Global Day of Faith at Work AFC Live Seminar
《Faith & Work:
From Disconnection to Integration》
PANELISTS
Denise Lee Yohn, Jia Jiang, Tracy Xia, Tsun-En Lu
MAY 1, THURSDAY
3-4PM PDT｜5-7PM CDT｜6-7PM EDT
ENGLISH ONLY
About GDFW
Global Day of Faith at Work (GDFW) is a worldwide event held annually on May 1st, which is also observed as International Labor Day. The first GDFW, on Thursday, May 1st, 2025, also coincides with the National Day of Prayer in the United States.
The primary purpose of the GDFW is to pray together for effective workplace ministry in every workplace, community, and nation. The event will feature a global prayer celebration from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM in each time zone, or at alternate convenient times on May 1.
The theme, Work as Worship, will emphasize how everyday tasks and workplace roles are an opportunity to fulfill the Great Commission. Participating businesses, churches, ministries, seminaries, and organizations are encouraged to hold local services to commission their members, equipping them to be missional disciples in their workplace.
The GDFW aims to bring together the global Christian community to celebrate, commission, and integrate faith into the workplace, encouraging believers to live out their calling in and through the workplace.
Notably, GDFW was announced at the Fourth Lausanne Congress in Seoul-Incheon on September 26, 2024, sponsored by the Lausanne Workplace Network and the World Evangelical Alliance.
Speakers
The Leading Expert on Brand Leadership in the United States/ Author/ Co-founder of Faith, Work, Technology
Denise Lee Yohn shares with us from her experience as Co-Founder of the Bay Area Center for Faith, Work & Tech, which is on a mission to cultivate faith and work integration in the Bay Area to transform people who are transforming the world. Denise is also a corporate keynote speaker, consultant, and writer on brand leadership. Whether as a non-profit leader or in the business world, Denise helps businesspeople faithfully steward their professional vocations.
Bay Area Entrepreneur/ Consultant/ Speaker/ Bestselling Author of Rejection Therapy
Jia Jiang is the author of the book Rejection Proof, the CEO of Rejection Therapy and a renowned motivational speaker. His work has empowered millions of people around the world to build resilience and conquer rejection fear. Jia's been a living testimony of connecting faith and work. He's the co-founder of Bay Area Tupo Young Professional Fellowship, and frequent speaker at faith-based conferences.
COO of Rejection Therapy
Tracy Xia is an entrepreneur by day, and a community builder by night. She’s the President of Rejection Therapy, and the founder of Bay Area Tupo Young Professional Fellowship, and ASPIRE Woman Circle. She's also on the leadership team for Trailhead Fellowship dedicated to serving spiritually fatigued Christians through mountains and nature. She loves bringing people together to share life stories, and grow together to be the salt and light at work and in life.
Seasoned Youth Counselor/ New Testament PhD/ Experiential Activity Designer
Tsun-En Lu is the Director of Discipleship Resource Center of Ambassadors for Christ, Inc. His passion is to equip and mobilize the Chinese churches to reach the young intellectuals and bridge the intergenerational gap. He is the organizer of this seminar and the CATCH Soft Skills Conference on May 9-11, 2025 in Rockville, Maryland.
Summary
Our Work In God’s Big Story: From Creation to Renewal
What does our daily work have to do with our faith in Jesus? In this talk, Denise explored the deep meaning of work through the lens of the God’s big story—Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Renewal. Whether you love your job, struggle through it, or aren’t currently employed, God invites you into a purpose far bigger than productivity or paycheck. Work is not just a means to an end, but a way God brings beauty, justice, and healing into the world.
Working for the Kingdom: How God Uses Our Jobs to Renew the World
Our work is missional—not only through evangelism, but by meeting people’s spiritual, physical, and material needs with compassion and excellence. Drawing from Scripture and real-life experience, Denise’s message helps you see how your work matters in God's Kingdom. Learn how to integrate faith and work with authenticity, live with purpose and peace, and steward your influence to help renew culture. Your work is more significant than you think—because it’s part of how God is making all things new.
Balancing Faith and Work Challenges
Jia discussed the challenges of balancing faith and work, particularly in a secular environment. He shared his experiences as a motivational speaker and his observations of false teachings in his industry. Jia emphasized the importance of respecting and making faith attractive to non-believers, using the principles of Tim Keller. He highlighted the need to make faith believable by focusing on its truth and relevance to people's lives.
Artist Mindset in Work and Faith
Jia discussed the importance of having an “artist mindset” in one's work, emphasizing the need to create with the best of one's ability and not be limited by the fear of mediocrity or perfectionism. Jia shared his personal experiences of applying this mindset in her work, including his talks and interactions with others. He also highlighted the significance of giving glory to God and bringing God to people's problems, using examples from his own life and the lives of others. The goal is to make work and faith attractive and to help others through these principles.
Integrating Faith Into Workplace Performance
In the meeting, Jia shared a personal story about saving a marriage through faith in God. He emphasized the importance of making God's word believable in the workplace. Jia also encouraged the team to focus on their work and not worry about the results. Later, Tsun-En raised a question about balancing faith with performance expectations in the workplace. Denise responded by suggesting that faith and performance should not be seen as opposing each other, but rather as complementary.
Faith and Resilience in Uncertainty
The team discussed the importance of faith and resilience in the face of uncertainty and change. They emphasized the need to focus on what is eternal and constant, rather than worrying about uncontrollable factors. They also highlighted the importance of providing value and adapting to change. The team agreed that their faith in God should be their source of reassurance and strength, and that they should trust in His plan and control. They also discussed the need to find their strengths and work on them. The team is preparing for a conference on soft skills and dealing with uncertainties in the workplace.