What does it mean to follow Jesus not only in who you are, but in how you lead, serve, and work? On this episode of The UpWords Podcast, host Joy Fea sits down with Joanna Meyer, founder and executive director of Women, Work, & Calling at the Denver Institute for Faith & Work, to explore vocational discipleship: forming people for a whole-life "yes" to God that reaches into their daily work.

Joanna traces her path from aspiring high school social studies teacher to twelve years of campus ministry, a season in global telecom, and more than a decade at the Denver Institute, showing how calling is often formed over time rather than discovered in a single moment. Together, Joy and Joanna walk through core ideas from Joanna's framework for vocational discipleship: influence that flows from hearts renewed by Christ; our identity as image-bearers and stewards; participation in God's renewal of all things; and women as agents of flourishing. Along the way, they talk about productivity and overwork, a redemptive understanding of power, generous leadership, and the mentors who help us see what God is inviting us into.

THINGS YOU WILL LEARN

• Why vocation is "a whole-life response to God's voice," not just a category of religious work

• How Christ's renewal of "all things" gives new meaning to daily work, from private equity to HOA boards

• Setting a generous table for women across theological convictions and life stages

• Joanna's candid reflections on overwork and being "addicted to mission"

• A business leader who built pre-apprenticeship on-ramps for people facing barriers to employment

• What a redemptive, servant-shaped understanding of power looks like across a workweek

• Breath prayer and daily silence as portable practices for busy workers

• Why God's hand is often clearer in the rearview mirror than in the road ahead

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Joanna Meyer is the founder and executive director of Women, Work, & Calling, a national initiative of the Denver Institute for Faith & Work that equips Christian women to have a godly influence in public life. She also hosts the Institute's Faith & Work Podcast. Before joining the Institute, she worked in global telecom, nonprofit consulting, and campus ministry with Cru. She holds an MA in Social Entrepreneurship from Bakke Graduate University and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder. She is the author of Women, Work, & Calling: Step into Your Place in God's World (InterVarsity Press, 2023).

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Women, Work, & Calling: Step into Your Place in God's World by Joanna Meyer (InterVarsity Press)

• Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch

• Culture Making by Andy Crouch

• The Work of Leaders (Jossey-Bass)

• The MBA Oath

• Denver Institute for Faith & Work: denverinstitute.org

• Women, Work, & Calling: womenworkandcalling.com