3/6/24 - 2032: "Aha" Your Way to Transformation

Jim: You've tuned into iWork4Him, the voice of collaboration for the faith and work movement.  

Martha: And we are your hosts, Jim and Martha Brangenberg, and our mission is to transform the workplace of every Christian into a mission field. What does that look like in your workplace? Let's find out right now.  

Jim: It's been 11 years now since the Lord launched iWork4Him. It wasn't our idea, it was all His. In that time, we've with over 4, 000 people and done over 2, 000 podcasts and highlighted the mission behind over 500 faith and work ministries. 

Most of those ministries are focused on discipling business owners and CEOs. There are a few that are focused on young professionals and people in the rank and file of a large organization who want more from their faith with regard to its impact on their work. And this, today's podcast is dedicated to one of them. 

Introducing Lifework Leadership, Dallas, Texas. We've covered Lifework, different Lifework Leadership cities over the years, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, and maybe even mentioned Orlando, but today a new city is being added to the international listing of Lifework Leadership. That's Dallas, Texas. 

Everything is big in Dallas and everything is even bigger in Texas and Lifework leadership is gonna be huge. John Dembeck - He's been given the mantle by the Lord to set up leadership right there in Dallas, Texas, and he's here to tell you all about it and how you can get involved if you're in Texas. If you're not, maybe you can ask how you can bring it in to your city! 

Lifework leadership is life changing. John Dembeck, welcome to iWork4Him.  

John Dembeck: Thank you. It's great to be here, Jim and Martha. Awesome.  

Martha: We're glad to have you here. And one of the ways we love to start our show, John, is by just having you share a little bit about your Jesus story.  

John Dembeck: Sure. Yeah, I was a raised in a home where we went to a denomination. 

I like to say that I knew all about God, but I didn't know God. I had all the guilt, none of the grace. And yeah, and I was raised in that and I was successful in business and doing real well, but then life started falling apart on me and that's when I had a radical encounter with the Lord in 1994, running a software company. And then shortly after that, I've really felt the call to ministry and went and got my education and my seminary degree and all of that and entered in full time ministry. And as we sit here, I wound up taking that experience and taking that into the business world. 

Jim: So at what point in time did you realize that your work mattered to God, even though you weren't a church pastor anymore?  

John Dembeck: Yeah, and it was a little bit of a transition, Jim. I was actually pastoring when we plumb done ran out of money and then I had to go and get a consulting job just to pay the bills. And then I realized in that time as I was making such a difference in the workplace with my consulting job and making some difference in the church, but realizing that there was a big, huge vacuum of need in the workplace. And there's a lot of pastors doing wonderful work, but what God had called me to do is minister in that workplace. And and it's been a thrilling, thrilling ride.  

Jim: And we're going to hear lots more about it today. John, it's funny how so many of us don't realize how important the day to day work is that God has us doing. Our friends at SaferNet work really hard day and night to keep our workplace safe, our work environment safe, by protecting us from viruses and hackers that might be trying to destroy our good work. Please check them out online safer net. com Safer net. com. A powerful tool that works in any office environment.  

Martha: So John, you were talking about, Jim said a little bit at the beginning, gave it away. Lifeworks leadership is coming to Dallas and you are such a big part of that. How did you get introduced to Lifeworks leadership yourself? 

John Dembeck: I was living in Fort Lauderdale at the time and I was an assistant pastor at one of the Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale campuses. And it was actually a Pastor that was part time, it was actually one of the pastors on staff that had been through the program says, John, you really got to go through this. 

At the time I was working for the Seminole tribe of Florida with my day job. He said, really, to be able to go through there and have an impact in your workplace is something that you ought to consider. So my work actually paid for me to go through that. And so it was in Fort Lauderdale in 2015. And it was life changing. 

Jim: How long did that last? How long does a Lifework leadership class go?  

John Dembeck: It's about nine months, once a month for nine months, a half day class and and a couple of full days in there for a retreat. So yeah, it's a one year semester, so to speak. And then you're inspired and equipped to go out and make a difference in your church and your community and your business. 

Martha: So tell us about that a little bit. What was something that you learned or that you were inspired to do as a result of going through Lifework leadership?  

