As we travel the country and gather stories from all 50 states, rarely do we circle back and gather stories from our home territory of Ft. Myers Florida.  Just recently, The National Christian Foundation in SW FL held a Launch party for Naples/Ft. Myers and we had the opportunity to meet and hear from an amazing ministry in our backyard. Hope 4 kids FW FL.  Jeannie Gawronski is the director and her story is nothing short of miraculous. God placed her in this work with a calling to help Foster Families and kids in the foster system in ways that can only be described as Christian Charity transforming the community.

Jeannie Gawronski grew up in a Christian home but it wasn’t until the night she held her first born child in her arms that she told God she wanted to “do this right” and have Him guide her life.  And guiding it He is.  She is the director at Hope4Kids in SW Florida, where there are currently over 2200 kids in foster care in the 5 county area. 

Jeannie wasn’t sure how God would use her faith in her role at Hope4Kids but very early on they had a client in crisis.  All Jeannie could think to ask her was “Where is God in this for you?”  The client didn’t know but said she figured that Jeannie and her staff must know and they would help her.  She was hooked and from then on her goal has been to make sure that people don’t get a can of corn and be heading to hell, but rather make sure they know they are loved and about the love of Jesus.  This is Jeannie’s work and she cares about the souls of those she works with and helps.  Jeannie sees her workplace as her mission field and wants to encourage others to do the same.

Hope4Kids has a thrift store to sell your unused items to raise money to get this items that the foster families need.  You can look for the foster family support groups in your own area to find an organization similar to Hope4Kids.  Every city has a need for foster families, guardian ad litem, or funding.  If you have questions you can reach Jeannie at 239-789-1145 and locally you can shop or donate at the Hope Co Resale Store. https://www.facebook.com/Hopeswflthriftstore

Featured Guests: Jeannie Gawronski

Ministry/Workplace: Hope 4 Kids

YouTube Video Interview

Millions of Christ followers are asking today, how can I make an impact on my workplace with my faith…and the answer is simple. Complex but simple.  Prayer. Prayer is simply the most powerful, impactful, eventful, insightful and beautiful thing you can do to transform your workplace with your faith…but it doesn’t work like you think it does. When you start to pray for your workplace and those you work alongside at work…who does the changing. God does…but He does it in you first.  I found out first hand that when I started praying for those I worked alongside, they didn’t immediately change but I changed and it impacted them over time. Well Today we head out to Colorado Springs to hear the story of the president of B & M Construction who considers herself the Chief Prayer Officer of the company, Barbara Myrick.

Barbara had a praying grandma that took her to church and helped start her journey with Jesus.  As the Chief Prayer Officer and President of B & M Construction she has the opportunity to bring peace to her workplace and the employees.  The company has a second chance program and apprentice program and gives great opportunity for those that need work and skills.  Though these programs can be messy – that is part of living by faith in your work. 

When Barbara realized that her employees are broken from worldy worries and consumed by things like anger, divorce, and financial strain she started having “rap sessions” to talk to the about it.  She began praying for those that shared and found that peace started to fill the workplace.  It’s ok to struggle and share your struggles with others, and prayer can be the healing balm. 

Barbara told us that it’s important for leaders to share their pains to show that they are real people.  Being transparent can bring the leader closer to reality with the employees.  Though many different elements have brought Barabara to where she is today in leading her company, she recently started attending a local C12 group and has found her place.  When she learned about the group she got all warm and fuzzy and her husband told her she needed accountability.  Barbara has found accountability and so much more through her monthly C12 meetings and her one-on-ones with her leader.  Bottom line:  Prayer can be a powerful tool in the workplace and Barbara hopes to inspire others with this message.

Featured Guests: Barbara Myrick

Ministry/Workplace: B & M Construction

YouTube Video Interview

A little over 10 years ago I had the privilege of joining a networking group in Largo Florida.  This networking group impacted my life and many of the group are still my friends today. And this wasn’t a Christ centered group, but it was full of incredible Christian’s living out their faith in their work. Today, the world has changed and we are introducing you today to the premier Christian Networking Group launching countrywide at www.G7Networking.com. Bob Willbanks and his team at Ambassadors for Business have created the perfect model for networking and faith for maximum kingdom impact in the marketplace. There will be opportunities around the country for you to launch a G7 Networking group building kingdom collaboration within your business community. Bob Willbanks is here to roll this out to the iWork4Him Audience.

Bob Willbanks, founder of Ambassadors for Business and now the G7 Networking Groups was looking for something more in connecting his faith and his work.  He thought of himself as “miserably saved” and knew that God wanted more from his daily life.  God gave him the word “equipping” and that became an acronym for the Ambassadors commitment for members of Ambassadors for Business. 

The equipping elements are: 

Engage, Questions, Understanding, Identity, Principles, Purpose, Integrate, Network, and Grow. 

God birthed through him a place to provide encouragement, meet others in business, pray, read scripture, have keynote teaching and networking called Ambassadors for Business.  Now they are launching G7 Networking groups. 

The Seven G’s of G7 Networking:

Gospel: Short devotional

Group: 60 second introductions

Grade: Metrics on how the group is doing

God: Testimony from one of the members

Grow: Informative content that helps you grow

Get: What is your “get”?

Give: Who can you help?

