We recently completed a five-week Career Path Planning Workshop with 62 staff from 24 different countries registered. In addition to helping staff walk through the Career Path Planning process for themselves, our objective was to help others in the process and help create a culture in our movements of seeking the Lord’s continued leading in our lives. For those who missed it, I want to give a brief summary of what we learned in the Career Path Planning Workshop.
The term Career Path Planning is borrowed from the corporate world, but, with our unique position as full-time Christian workers in a missionary organization, our foundational understanding of Career Path Planning is quite a bit different than the secular model. For us, it is not just an intellectual exercise, but a spiritual exercise of listening to God’s leading and walking in humble obedience to Him! It is following in Jesus’ steps, and being sensitive to know and follow God’s wonderful plan for our lives.
We learned how to use a simple Career Pathway Map that can be easily adapted, used, shared, and translated for use in every country. The process consists of three steps:
Know your God-given design, desires, and calling (assessing how God has uniquely made you, called you, and built into your life for His service).
Discern your best contribution as you seek to serve Him, and explore possible ministry options.
- Plan action steps for continued growth and development (both in your current and possible future ministry roles).
We also considered how to help others through the process, and how to develop a Career Path Planning System to help create a national culture of seeking God’s continued leading. We want to be known as a ministry and a people who continually seek our Lord and follow His leading. It was encouraging that most participants shared action points that included helping others (staff, volunteers, disciples, ministry partners, etc.) work through the Career Path Planning Process.
You can find the materials and tools for the Career Path Planning Process at ldhr.org/care/career-pathways/ . If you have any questions, please contact us at LDHR Llama .
Please share how you have used the Career Path Planning Process (successes or difficulties you have experienced implementing it).

Dennis Metcalf is married to Trinidad (Dang), and they have two adult children and three joy-giving grandchildren. He has served in LDHR at the area level (East Asia Area LDHR team leader) and at the global level (Global HR team and now on the VP LDHR team) for more than 20 years.