John Dembeck: I told you about the beginning of my calling when I was out in the workplace and pastoring a church, but it really became refined in that season and going through that class with Stephan Tchividjian and understanding that I was anointed for business and I was anointed to be able to go into the workplace. 

They clarified my calling in that time. And that was over the whole time. But I tell you the one specific moment that stood out at me in that session was going through the compassion session with Tony Campola and going through that session and going to a halfway house and a field trip and visiting that stirred my heart with affection for people and for the needs that were out there in a way I've never really experienced before. And it was Lifework that introduced this, and that with that piece changed my life.  

Jim: What do you mean it changed your life?  

John Dembeck: I mean I recognize I went through that and I said, what kind of needs do you have here? 

And they said we need everything. And ironically, I had just been to a Christian thrift shop and tried to take my books and drop some things off. And they said, we don't take books anymore at the thrift stop. And I went through there and they said, we need everything. We need books, we need magazines, we need this, we need that. But mostly what we need is we need clothing for people to go to interviews. And I went and I, my heart was aching, my heart was breaking. I went home and I realized I got two suits. I wear them once a year. I, took one suit and gave it away. 

I cleaned my closet and that has stuck with me through the rest of my life of just having and using what I need versus accumulating stuff.  

Martha: And I just think about the fact that how many of us don't get those kinds of opportunities intentionally, like what you were just saying, because you went on a field trip. We don't do that. 

Jim: I was thinking she was going to say, I was thinking about that. My closet's so full of clothes. Maybe I should give some away. I thought that's what you were going to say.  

 (laughter)  

Martha: He knows I do that. So he just likes to egg me on.  

But everybody could do that. Everybody that's listening. I love the fact that you said that they were like, we need everything. Let's really talk about, how people, I bet you they need accounting skills, they need help with certain things. I think that so many of us forget that the gifts that God's given us to do in our daily work is for a reason as well. So that's so powerful.  

Jim: I interrupted your question. I apologize.  

 I just had to say something. All right. So when you look at your work life before and after Lifework leadership, when you went in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, somebody has to suffer and you had to go. 

Look at it. Give some comparisons. How did what you learned at Lifework impact your day to day in your job? And you've had multiple jobs since then. How has it impacted that?  

John Dembeck: Yeah, what it has me do is to understand first of all that work is important, that we can work as worship and work is important. 

And so too often sometimes, I don't want to say sometimes, you can go to church and you can think that the most important thing for you to do at your job is to witness and to, to be teaching Bible studies at your job. And those are certainly important elements, but that's not why your employer hired you. 

Your employer hired you to work and it's through working hard and being there and being that kind of witness that you really have an opportunity to share the gospel and be a witness for him. So what God has really showed me as I walk into any place now, my heart breaks for those, particularly Christians, that are there and are feeling less than fulfilled in their work. And wherever I go, that's a burden. I have a burden to be able to encourage people to what I call fully express who God has created them to be. And so when I walk into a place and see somebody that's languishing and they have a faith, what are you doing with it?  

That is a difference between before I went through Lifework and afterwards even though as a believer, I recognize the value of work and faith. Of course, I have a ministry named work and faith and that those both matter enormously to the Lord.  

Martha: That's so good. And the fact that you just learned that it was important to articulate that to people: what are you doing? Seeing where they're at, it gave you that, like you said, it just pains you when you see people that are not living in that. So talk about your long term relationships that you got out of your time involvement with Lifework Leadership.  

John Dembeck: With the whole Lifework community, Stefan, I'm sure that, Stefan might recognize my picture and maybe my name, but I've been able to get connected with the Lifework community, with Steve French who's the global ambassador. And to be able to have connections in, and now in the other cities that are around and there's some alumni that I'm associated with. One of them is on my Work and Faith Matters board, as we continue to have work and faith as a priority. When you gather together for a period of time under a common mission and a common goal, it unites your hearts to each other. 

Now, unfortunately- no, I wouldn't say unfortunately. Oh, I just did - but I was in Fort Lauderdale and at the time when I graduated, I intended to go back as a coach and just continue and continue, but the Lord had other plans and he used the lack of finances to move us to Dallas Fort Worth. 

