or privately
- Complete a thirty-day purpose and money plan with one priority rather than a long list.
- Name the professional or practical help required and check whether a person has agreed to support you.
- Choose an integrity commitment and a boundary that protect other people as well as yourself.
In your own workbook or notebook
My priority and first action
The support and advice I will use
My integrity boundary and review date
During the week
Take the first action. Review the plan after thirty days and adapt it to what you have learned.
Optional prayer
Lord, make my ordinary work and decisions useful, honest and compassionate. Amen.
Your next thirty days
Build a thirty-day purpose and money plan with one practical action, one support request and one integrity commitment. This is education, not individual financial advice.
Choose one priority, a first action and a review date. Agree any support with the person involved, respect boundaries and adjust the plan to your circumstances.
Activities to explore
- A skills exchange or CV workshop with experienced volunteers.
- An affordable shared cooking or practical repair session.
- An ethical workplace scenario evening and optional referral to CAP services.
These are course activity ideas, not confirmed events. Contact ANCC for current arrangements.
Further learning
Christians Against Poverty church services
LICC Fruitfulness on the Frontline
Christian Vision for Men and Codelife
External resources are optional. Links do not imply partnership, endorsement or accreditation. Use each provider’s materials under its current terms. Resource and support links checked 31 October 2026.
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