Transcript: 7 Workplace Trends Christian Leaders Need to Watch in 2025 // Best Christian Workplaces

Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast

“7 Workplace Trends Christian Leaders Need to Watch in 2025“

January 6, 2025

Al Lopus, Jay Bransford, and Robert Wachter

Intro: How will your organization thrive in the changing landscape of 2025? Well, in this episode we explore seven workplace trends shaping the future of Christian-led organizations, from hybrid models to the rise of values-driven leadership. So join us for an enlightening discussion as we equip you with actionable insights to navigate these trends, strengthen your culture, and lead with purpose in an ever-changing and ever-evolving world.

Welcome: Welcome to the Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast, your home for open, honest, and insightful conversations to help develop your leadership, your team, and build a flourishing workplace culture.

Al Lopus: Hi, I'm Al Lopus, the co-founder of the Best Christian Workplaces and author of Road to Flourishing. And my passion is to equip senior leaders like you to cultivate engaged, flourishing workplaces, so thanks for joining us.

I’m delighted to welcome you to this year’s “2025 Workplace Trends” podcast, facilitated by BCW’s global marketing director, Rob Wachter; and BCW’s president and CEO, Jay Bransford; and me.

Throughout our conversation, you'll walk away with clear, practical steps to integrate workplace trends into your organization; to gain fresh ideas on building flourishing workplaces rooted in Christian values; and to equip yourself with the tools to lead with clarity, purpose, and resilience in a fast-changing environment. This episode is designed to empower Christian leaders like you to make informed, faith-based decisions as they navigate the future of work.

This podcast is proudly sponsored by the Best Christian Workplaces’ Employee Engagement Survey. Don't wait. This January is a perfect time to gather vital insights from your employees to assist in the health of your workplace culture. Clearly, one of the biggest trends facing workplaces in 2025 is the issue of mental health and well-being. BCW’s Employee Engagement Survey is the perfect tool to help you achieve the proverb: to know the condition of your flocks. Do you want to know the condition of your organization's culture? Well, visit workplaces.org to learn more and to start your journey to becoming a flourishing workplace today.

And hello to our new listeners. Thanks for joining us as we honor your investment of time by creating episodes like this.

And now I'm going to turn the podcast over to Rob Wachter to lead Jay Bransford and me through the 2025 trends that we see for Christian workplaces.

Rob Wachter: Hello, and welcome to the Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast. My name is Robert Wachter; I will be your host today. And we have a very special episode on the 2025 workplace trends for Christian organizations.

Joining me today are Al Lopus, of course, our co-founder of Best Christian Workplaces; and also Jay Bransford, president of Best Christian Workplaces. Welcome, Al and Jay to the podcast today.

Al: Well, thanks, Rob. It's great to be here.

Jay Bransford: Yes, thanks for having us, Rob.

Rob: Absolutely. Well, why don't we dive right into the content? We've identified seven workplace trends for 2025 that are particularly relevant for Christian organizations. This is including churches, Christian-education institutions, NGOs, and Christian-owned businesses.

So I thought, Al, why don't you give us your take and start us off with the first trend that we've put on our list this year?

Al: Thanks, Rob. And it really is a pleasure.

You know, the first trend we're seeing is the continued rise of hybrid work environments. And it's changing, but still, hybrid work is on the rise. With the ongoing evolution of remote work, many organizations are adopting hybrid models and continue in-office and remote work. And this trend is important because it offers flexibility, which can lead to higher employee engagement and productivity.

You know, for example, Chick-fil-A has adopted a hybrid work model they call Flexible Futures. This model offers a mix of in-person and remote work, aimed at strengthening key elements of the company's culture by fostering collaboration and community. And Chick-fil-A believes this approach supports a healthy work-life balance for employees.

But the big news this year is that it's important to note that many large organizations are moving towards a full return-to-office policy. So we're hearing a lot of information from companies like Amazon, Apple, Goldman Sachs, and others. They're leading this trend, emphasizing the benefits of in-person collaboration and team dynamics.

For instance, Amazon, here in the Seattle area, where I'm at, has mandated a full five-day return to the office starting in January 2025, highlighting the importance of face-to-face interactions and maintaining their innovative culture. And similarly, Apple has required a return to work in their state-of-the-art Apple Park campus to take advantage of a collaborative environment. And also, Goldman Sachs has insisted on a full return-to-office focus with their CEO, emphasizing that corporate culture cannot be maintained remotely. So we're seeing those kinds of trends with large organizations. We've even heard the same with Elon Musk, for example. We've probably all heard some of his musings on this topic.

So despite this shift, though, remote work remains significant. And in 2025, an estimated 32.6 million Americans will be working remotely, which equates to 22% of the workforce. And in addition to that—yeah, picture this—98% of workers have expressed a desire to work remotely, at least part of the time, reflecting the workforce's growing affinity for flexibility and work-life balance.

But we also see 16% of companies—that's almost one in five—are fully remote, operating without a physical office. And we've seen this with some of our ministry partners that we've worked with, like Apartment Life, who closed their offices and have moved to fully remote work for their distributed workforce. So we’ll also like to note that Apartment Life maintains a highly flourishing workplace culture and has continued to focus on employee engagement and regular face-to-face get-togethers to reinforce their culture.

So, these are some statistics and a highlight of the ongoing relevance of the demand for remote work, even as organizations push for a return-to-the-office approach.