And so I couldn't continue in Fort Lauderdale. It's taken a little bit of time. But now I'm excited about bringing it to Dallas Fort Worth.  

Jim: So it's great to have a perspective on what bringing Lifework leadership to Dallas, Texas will make as an impact on Dallas, Texas. So maybe we should talk to somebody who brought Lifework leadership to another city to hear what they've got to say. 

John, I'm just I wanted to surprise you. I got Tammie McClafferty joining us today from Lifework Leadership in Jacksonville, Florida. She's getting her computer coming in. She's coming in hot. She's always running fast and furious, but Tammie McClafferty has been running Jacksonville's Lifework Leadership for a really long time. 

Tammie McClafferty, welcome back to iWork4Him!  

Tammie McClafferty: Hi, guys. How are you? Hey, John. How are you? Good to see you again.  

Jim: Tammie, it's been a lot of years since you hosted- you actually hosted some iWork4Him shows back in Jacksonville, Florida for us. You've been doing Lifeworks Leadership for a long time. How long have you been doing it?  

Tammie McClafferty: I've been doing it seven years here in Jacksonville. But Lifeworks been in Jacksonville 14 years.  

Martha: That's awesome. So Tammie, tell us a few statistics about Lifework Leadership in Jacksonville. How many have graduated from the program?  

Tammie McClafferty: We are up over 600 alumni here in the city, which is amazing. We are working with or have had over 65 nonprofits come through and have had people come through the class with over 200 different churches being represented in the city, which is awesome. 

Jim: So what are some of the comments, Tammie, that you hear from your graduates a year or two down the road about their experience at Lifework and how it's impacted their day to day?  

Tammie McClafferty: Yeah, I think the biggest feedback we get is the fact that Lifework is here for them when they need it. I was telling somebody the other day, it's almost like when you have kids, that my kids are now gone, out of the house and there's still this understood you can always come home when you need it. 

Life might be doing whatever life is doing, but if you need it, you can always come home. And I think that's what's been so impressive about Lifework here in the city is, work may be going well, marriage may be going well, church is going well, you're doing well, and then all of a sudden, you need Lifework and you need the connections that Lifework brought. 

And so we just see alumni returning because they need it. I need a job. I need to hire somebody. I need a lawyer. I need a whatever that is. And they want that camaraderie that Lifework brings. And so we see them just reengaging years down the road sometimes because they know the family of Lifeworks always here for them. 

Martha: So Tammie, you just recently told us some amazing things about Lifework leadership and alumni in the city there, like what kinds of roles and influence they're having within the leadership of your city. Tell us about that.  

Tammie McClafferty: Yeah, it's been impressive. I have to give credit to the director before me, really pushed to get into the political world in Jacksonville and get christians engaged there. And so we have seen that continue. So our last three elected sheriffs have all been Lifework alumni. Six city council members who have all been elected are all Lifework alumni. We have three or four different school board members that have been elected, a congressman, the mayor just paid for somebody to go through the class this year, and so we've been able to watch Lifework, like literally boots on the ground, change policy and change laws and literally change the dynamics of this city through our Lifework alumni. So that's just been amazing to watch God work.  

Jim: And that's fantastic! Some listeners are gonna go, Christians shouldn't be involved in politics. People, Jesus said bring the kingdom to the earth and that means bringing our leadership Jesus centered everywhere we go and It's so powerful. I was so excited when you told us that recently. I'm like, Oh, we got to bring that up on today's show.  

Talk to me about the employers who are paying money to send employees to Lifework leadership. What are you hearing from the employers a year down the road after their Lifework grads come back to work, they start implementing what they've learned? What are you hearing from them?  

Tammie McClafferty: I think it speaks for itself because they continue to send people through. So we probably have, in a class of 40, I would say half of them are paid for by their employers. And we do it every year. Big companies here in Jacksonville - Fanatics sends somebody through Lifework every year. 

