Published: Sunday, August 30, 2009

By BONNIE CAPRARA
Special to The Oakland Press

Hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan are praying for a job, and some of them, like Rick Carroll of Howell, are turning to churches.

You have to make God No. 1 in your job search, said Carroll, an inventory control stockroom manager whos been laid off since November 2008. You have to have patience and persistence in your job search. It will be on his time.

The Highland Park Baptist Church in Southfield is one of several churches in Oakland County that have ministries that offer job-searching workshops and support groups for their members and others, like Carroll, who are looking for work.

We started our Career Transition Ministry in 2001 after 9/11, said Ron Harness, Highland Park Baptist Church member. A church is like a community hall, and when a person loses a job, people step up to help.

The Highland Park Baptist Church is starting its third career workshop on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Its a 12-week program that covers subjects such as rsum writing, interviewing, negotiation techniques and encourages attendees to network with each other.

A lot of us are sitting at home, and what we try to get them to do is to get them in traction, get them to network, Harness said. The number of jobs available online is very small, and abut 60-70 percent of jobs come through networking.

Carroll and Mary Anne Britton of Brighton attended the Highland Park Baptist Churchs last career workshop over the summer. They continue to meet with three others for support, encouragement and to share job leads and job hunting tips, carrying on the churchs spiritual- and professional-based missions.

The whole beauty is that we connect, connect, connect, said Britton, a supply chain specialist whos been looking for work since October 2008. Were helping out other people and hoping that theyll help others.

The Highland Park Baptist Churchs last workshop, which ended in early August, attracted about 60 attendees. Only 10 percent of the attendees were members of the church.

Such is the case with the Careers in Transition group that meets at the First Congregational Church in Rochester.

Were not trying to convert people; were trying to help people, said Michelle Fisher, Careers in Transition facilitator. About 95 percent of the people we see are not from our church. Some of them come as far as 50 to 60 miles away.

Carroll, who attends the Community Bible Church in Brighton, has also attended Careers in Transition meetings.

Ill go anywhere for help, Carroll said. Every organizations message has been similar, but different. Theres a higher reason for these programs. The people who run these programs arent there because theyre getting paid; theyre there because they want to help. And no one cares if its a Baptist church or a Jewish synagogue.

The Careers in Transition group meets twice a month. Each meeting features a speaker and a networking session.

Fisher said the group has grown since it was started eight years ago.

The need has always been there, Fisher said. Back when we started, wed get about 10 people. Now we get about 40-50 and weve had as many as 80, depending on the speaker.

Church-based career workshops and meetings are offered at little or no cost.