Registration open for At Work in the Garden conference on creativity, cultivation, and care

Registration is now open for At Work in the Garden—a conference at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, centered around celebrating work and reclaiming a robust theology of work as God’s good design, entrepreneurship, free enterprise, and vocational calling.

The conference—sponsored by the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities, the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education (CACE), the K and K Dooyema Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and In All Things—will take place on Dordt’s campus September 17-19.

At Work in the Garden invites participants to reflect on creativity and curiosity in their work, consider what it means to cultivate and care for it with vision and longevity, and explore how work both shapes and reflects culture, while also emphasizing how the fruit of our work can meaningfully connect and nourish our communities.

“We hope to inspire leaders and employees from many backgrounds to see their work as God-glorifying, in and of itself, beyond just behaving ethically and giving some money away,” says Dr. Jeff Ploegstra, dean for foundational and health sciences at Dordt. “Doing our work with excellence, Coram Deo, can bring Him glory simply because we’re using gifts He has given, in service to others.”

The conference will include keynote presentations from Jordan Raynor, Michaela O’Donnell, and The Porter’s Gate. Additionally, the conference includes breakout sessions led by industry experts across fields such as education, business, nonprofits, agriculture, and healthcare, providing attendees with meaningful, practical insight and opportunities to network with other Christians at work in the world.

For more information, please visit dordt.edu/events/at-work-in-the-garden.

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.