The Arkansas Job Market

I have never given any thought to what you wrote. We must be careful about what we say and how we judge others. I have seen the ministries of good pastors destroyed by gossip. Gossip can be true or false but words that destroys others is gossip. Just because someone met another on the internet means nothing nowadays. So many people have married someone they met on the internet. I happen to think that considering what a lady told me that some of the internet sites are rather rigorous in their approach. The lady told me that she had to fill out a lengthy questionnaire. She felt that she got to know him in ways without other things involved before she met him in person.

Because someone meets another certainly does not mean sin is involved. So I cannot judge until I know for sure.

 

With that background you shouldn't have any trouble finding some work in the Ft. Smith area. Van Buren is just across the river and will help expand your search. There are a number of companies local in Ft. Smith and Van Buren that utilize railroads (UP, KCS, Arkansas & Missouri) and would have docks that should have use for forklift ops, shipping, etc.

As far as ministry work, there are numerous ministries in that area of the state and I would imagine you will be able to find a church in the area that you can serve in.

 

Why not do both? The greatest opportunities are where the people are. Evangelism is done outside of the church.

My first thought is to contact someone who hires material handlers such as a lumber yard, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. They need people who are good with the public, drive a forklift, etc. That kind of job will give you incredible opportunities to get to know people both at work and in the community.

In the work I have done for years I have had the opportunity to speak with some people who are very well known and some very poor people. The work I do in done in every nation.

The majority of productive ministry for me has been outside of the church with the struggling. I do not do well among the holy huddle kind of people. I do best among those who want straight talk. I am not afraid to deal with people who see the troubles in churches. I simply tell them that the church is not perfect and God deals with people. There are good and bad churches. I find that is the end of that discussion and it opens the door for discussion with the focus on Christ. People listen to others who are honest with them and who do not try to support an image. The chruch is not about an image but about Christ. All of us know that scripture speaks about kinds of churches and their problems. I tell people that there is a reason why trouble shows up in churches. It is because it is the place where Satan precedes the preacher unless the church is already dead. If it is already dead then he does not need to show up.