 Hi, my name is Christy Bowen, EMS Student Development and Project Specialist. I have the privilege of sharing with you today EMS's three guiding principles, and I'm excited to share these with you. Our hope is that every student who gets a job through EMS will live out these principles in the workplace. These principles are helpful in all areas of life, but since EMS focuses on employment, I'm going to focus on how these principles influence our work. EMS's three guiding principles are work as worship, excellence, and growth. Developing out these principles in the workplace is important, because if you get your job through EMS, you will be representing EMS, and we know that if you take these principles to heart, you will serve your employer well. And of course, we want our employers to keep coming back to us to hire other students. But more importantly, you will be representing Christ. Your supervisor and co-workers will likely know that you go to Colorado Christian University, and since you are a Christian, they may be watching you a little more closely. They may even have a negative bias towards Christians, and would never go to church. But you have the opportunity to be a light to them in the workplace. So the first principle is work as worship. As Christians, we have the opportunity to worship God in everything we do, all week long, not just in church or during chapel. Since EMS's focus, though, is on jobs, this guiding principle focuses on worshiping God in and through our work. So whether we are working for a secular or a Christian organization, we still have the opportunity to worship God at work. Work was created by God before the fall, so it is good and intended for His glory. Work is not a curse, but rather a blessing. By focusing on worshiping God, we intentionally express reverence and adoration for our God. This is especially true when we face challenges in the workplace. By being attended to the Holy Spirit and expressing the fruit of the Spirit, we can be used by God to bring good into what might otherwise be a negative situation. Jesus tells us in Matthew 5, 16, to let your light shine before others so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. It is through work that we serve God and reflect His attributes to the marketplace in such a way that causes others to look to God. As it states in 1 Corinthians 10, 31, so whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. An example of worshiping God in our work may be when we think that no one is watching or seeing the work that we are doing. But we give it at our all anyway because we know that it is His honor that is at stake. With a worshipful heart focused on Him and not our fleshly desires, we complete the task at hand. An example of excellence on the job would be when a coworker wants to rush through closing tasks to get off as quickly as possible and not do the job according to the employer's instructions. But because of our dedication to excellence, we make sure that the tasks are completed according to the employer's standards. And that is at a very minimum. Hopefully we even surpass the employer's expectations. So facing a situation at work where godly standards differ from those of the world certainly gives us opportunities for growth. And this leads us to our third guiding principle, which is growth. Growth involves development. Through our work, we can grow and develop our skills, abilities, and character. As disciples of Christ, our goal is to become more and more like Him. Every person has areas of weaknesses and strengths that need to be stretched and approved upon to be better equipped to serve Him. Well here in this life as well as for all eternity. We are all growing and becoming more like Christ. Even at my age, I find that God continues to use work to mold me and shape me into the person He desires for me to be. None of us will be done growing until we meet Jesus face to face. Work gives us opportunities for growth that being in the classroom or spending time with our families and friends doesn't. Even in your interactions with EMS staff, you have opportunities for growth because of the coaching that we do. For example, you will likely receive coaching when we go through your resume with you. We may have pointers that are specific to your resume, but we may also identify gaps in your experiences and give you recommendations on ways to get the experience you need to be more competitive in the marketplace for your career aspirations. We give you constructive feedback because your professional growth is important. When we speak of growth in EMS, our focus is often on developing the skills and abilities to be competitive in the marketplace. But as fellow sojourners here on earth, we also know that your eternal life and your work in the kingdom is of the utmost importance. Our hope is that through this development, you will be better equipped to be more powerfully used by God, both now and for eternity. Also essential to growth is embracing challenges, even failures along the way, because these are the times when God really grows our character so that we become more like His Son. An example of embracing this principle growth in the workplace may occur when you receive what might be perceived as critical feedback from a supervisor. Instead of taking it personally and being tempted to defend yourself or maybe even quit, think about how God may be using this for your good to grow you and shape you so that you are better equipped for the work He has for you. Remember, He is faithful and uses all things for good for those who love Him. So that's a brief overview of EMS's three guiding principles. These principles are biblically based as evidenced by Romans 12, 1 through 2. Because of all that Christ has done for us, we worship the Lord by sacrificially serving Him in all we do, which includes in our work. We do not perform our work according to the world standards, but rather have a standard of excellence that aligns with God's will. We embrace our workplace opportunities for growth, knowing that God is using these experiences to transform us as we become more and more like Christ. Thanks for watching. We look forward to walking with you as you navigate employment and are confident that these three guiding principles, work as worship, excellence, and growth, will help you discern the Lord's ways in the workplace and to represent Him well in your work.