“Work as Worship”…IBC’s Vocation Initiative

By Dr. Jason Koppen (President) and Joshua Ortiz (Director of Work)

This article is the second in a four-part series on each of IBC’s four initiatives: Expansion, Accreditation, Vocation, and Extension.

“Nothing is work unless you’d rather be doing something else!” My father drummed this slogan into the heads of myself (Jason) and my three sisters. I am truly grateful for the training I received in a strong work ethic. I paid my way through college by spending six summers working at a sawmill, learning to pray, worship, and memorize & meditate on Scripture while moving sawdust or lumber. However, in the last 15 years of living and working among Native peoples I’ve had to wrestle through a few differences between a Western work ethic and a biblical work ethic.

My (Joshua’s) story is very different. I was taught to value work and to “earn my keep,” but it was more so a means to an end. As far as resources were concerned, I learned that after all the bills were paid, I could do whatever I wanted with the rest of my earnings. Also, it did not matter what kind of work I was involved in, just as long as I made money, which then led to me making questionable decisions regarding work and money. After coming to know the Lord, and learning years later that I could worship Him through my work, I was encouraged yet challenged, because I now knew work had meaning and because my work thus far had been subpar and not benefiting the Kingdom and people.

People of all ethnicities and cultures need a biblical perspective on work. Tragically, the reservation system is essentially a welfare state, and many Native Americans are born into a mindset of dependency and entitlement. Additionally, full-time paid positions in Native ministry are rare; therefore, most IBC graduates are bivocational or “tentmaking” in ministry. Thus, the development of a theology of work (TOW) is essential in helping students get and keep a job and develop the skills to bring small business and employment opportunities to their own people.

Of the four initiatives, vocation is the most recent. It was primarily initiated by John Childs, a Pioneers missionary who did community development work among the Tarahumara Indigenous people of Mexico for many years. He moved to Flagstaff in 2010 and helped develop IBC TOW classes and start the entrepreneurial microbusiness, Fifth Wind, in his garage (which moved onto campus in 2016). IBC graduate Joshua Ortiz—who had been working for Fifth Wind almost since its founding—took over as Director of Work in 2018. Joshua is currently working on his master’s degree in Transformational Leadership from Bakke Graduate University.

IBC’s initiative of “Vocation” primarily consists of three foci:
1) Academics—Three TOW classes are offered at IBC: Work Pathways (required for freshmen), Ministry Funding Strategies (required for sophomores), and Business Building Strategies (an elective for upperclassmen). Learn more about these three classes at bit.ly/ibc-tow. 2) Employment guidance—IBC’S commitment to help students get and keep a job has had tremendous success; during the 2022-23 school year 89% of IBC students were employed, whether on campus or off campus. Life Coaches often provide support for students struggling to get a job. 3) Entrepreneurial development through Fifth Wind—This involves learning and engaging with the local market. Through Fifth Wind, students learn how products are funded and made, the importance of knowing the community and making connections, and finally, selling the product and handling the revenue with integrity. Entrepreneurial endeavors call for us to be creative and flexible. Visit IBC’s Fifth Wind website at indianbible.org/fifth-wind-2/. Fifth Wind aims to see students develop the skills necessary to become entrepreneurs and apply these skills to their own ministries. Below is a picture of students who are currently involved in Fifth Wind and growing in their own skill sets. Fifth Wind would not be able to function like it has without their effort and work ethic.

This initiative is a unique expression of IBC’s fifth Core Value of Interdependency and Self-sufficiency (see indianbible.org/corevalues/ for more information). Please continue to pray for us as we help students learn to “work as worship” and to see graduates someday bring business and industry back to their own people in the name of Jesus Christ!