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, our Sheriff's Office pays for someone within the organization to go through every year. Florida Blue. FSCJ, which is a Florida State College of Jacksonville, sends someone to go through every year. CSX, the train company. And what I think is amazing is we're starting to see these companies realize the benefit of what Lifework brings to the employees and the people that are going through it. And so it's now just budgeted in for some of these companies that they're just automatically sending people through every year. And it's changing the culture. We talked to the, CEO here with Fanatics and he said, it has literally, we've now sent probably 10 people through from Fanatics and he said, it's changing the culture on the warehouse floor within Fanatics. So it's just been so fun to watch.  

Jim: You've been doing it a lot of years and in the midst of that, you had a doctoral, it's really Dr. Tammie McClafferty. I apologize. I should have introduced you as that because I read your dissertation. It's extremely impressive. Why do you keep on doing Lifework leadership year after year there in Jacksonville, Florida?  

Tammie McClafferty: That's such a good question. At least for me, it brings everything that I am so passionate about together. It brings our faith and our work just into greater conjunction. 

And although people talk about that Hey, I know my faith and my work, lifework is the only thing that I've been able to get my hands on that's not just a leadership conference or a faith conference or, just a class that you go through that you walk out of and it's done. You can check the box, put it to your LinkedIn profile and be done.  

But in Jacksonville, it's boots on the ground. Like you finish Lifework and you've been tasked with something, the Holy Spirit's talked to you. Somebody in the classes said something and you leave this journey, as we call it, and you get to go out and do it. Like it is an action, an actionable program that you don't just sit through it. You actually go do it. And that is what keeps me coming back year after year is because we're watching - it literally changed this city for Jesus Christ. And I couldn't think of anywhere else I'd rather be.  

Martha: That is so awesome. As John Dembeck is looking at bringing Lifeworks leadership to Dallas, speak to the people that might be listening that are either in Dallas and going to have this opportunity, or even in cities that don't yet have it. Why would you be excited about it coming to their city?  

Tammie McClafferty: Yeah, I think John's amazing. We've had the opportunity to get to know each other. He came to Jacksonville to visit, which was great. So just have been in awe of what he and his team are doing there in Dallas. I think what makes it so unique and so special for a city is it crosses denominational barriers. It's not like a church where and again, nothing, nothing wrong with that. But a church is typically going to reach a particular demographic, a particular belief style whereas the life just erases all that.  

It is young people. It is old people. It is professionals. We have two people that are retired this year. They just sold their company and they're like, all right, Lord, what's next? We've got kids coming out of college that are ready to do this thing, right? And so you have this diversity among the professions that are represented. 

But you have a diversity among the faith based organizations. So in this year's class, we have 40 in the class. We have nine different denominations represented in the class. And I think that just brings such a unique perspective to faith and work. And it just, we like to say here, it just oozes unity among the city. 

And so I just think that we tap into something that the churches can't all get. The faith community in and of itself can't get, but we get to do that, and then we get to do life together. If you're in Dallas, and reaches out to you, I cannot recommend enough that you take part in Lifework. It will change your life, and it will change the city. It absolutely will change the city.  

Jim: Look out, Dallas, Texas, Lifework leadership is coming. Dr. Tammie McClafferty from Lifework leadership in Jacksonville, Florida. Thanks for joining us this afternoon here on iWork4Him.  

Tammie McClafferty: Thank you. Absolutely. Thanks for having me. John, good luck with everything. We'll catch up later.  

Jim: All right. Bye!  

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Martha: So John, you're bringing Lifework leadership to Dallas. Why are you doing this?  

John Dembeck: It's been in my heart since I got to Dallas. We moved there in 2016 and when we moved there, I wanted to do it right away. I called Steve French and I asked him about it. He said, that's great. You need a community of believers. 

You need to have it, some network, and have some nonprofits. You have to have all of these things, and I thought, Oh my gosh, I just moved here. I don't know anybody. But it's been in my heart. It pumps through my veins, the work and faith matters and I wanted to do it. 

And then in March of this year, there was an event. It was seemingly small, but it wound up being very large. When we made the decision that we're not leaving Texas, we've lived in seven different States, 26 different homes. We've moved a lot. When we made the decision, my wife and I were not leaving, God began to open doors and made the introductions and that's how I met Jim and others and introduced me to people in government and people in the medical community and people in the business community and it seemed that the time is right to have this come together and make a difference. And it's one of those things I like to say I can't not do it. I have to do this and I'm excited about what God is going to do through it.  

