Gordon T. Smith has no trouble explaining his ideas. When we bumped into each other at a gathering of Canadian evangelical theologians in early June, I soon found myself on the listening end of an articulate discourse on attitudes about work.

Christians, he said, are eager to leave behind the careerism of our society and discover a biblical understanding of vocation. Our readers could benefit from these insights, I thought, and invited him to submit a column proposal.

I didn’t wait long for it to arrive. "One of the most pressing question that Christians face, week in and week out, is how to and act Christianly on matters of vocation, work and career," began Smith. Some of the things he told me in that letter are repeated in the introductory column that begins on these pages in this issue.

What he doesn’t trumpet are some of his qualifications. Smith, who spent several years as academic dean at Regent College, currently serves as president of the Overseas Council Canada (www.octeam.com) and is interim pastor at Sevenoaks Alliance Church in Abbotsford, B.C.

Over the years he has conducted numerous church conferences on the theme of vocation, work and career, including seminars and workshops for individuals within specific occupations (e.g. medical students, business leaders).

Gordon T. Smith is also an author, whose recent titles include Courage and Calling: Embracing Your God Given Potential (InterVarsity Press, 1999), On The Way: A Guide to Christian Spirituality (NavPress, 2001) and The Voice of Jesus: Discernment, Prayer and the Witness of the Spirit (InterVarsity Press, 2003).

"Career and Calling" is slated to rotate along with Carson Pue ("Leading Leaders") and various guest columnists in this slot for the next year.

Engage culture

Another new column will make its debut in the next edition of ChristianWeek. Geoff Ryan is no stranger to us. A year ago he contributed a six-part series on Christian leadership in a "prodigal world." His insights about Christians working with culture fit well within our publishing mandate and we’re pleased to welcome him back.

The new column series will be called "The Iona Diaries," after the Iona community in Scotland that symbolizes the robust Celtic Christianity that gained a solid footing for biblical faith while engaging the culture and prevailing spiritualities of its time.

Now he is keen to look at aspects of both popular and high culture (the fine arts, literature/fiction, ballet, opera, poetry), and to highlight the truth communicated in various expressions, such as a particular work of fiction.

Ryan and his wife Sandra are captains in The Salvation Army. They have worked in remote First Nations communities in Northern B.C., and were members of a six-person team to re-open the work of The Salvation Army in Russia following a 70-year absence. They spent nine years in the country, and oversaw Salvation Army operations for the south of Russia including relief efforts in the war-torn Republic of Chechnya.

Since returning to Canada four years ago, the Ryans have been leading a congregation in the inner-city neighbourhood of Regent Park in Toronto’s downtown eastside.