What kind of boss will you be remembered as being? We all get a "Sentence." When they think of you, how will they finish this sentence: "I used to work at such-and-such company, and my boss was..."

Bob Robinson and David Loughney talk with Dr. Chip Roper. He is the Founder and President of the VOCA Center. The VOCA Center is a faith-based organization that brings God's wisdom to your work through teaching, coaching, and leadership development.

It recently partnered with the Barna Group to conduct a research survey to discover what brings joy and what brings challenges in the contemporary workplace.

Listen to the whole podcast here.

How do we get beyond the competition we often see among different Christian ministries and work together for God’s glory and Kingdom? Churches and nonprofits are all seeking people’s attention, their participation, and especially their funding. But they do so from a scarcity mindset, believing that any funding directed to one organization or church is funding taken away from their own. We all like to say that we work for the same Lord Jesus and for the sake of His kingdom, but in practice, we compete with each other.

Into this fray comes Dr. Angie Ward, professor of leadership and ministry at Denver Seminary. She is a leadership author and teacher with nearly 30 years of experience in church, parachurch, and Christian higher education ministry. Her new book is Beyond Church and Parachurch: From Competition to Missional Extension (InterVarsity Press, 2025).

In our conversation, Angie Ward offers a new blueprint for churches and all other Christian ministries toward a unified future.

In our conversation,

* Dr. Ward provides a comprehensive definition of “church.”

* She explains why it is essential that we see the church in terms of the people of God united to participate in God’s mission in a variety of ways.

* She provides a new paradigm: “Missional Extensions.” This terminology helps us understand how various Christian ministries function and interact.

* She provides practical ideas for ministries to cease competing and to start collaborating.

Scroll down to learn more about Angie Ward.

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with your friends. Your hosts are Dr. Bob Robinson and David Loughney. For further resources on reintegrating all of life with God’s mission, go to re-integrate.org.

Dr. Angie Ward

Angie Ward (PhD, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program and Associate Professor of Leadership and Ministry at Denver Seminary.

In addition to Beyond Church and Parachurch, she is the author of Uncharted Leadership: 20 Case Studies to Help Ministry Leaders Adapt to Uncertainty (Zondervan, 2023) and I Am a Leader: When Women Discover the Joy of Their Calling (NavPress, 2020).

Angie loves running, basketball, humor, and movies. She and her husband live in a college neighborhood in Denver. They have two young adult sons and one very spoiled beagle.

Support independent booksellers! We recommend purchasing these books from Byron and Beth Borger at Hearts & Minds Bookstore. They are eager to serve God’s people with great books. Order online through their secure server or call 717-246-3333. Ask for 20% OFF by mentioning that you heard about these books on the Reintegrate Podcast!

God did not create work to be drudgery, but due to the effects of the Fall and our sinfulness, work can definitely not be what it should be. But that does not mean that work is all bad.

In fact, work is where we often find purpose and joy.

Dr. Chip Roper is the Founder and President of the VOCA Center. The VOCA Center is a faith-based organization that brings God's wisdom to your work through teaching, coaching, and leadership development.

It recently partnered with the Barna Group to conduct a research survey to discover what brings joy and what brings challenges in the contemporary workplace. This “Life@Work 2025 Report” is free to download here.

Our conversation with Chip Roper:

* We discuss practical strategies to increase joy at work for both workers and leaders.

* The study discovered that the majority of U.S. adult workers (7 out of 10) say that they experience joy more than half the time they’re at work.

* What brings us joy at work includes (1) work relationships, (2) our achievements and purpose, and (3) helping others and making a difference.

* Workers who derive their primary satisfaction from helping others are nearly 3 times more likely to experience high levels of joy compared to those motivated primarily by financial rewards.

* Gen Z and Millennial workers seek meaning beyond the paycheck and find joy in helping others in and through their work.

* While relationships with people bring joy at work, what’s ironic is that this is the same category that scored high on what creates challenges at work.

Scroll down to learn more about Chip Roper.

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this podcast, please share it with your friends. Your hosts are Dr. Bob Robinson and David Loughney. For further resources on reintegrating all of life with God’s mission, go to re-integrate.org.

Dr. Chip Roper

Dr. Chip Roper is the Chief Solutions Officer and President of the VOCA Center. He earned a Doctorate of Ministry from Missio Seminary and an Executive Coaching Certification from Columbia University. He coaches business leaders, drawing on his 30-plus years of experience in Profit & Loss leadership.