Jim: So would you say your goal is getting started here fall of 2024? What's your goal?  

John Dembeck: My goal, by God's grace, I would love to have 50 people come through the program. And I went through a life planning a couple of years back. And my life's mission is to engage others to fully express who God has created us to be. That is my goal, is to have people come through and fully express, as Martha, you brought it up, their gifts, their talents, their ability. And that was it's called whole life generosity. I'm using my influence. I'm using my talents. I would love to have 50 and begin to have 50, change 50 lives, which changes 50 families, changes 50 companies, and potentially 50 churches. And then have that multiplied every year for the rest of my life, as long as God gives me the grace to do it.  

Jim: All right, let's go into some of the details. Who is it for? Who is Lifework Leadership Dallas, Texas for?  

John Dembeck: It is for the professional. It's for somebody that finds themself leading in some capacity, whether it is in government or medicine or business. It's someone and somebody that's a believer that's committed to their faith or wants to be committed to their faith and says, God, I am searching for what it is that you would have for me to live a fully expressed fulfilled life. That's who it's for.  

Martha: And when can they expect it to start?  

John Dembeck: It will start on September 12th of next year, by God's grace. 

Jim: Not next year. September 12th of 2024.  

John Dembeck: That's right. September 12th. Yeah, gosh, this has been brewing for about 18 months. But it's going to be in various places throughout the Metroplex. We say Dallas cause that's where I live, but it's going to be in Dallas and Fort Worth. We're going to rotate around the Metroplex in Arlington. We have a couple of meetings and it'll be the nine month program, which will end in May of next year.  

Jim: And you've got some incredible speakers lined up. What kind of, give us a name, a couple of speakers you got lined up. They're going to come in and just speak to your Lifework leadership classes.  

John Dembeck: Oh, Tammie McClafferty is going to come in and she's going to speak to us.  

Jim: That'd be Dr. Tammie McClafferty.  

John Dembeck: Dr. Tammie McClafferty. We have Stephan Tchividjian, he is going to come in and he's going to speak to our group. We're trying to get Ron Blue to come talk to us about generosity. And we have case studies. Heath Hill from Line Media is coming in and speaking to us how God radically transformed his business when he became radically obedient to what God was telling him to do. And just we're so excited about who we have lined up and who's coming. 

Dr. Steven Creme, who's the chief medical officer for total care clinics is going to come in and he's going to be speaking with us. We have, I just, I can't wait for it to start. All we need is registrants.  

Jim: Before we get to the registrants, cause I know that we need to give out a phone number, you need to get on our website, but what's the guarantee? If I decided someone of my employees or leadership, what's the guaranteed impact on my employee?  

John Dembeck: Your employee is going to go through this- I haven't met someone yet who has gone through it and hasn't had an aha moment, a moment during the program. It's different for everybody that goes through and says, aha, this is what God would have for me. They're going to have an aha moment and their lives, the guarantee is it will change your life. 

It will change your life for the better and give you meaning and purpose.  

Jim: So if somebody wants to get ahold of you and talk to you about this, talk about getting registered, maybe getting several other employees registered, what's a phone number they should call?  

John Dembeck: It's 954, still a Fort Lauderdale phone number, 895 9992. 

One more time. 945 895 9992.  

Jim: Excellent. Alright, and website, go to LifeworkLeadership. org and click on Dallas and it'll run you out to the website talking all about what John Dembeck has planned for Dallas, Texas, LifeworkLeadership. org. Click on the beautiful picture of Dallas and find out more. John Dembeck, we are excited. We're ecstatic for what God's doing there in Dallas, Texas. We know that this September, things are never going to be the same in a really good way in Dallas, Texas. Thank you for bringing your story to iWork4Him today, John.  

John Dembeck: Yes and amen. Thank you, Jim and Martha.  

Jim: You've been listening to iWork4Him with your host, Jim and Martha Brangenberg. We're Christ followers. Our workplace, it's our mission field. But ultimately, iWork4Him.