During Bible study sessions, members of Oxford Mount Zion Baptist Church in Ruther Glen often talked about how to apply what they were learning to impact the Caroline County community.
They discussed the struggles individuals have in learning how to become upwardly mobile in their jobs, how to manage their finances better and ensure stable mental health.
“It was a cross-generational conversation between Gen-Z, Gen-X and Millennials,” said the Rev. Joy Carter-Minor, OMZBC’s outreach pastor under Bishop Duane Fields Sr. “We talked about what people need to actually be effective in their families and be effective in the community.”
One of the church’s younger members suggested a skills workshop — a day of learning about employment opportunities with new industries in the region, resume writing, branding and other skills necessary to achieve success.
The free event will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Caroline Community Services Center in Milford.
“Oxford, through the bishop’s vision, is trying to take the church beyond the four walls to minister to the whole person,” Minor said. “One of the ways we do that, is we want to address these areas of people’s lives that make them more effective in taking them to the next level, and influencing the culture in which we live.”
There will be workshops dealing with finance and business, as well as technical skills such as a class Minor will teach on Microsoft Excel. There will also be classes on effective interviewing and how to write a government resume.
While classes are taking place, the auditorium will be reserved for motivational speakers on various topics. Company representatives will welcome guests to their tables to learn more about their businesses.
Leidos Holdings, a Fortune 500 company specializing in defense, aviation, information technology and biomedical research with headquarters in Reston, will be on hand.
Minor and Bishop Fields said they are looking forward to the opportunity to make resources available to the community.
“I feel that anything the church does, it should impact the community,” Fields said. “If it just impacts inside our four walls, we are ineffective.”
