Faith & Work Lunch Recap | March 6, 2026
Reflections from Jordan Maroon
At our most recent Faith & Work Lunch, Needle’s Eye Executive Director Jordan Maroon did something rare: he shared from the middle of a story that isn’t finished yet. With his ten-year tenure at Needle’s Eye coming to a close in the coming weeks, Jordan opened up about the fears, questions, and hard-won clarity that have marked his own career transition — and invited everyone in the room to reflect on their own.
Below is a recap of his talk. You can also listen to the full audio and download the reflection questions using these links.
A Decade at Needle’s Eye — and a Call to Leave
Jordan joined the Needle’s Eye team in 2016, at the start of the ministry’s 40th anniversary year. Over the next ten years, he helped modernize the ministry for a changing workforce — navigating the shifts brought on by COVID, the rise of remote work, and the emergence of entirely new kinds of jobs. He was candid that the work wasn’t without difficulty: “If you ever have the opportunity to work for a church or a Christian ministry,” he told the room, “the stresses don’t go away. In some ways they are harder, and in some ways they are easier. But every job is hard.”
He shared that there were even moments over the years when he asked God to let him leave — and God told him to stay. Then, last summer, in what felt like an unexpected turn, God told him to go. After prayer and discernment with his wife and trusted friends, Jordan was convinced that was the direction. The harder part: God was asking him to tell Needle’s Eye before he had anything else lined up.
The Jump — Without Knowing the Landing
Jordan described an early morning prayer session that became a turning point. On his knees in a dark house before dawn — “maybe some because I’m spiritual, but some because I hadn’t had enough coffee” — he told God exactly how he was feeling: like he was standing at the edge of a cliff being asked to jump, and he needed to know how it was going to work first.
God’s response, not audible but unmistakably clear, was essentially: no, I’m not going to give you that clarity. But you have to jump anyway. Look at my face. Trust that I am who I say I am. That has to be enough.
Jordan said yes — not with superhero faith, but in the “I believe, help my unbelief” kind of way. He announced his departure in September. As of the lunch, he still didn’t have a job lined up.
The Fears That Showed Up
Jordan didn’t dress up what the last several months have felt like. He named his fears plainly, and in doing so gave the room permission to name their own:
Imposter syndrome — the worry that he’s not actually good at anything, and people are about to find out.
Insignificance — what happens to identity when the title and platform go away?
Embarrassment — what to say when someone asks “so what are you doing now?” and the answer isn’t impressive.
Did I actually hear God correctly? — Even with confirmation from prayer and trusted community, the question still resurfaces.
Did I make a mistake? — Not about leaving — he’s had peace about that. But about telling Needle’s Eye before having a plan. And underneath it all: we have three kids. Will we be okay?
He was quick to note these aren’t past tense. “These things come up every week in some form or fashion.”
What Scripture Has Been Doing in Him
The passage God has kept returning Jordan to is Matthew 6 — the section of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus points to birds and wildflowers as evidence that the Father provides, and then says: “Your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” For Jordan, that line has been an anchor. God knows he needs a job. God knows his family needs income. The instruction that follows isn’t “try harder to believe” — it’s seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and trust that the rest will follow.
He acknowledged that some days his focus is genuinely there. Other days it’s entirely on the fear list. “I’m trying, by God’s mercy and the work of the Holy Spirit, to more and more be seeking his kingdom.”
Three Questions He Keeps Returning To
1. Do I trust God more, or do I trust my own understanding of what’s likely? Jordan described this as a daily back-and-forth. Where is the trust actually landing?
2. Who is the hero of the story? In early December, wrestling with a job rejection, he sensed God quietly ask him: “Who’s the hero again?” The reminder that Jesus is the main character — not Jordan — changes how he holds outcomes. Rejection feels different when you’re not the protagonist. And if a job does come through, the credit belongs to God’s mercy, not Jordan’s impressiveness.
3. What obedient faith is required of me today? Not the whole plan — just today. Most mornings Jordan tries to ask: “Where are we going today, God? What does it look like to walk with you right now?”
Two Things He’s Had to Actually Believe for Himself
Steward the life you actually have. Not the idealized version, not the one built on better decisions ten years ago — the one right in front of you. For someone as self-critical as Jordan, this has been genuinely freeing.
Success as a Christian is being where God places you. This is core to Needle’s Eye’s mission, and Jordan has said it to many rooms full of people. But he admitted he hadn’t fully believed it for himself. Somewhere in his thinking, leaving vocational ministry felt like a spiritual demotion. “I don’t believe that anymore,” he said. “There is no lesser calling if God has placed you there. You all serve God right where you are.”
Five Bold Expectations Going Forward
Jordan closed by sharing what he genuinely expects to be true — not as wishful thinking, but as faith grounded in God’s character:
1. His next job will not validate him as a human being. No title or compensation changes who he is. He belongs to the Lord.
2. His next job will not invalidate him either. Unemployment, low pay, an unimpressive role — none of it touches his standing before God.
3. God will not abandon his family. Not a promise of financial comfort — a confidence in God’s character. He is who he says he is.
4. God will use him wherever he puts him. The opportunity to love people and serve God doesn’t require a certain job title.
5. Obedience and faith matter more than stability, comfort, meaning, and wealth. Jordan said he genuinely wants all four of those things — and if you have them in your career, that’s a gift from God. But being faithful to the Father comes first.
Jordan wrapped up without a triumphant resolution. He doesn’t have a job yet. But he closed with something that landed in the room: “God’s kindness to me isn’t dependent on how strong my faith is. It’s dependent on his character. And that doesn’t change.”
If Jordan’s talk resonated with you — whether you’re in the middle of a transition, gainfully employed, or somewhere in between — we’d encourage you to sit with the reflection questions and bring your own story to these themes.
