Robert Faucette: Living on Assignment
If you were to ask Robert Faucette how he ended up where he is, he’d tell you it was never really his call. In his view, none of us get to choose the church we attend or the job we hold. Our part is simply to be obedient to wherever God places us. That idea of being on assignment has shaped nearly two decades of Robert’s life, and it’s at the heart of what he’ll share as our speaker at this month’s lunch.
A Richmond Story
Robert is a true Richmond native. He was born at MCV and grew up in North Chesterfield. His wife, Tosha, moved to Richmond from Wise County when she was four, so Richmond has been home for both of them for many years. They recently celebrated 25 years of marriage and have five children: twins Justin and Brandon, and triplets Madison, Makayla, and Nathan.
A Faith That Began at Work
Robert came to Christ at 29, and it happened through his workplace. A former manager kept inviting him to a men’s group that met at 6 a.m. on Fridays. Robert couldn’t imagine why anyone would be anywhere that early on a Friday on purpose, but after the third invitation, he went. The group was talking about how to be a good husband and a good father, and Robert realized he cared about those things.
When that group wrapped up, Robert suggested they start one over lunch at work. During a study called Good to Great in God’s Eyes, he read a chapter laying out what it means to give your life to Christ. He made his decision right there on an elliptical machine at the gym, and God has been using that surrender ever since.
A Season of Preparation
Robert has spent 28 years at a local financial institution. He started in a call center and grew into technology program management, business systems analysis, and software architecture.
In 2012, Robert sensed the Holy Spirit calling him to ministry, along with a clear message that there was a season of preparation ahead. His first reaction was discontent. He wanted to leave the bank and go into ministry right away. Instead, he asked his pastor what skills he should start building. The answer came quickly: learn how to build and develop teams. Robert moved into a role focused on exactly that and spent about nine years there. He also began studying at Liberty University, eventually majoring in Christian leadership.
Along the way, he became certified to teach leadership classes as an adjunct facilitator. One day, a co-facilitator asked if he had ever considered doing it full time. The thought had never crossed his mind. He prayed about it, applied, and seven weeks later the job was his. For the past two years, Robert has facilitated leadership and competency courses, helping others understand key concepts and apply them in their work.
A Heart for Discipleship
Because Robert came to faith as an adult with no one to show him the ropes, he has always been drawn to people who are just saying yes to Jesus. At Journey Christian Church, he led Starting Point for about four years, helping new believers and returners understand what it means to follow Christ. When God moved his family to The Chapel in 2019, Robert resisted at first. But soon after arriving, he and Pastor Joel led the church’s first Rooted discipleship group in 2020, during COVID. Those groups are still going today. “God wasn’t calling me away from something,” Robert says. “He was calling me to something.”
The Way
Years ago, Robert asked his employer about starting a faith-based employee group and was told it was too divisive. Later, he was invited to help propose an interfaith resource group, but plans were put on hold. Robert sensed God telling him not to stop.
He reached out through internal chat channels, expecting a handful of people to respond. Nearly 100 wanted to learn more. He was hoping for 12 people to help lead, like Jesus had. Twenty-five volunteered. They named the group The Way, after John 14:6: “I am the way and the truth and the life.”
About two and a half years later, The Way has grown to more than 1,200 members across the country and as far away as the UK and the Philippines. Something happens almost every day of the week, from prayer meetings to Bible studies to in-person gatherings. This December, the group will host its first Christ-centered Christmas event in five cities and online. Members often wear hoodies that say “Love your neighbor” on the back, and Robert loves hearing from people who spot them out in the community.
Robert describes The Way as one of the few things in his life he hasn’t tried to control. “It’s been pray and obey, over and over again,” he says.
Connecting with Needle’s Eye
Robert wasn’t looking for Needle’s Eye. While exploring ways to help The Way get more involved in the community, a connection through RCLI led him to our team. He quickly realized we shared the same mission and were simply pursuing it in different ways.
That conversation grew into a collaboration. Together, Robert and Needle’s Eye created Transformed for Impact, a 12-week small group study that equips believers to walk out their faith in the workplace. The first virtual pilot launched this fall with about 17 participants from across the country, and the hope is that it becomes a model for faith-based partnerships at many more companies.
Robert’s passion is to activate the church in the workplace: helping believers see that they are on assignment at work, not just there for a paycheck, and to let go of the fear that comes with sharing their faith, knowing that God alone is their provider.
His Anchor Verse
Robert’s go-to verse is Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will.” For Robert, that renewal has been a lifelong journey, and it’s the transformation he hopes every believer can experience, including in the places they work.
Hear Robert Speak
Join us for our monthly lunch either in the West End or in Hanover to hear more of Robert’s story and what it looks like to live on assignment in your workplace. Sign up here!
West End, November 6: https://needles-eye-ministries-542028.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3902537
Hanover, November 18: https://needles-eye-ministries-542028.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3902538
