Closing the Divide: Why Your Work Matters to God
In this powerful episode of the Intersection: Faith, Work, and Life podcast, host Bob Varney sits down with Dr. Shaun Shorrosh, a seasoned pastor and missionary with a PhD in World Christian Studies. Together, they address one of the most persistent yet invisible challenges facing the global church: the sacred-secular divide.
Dr. Shorrosh’s decades of ministry in the Arab world exposed a troubling pattern—believers who loved God deeply but felt their work, parenting, or daily responsibilities were spiritually insignificant. “They were hitting an invisible wall,” he says. “They felt like ministry only happened on Sundays or inside a church building.”
That realization propelled him to research the sacred-secular divide—a widespread but often unspoken belief that only certain church-related activities are truly spiritual, while the rest of life is “secular” and less important to God.
“Life Is a Peach, Not an Orange”
Using imagery from Mark Greene, Shorrosh challenges the compartmentalization of life. “We’ve viewed life like an orange—with neat slices for church, work, family—but it’s more like a peach. Everything overlaps around the core of Christ.” This vision affirms that all work, whether teaching, accounting, parenting, or engineering, can glorify God when done with a heart aligned to Him.
A Paradigm Shift for Pastors and Laypeople
The divide doesn’t just weigh down believers—it isolates pastors as well. With only 1% of Christians working in traditional religious roles, the remaining 99% often feel sidelined in the mission of God.
“When pastors carry the full weight of ministry, both sides suffer,” says Varney. “It’s like trying to defend a nation with only the generals.” Instead, Ephesians 4:11–12 offers a clear biblical model: pastors are called to equip the saints for works of service—not to do it all themselves.
Redefining Full-Time Ministry
One of the most moving parts of the conversation is Dr. Shorrosh’s confession. “As a pastor, I used to guilt people for not spending more time at church. Now I realize I was wrong. Ministry is not an activity—it’s an identity.” He recounts giving certificates of “full-time ministry” to everyday members of his congregation—from mothers to retirees—affirming that their lives outside the church walls are vital to God’s mission.
Practical Application: Equipping for Daily Impact
Through workshops, small group discussions, and weekend training sessions, Shorrosh and his church have begun reshaping what it means to be a Christian in today’s world. The results have been transformative. “One woman told me, ‘I used to feel guilty missing church to care for my kids. Now I know I was serving God all along.’”
The impact is exponential: a church of 50 believers, each interacting with an average of 70 people a week, has the potential to influence 3,500 lives—when they understand that their entire life is ministry.
Every Day, Every Place: Glorifying God in All Things
From praying grandmothers to honest business owners, Dr. Shorrosh reminds us that wherever we are—bedridden, in boardrooms, or building sandcastles with kids—we can glorify God. “Ministry is not what you do,” he says. “It’s who you are.”
“A church sent to glorify God anytime, anywhere.”
— New motto adopted by Dr. Shorrosh’s congregation
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