G7 Networking groups can be launched nationwide to fill the need in your local community.  Reach out to Bob to find out more at https://www.g7networking.com/

Featured Guest: Bob Willbanks

Workplace/Ministry: Ambassadors for Business / G7networking

YouTube Video Interview

Every year we start off with ridiculous resolutions that never happen. We want to give you a new years resolution that will be easy to keep and it will change your work life. Stay tuned for the best new year show ever as Martha and I roll out the iWork4Him Nation and the plans for expanding iWork4Him from 1 show to 9 shows/podcasts and Introducing the Awaken Podcast Network. A jam packed show in 15 minutes or less…You’ve tuned in to iWork4Him and we are your hosts Jim and Martha Brangenberg…Hang On…

Featured Guests: Jim & Martha Brangenberg
Ministry/Workplace: iWork4him

YouTube Video Interview

So often we start our year with new years resolutions and promises to ourselves to live a different, more meaningful life. Martha and I do that too. In 2021 we want to be interviewed on lots of platforms to encourage the 55 million Christ Following workplace believers to know their work matters to God. We had an opportunity recently to appear on Kurt and Kate in the Mornings on Moody Radio Florida. Andrew was in as a guest host for Kurt. We had a great conversation…check it out.

Featured Guest: Kurt and Kate in the Mornings

Workplace/Ministry: Moody Radio Florida

Martha and I have travelled all over the country and interviewed thousands of workplace believers living out their faith in their work in their own unique calling. One such person is Chuck Proudfit from Cincinnati Ohio. Chuck felt so compelled about living his faith out at work, while working at Proctor and Gamble that he decided to dedicate the rest of his life to equipping Christ Followers just like you to see God’s purpose for you at work. Chuck started At Work on Purpose in 2003 with the mission of mobilizing the work world for Christ, one irresistibly transformed work life at a time. His ministry has grown to impact much of the greater Cincinnati area and it is to Chuck Proudfit’s credit that the word Biznistry exists and has been repeated hundreds of times on this show.

Check out the Rapid Response Program on their website.

They have developed a Choices Profile to help people make choices on how to bring their faith to work. 

For the Orca Center:

1.     Co-work in a sub-urban environment, close to where people live.

2.    Keep it simple – the KISS principle

3.    Christians lead and interface

He is helping pastors to understand how to have creative outreach for the church.  Be the church where you are working.  Using Luke 10 – example of service as a guide. 

Chuck is a contributor to the iWork4Him Field Manual.

Featured Guest: Chuck Proudfit

Workplace/Ministry: At Work on Purpose - The Orca Center

YouTube Video Interview

Is there ever such a thing as a bad year? Will 2020 go down in history as one we all want to forget? Does God just sometimes get it wrong? 2020 was a year, the beginning of another decade and the 20th anniversary of a new century but was it all bad? Notably it was horrible for those who have been sick from Covid or impacted by joblessness by industries being shut down from governments but when God gives us lemons, do we make lemonade or just chuck it at someone. This year most of us just wanted to chuck it at someone. Martha and I end this year with the final iWork4Him podcast of the year celebrating, contemplating and casting a vision for 2021 – a year of promise.

Featured Guest: Jim & Martha Brangenberg

Workplace/Ministry: iWork4Him

YouTube Video Interview

It’s no secret, there are millions of Christ Followers out there in the workforce and hundreds of thousands are running, leading or owning businesses, so where do they go to get discipled on how to live out their faith at work? Truth At Work was founded to disciple Christian Businesses owners and leaders. You can check them out online at www.TruthatWork.org. A few years back, Truth at work was looking for a great leader to launch their discipleship ministry in Tampa Bay and Mark Graham responded to the call. Mark is here with several of his group members to share what God is doing in their businesses as they learn to connect their faith to every aspect of their company.

Part 2 of a 2 part Interview

Featured Guest: Mark Graham

Workplace/Ministry: Truth At Work

Guests: Part 2

Doug Levi  - Strategic Insurance and Insurance Side Hustling
Dick Walker  - Primerica 

YouTube Video Interview

There are over 150 million people in the workforce today, 36% of them identifying themselves as born again believers which means there are 55 million believers at work. If research is accurate 3.3 million believers now connect their faith and their work. That leaves almost 52 Million believers who have yet to be activated in all areas of their faith life. 52 million Jesus followers who think like I did that in order to be in ministry they need to quit their job and work for a church or a Christian nonprofit ministry. How can we activate these fully funded missionaries? How can we take advantage of the church being extricated from its buildings because of Coronavirus? How can we, the church, bring healing to our broken land? Tonight we will tell you a bit of our story, a bit of the lay of the land in the faith and work movement and finally some practical tactical, factual and biblical perspectives on how to activate the 55 million Christ Followers who go to work every day and the 30 million of them who are retired. There might be some things we say tonight that offend your traditions and challenge your thinking but know this, our hearts are bound in Jesus. Forgive our boldness if it helps mobilize a nation of workplace believers to recognize the call on their lives so they can say iWork4Him.

Featured Guest: Jim & Martha Brangenberg

Workplace/Ministry: iWork4Him

YouTube Video Interview

It’s no secret, there are millions of Christ Followers out there in the workforce and hundreds of thousands are running, leading or owning businesses, so where do they go to get discipled on how to live out their faith at work? Truth At Work was founded to disciple Christian Businesses owners and leaders. You can check them out online at www.TruthatWork.org. A few years back, Truth at work was looking for a great leader to launch their discipleship ministry in Tampa Bay and Mark Graham responded to the call. Mark is here with several of his group members to share what God is doing in their businesses as they learn to connect their faith to every aspect of their company.

Part 1 of a 2 part Interview

Featured Guest: Mark Graham

Workplace/Ministry: Truth At Work

Guests: Part 1
Greg Heckroth - FloridaSurgery Consultants
Jim Howard - Trinity Security Allies

YouTube Video Interview