Impacting Lives, Transforming Generations

by Becky Ellison, Texas CWJC/CMJC Consultant on February 22, 2017 in Blog

In 1994, Dellanna O'Brien, Executive Director of WMU, SBC was riding with a directors of missions (DOM) on the way to the airport after an associational meeting. He was telling his story of being a young boy growing up poor in the very area he was called to served. His widowed mother moved the family to town to secure a job just a block away from the Baptist church that would become his second family.  When he graduated from high school, one woman from the church asked him what he planned to do. His quick response was, “Work for a year to save money for college.” Church members stepped up and helped pay for four years of college. The DOM said, “Those church folks made the difference in my life.” Dellanna thought, “Where were my pen and paper?” This was the answer she was seeking to assist women out of the poverty cycle- a stabilizing force, financial and human resources, hope, and personal initiative. 

 It is no coincidence that Woman’s Missionary Union was the driving force in forming a task force to fashion a ministry named Christian Women’s Job Corps (CWJC) that would reach out to women trapped in a cycle of poverty. The national task force created these program objectives:  help women increase their self-respect, seek self-sufficiency, and find hope. To reach these CWJC programs needed eight key elements which mirrored the thoughts of Dellanna O’Brien in her conversation with the DOM years before.

KEY ELEMENTS

  • Certification- Each site has a trained and certified site coordinator.
  • Advisory council – The council serves as a resource and sounding board for the site director.
  • Needs Assessment- This identifies the needs of the community and participants.
  • Networking-  This is crucial in obtaining resources and building partnerships.
  • Bible Study- This becomes an integral part in relationships with CWJC participants.
  • Mentoring-  Mentors offer personal, functional, and spiritual guidance, which serve as a stabilizing force.
  • Evaluation- Assessing all aspects of the program keeps CWJC on track and effective. 
  • Covenants- These identifies the responsibilities in the relationships within a CWJC site. 


The key elements have been the bedrock foundation of CWJC programs for the past twenty years. In 2017 the ministry will celebrate its 20th Anniversary. Has God called you to start or serve in a CWJC ministry? Help the legacy continue. For more information, visit www.wmutx.org/cwjc-cmjc.    

Want to start a CWJC in your community? Sign up today for National Certification Training 

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