Uncovering the Sacred Mission in Any Vocation (feat. Doug Meikle, Star of Hope)
We often use the analogy of the River to describe how each and every one of us has a unique role to play in supporting the vulnerable children and families of Houston. One of the reasons why we need hands both upstream and downstream, helping from all sides, is because the foster care system does not exist in isolation. It’s shaped by—and deeply connected to—a range of other social challenges.
One such challenge is homelessness and the circumstances that lead to it. The Greater Houston area holds over 3,000 people experiencing homelessness, including those in shelters and those unsheltered. This issue of homelessness has a direct impact on the foster care community—10% of children across Texas enter foster care due to housing issues.
One thing is clear—any effort to support the foster care community is incomplete without also addressing the realities of homelessness. Joining us to discuss this key topic is Doug Meikle.
Doug is a first-generation immigrant from Scotland who loves the city of Houston. A few years ago, he changed the course of his life by leaving behind the world of engineering and management to found a nonprofit along with two of his friends. TrueWorks focuses on integrating Christian faith with the world of work. Doug is now the CEO of Star of Hope, Houston’s largest mission to the homeless, and remains the board chair of TrueWorks.
In this episode, Doug shares the connection our faith should have with the work we choose to do, the circumstances that contribute to homelessness, the importance of collaboration with other organizations and individuals across our city, and much more.
You can also find this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, and more.
Key Takeaways
- The sacred and secular portions of our lives are interwoven. We have a tendency to perceive the people who do good works for charitable causes as the only ones who are aligned with “sacred work.” However, Doug shared about how all people from all types of careers, from a waste collector to a nurse, can find sacred meaning in their work. God is at work in all things, and whatever your vocation is, your daily life intersects with individuals in unique ways that no one else’s does. How can you find opportunities to make a positive impact on people right where you are?
- Healing and help come in the form of safe, stable relationships. This is true for vulnerable children, individuals experiencing homelessness, and people who are hurting in our community. In this conversation, we learned that people do not experience homelessness because they run out of money. It’s because they run out of relationships to lean on. Despite this sad truth, there’s a silver lining—the same hurt and trauma that occurred because of broken relationships can be healed through relationships.
- It’s important to be aware of how social issues overlap. It’s true we all need to take up our place along the River and do our part. However, we also need to be aware of the efforts being made by other individuals, organizations, nonprofits, and churches. More often than not, these issues and the solutions overlap. In order to maximize our efforts, we should be working together as one and collaborating wherever possible.
Resources
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Connect with Doug on Instagram
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[BOOK] Every Good Endeavor: Connecting Your Work to God’s Work
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[BOOK] True Professionalism: The Courage to Care about Your People, Your Clients, and Your Career
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Books by Clayton Christensen
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[BOOK] The Patient Ferment of the Early Church: The Improbable Rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire
Meet the Guest
Doug Meikle is the co-founder and board chair of TrueWorks, a nonprofit that focuses on integrating Christian faith with the world of work. Prior to founding TrueWorks, he held executive and functional leadership positions in sales, marketing, business improvement, and engineering. Today, Doug serves as the CEO of Star of Hope, Houston largest mission to the homeless. He’s married to Karen, has three adult children, and likes all things Italian including cars, the food, and the wine.