Rob: Wow, that is fascinating information, especially having gone through all the changes since COVID and the pandemic and how things have been changing. So that's really fascinating information. Thank you for that, Al.

Jay, what else you got? What's the next trend?

Jay: Yeah. Thanks, Rob.

So, the second trend is something we've been talking about for the past couple of years on this podcast, which is the rapidly growing use of artificial intelligence—AI—and automation integration. So, you know, AI is transforming and will continue to transform how we work by automating repetitive tasks and providing data-driven insights. And, you know, this allows employees to focus on more strategic and creative tasks.

For instance, Christian NGOs are using AI to streamline administrative tasks and processes, which frees up their staff to focus on mission-critical activities like community outreach and support. And another example is Christian-owned businesses using AI-driven customer-service chatbots, which I'm sure we've all seen, to provide 24/7 support, but it enhances customer satisfaction and creates operational efficiency.

So in 2025, we anticipate seeing more and more Christian organizations thoughtfully integrating AI while prioritizing ethical considerations. For instance, Compassion International is now using AI to optimize their child-sponsorship matching process, to ensure more-effective connections between sponsors and the children in need. But they have also implemented strict ethical guidelines to protect the privacy and the dignity of both the sponsors and the beneficiaries.

Now, similarly, Wheaton College has introduced an AI-powered academic-advising system that helps students plan their courses and their career paths, but at Wheaton they’ve been careful to maintain human advisors for personal guidance and spiritual mentorship, recognizing that AI can’t really replace that relational aspect of Christian education and advising.

We also see that organizations are leveraging AI for talent acquisition and selection. There’s AI-powered tools that can automate the initial stages of recruitment, such as resume screening and candidate sourcing. For example, AI algorithms can analyze resumes to identify keywords, skills, and experiences that match job requirements, which, as you can imagine, significantly reduces the time that HR professionals spend on those tasks. And then, AI can conduct initial candidate assessments through chatbots that ask prescreening questions and provide a more efficient and consistent candidate experience. So, lots going on there.

We also see that AI’s being used for predictive analytics in hiring decisions. So they can analyze past recruitment data and performance metrics. And AI can help forecast which candidates are most likely to succeed in specific roles, which, obviously, helps organizations make more-informed hiring decisions. And it reduces the risk of bad hires and improves the overall recruitment outcomes.

Actually, according to a report by Deloitte, 33% of HR professionals are already using some form of AI in their hiring processes, and this number is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

So, Rob, in summary, in 2025, AI adoption and HR processes especially is expected to skyrocket, reflecting its growing significance in decision making.

Rob: That is some fascinating information there. It reminds me of when the Internet first came out and everyone started using the Web, and it was—you knew there was something just so powerful happening, but you just didn't know how that would play out over time. And it feels that way with AI. I always like to say, especially to leaders, who, as we get older, I'm getting older myself, make sure we don't fall behind in the AI, the power of AI, because it can just really accelerate tasks and make things more efficient and help out in so many different ways. But it is changing so much, isn't it?

Thank you, Jay. That is a really exciting trend.

Al, I'm excited. What’s the next trend, Al?

Al: Well, Rob, I've got to say, though, that using AI, I'm not getting older. I wish that were true. Okay. Well, thanks, Rob.

Well, the third trend is the emphasis on mental health, employee well-being and engagement in the workplace. And we've come out of COVID, and that's created, really, as we've all heard, a key issue focused on mental health. And organizations are recognizing the importance of mental health and overall well-being like never before. And that's a good thing, we believe. And this includes offering wellness programs, flexible schedules, and comprehensive support systems.

For example, many Christian organizations are incorporating spiritual wellness into their employee support programs, providing resources for prayer, meditation, and counseling. And additionally, some Christian nonprofits are partnering with mental-health professionals to offer workshops and seminars on stress management and resilience as well.

For example, at Samaritan's Purse, they've implemented a comprehensive wellness program that includes access to Christian counselors. You know, regular spiritual retreats are becoming more common, as well as even sabbatical policies for long-term staff.

Another example is Biola University, down in Southern California, as they've integrated mental-health awareness into their curriculum and staff training. And they've created a wellness center that offers both physical- and mental-health services as they've trained faculty and staff to recognize signs of stress and burnout in themselves and their students.

Statistics show that 76% of employees—that's three out of four—believe that their employer should be doing more to protect their mental health, and in response, organizations are implementing comprehensive wellness programs.

I was reading recently, for example, that Google was introducing a well-being program that introduces mental-health days, access to counseling services, and mindfulness training. Now, you know, for Christian organizations, that's all about giving people the opportunity for spiritual health. Similarly, Salesforce offers a holistic wellness program that includes financial wellness, mental-health resources, and even physical-fitness programs. So these initiatives are designed to support employees’ overall well-being and leading to higher job satisfaction, job engagement, and productivity.

But in 2025, we're seeing Christian organizations take a more proactive role in supporting their employees’ financial health as well. For example, Dave Ramsey's organization is expanding its Financial Peace University program to include a comprehensive financial-wellness benefit for employees. This includes one-on-one financial coaching, debt-reduction assistance, and even matching contributions for emergency saving funds. This is especially helpful for employees who are experiencing the nagging and lasting impact of inflation. And again, we're seeing inflation has really impacted Christian workplaces as there's been more stress on rewarding compensation, as we'd call it.

Also, in an episode with Vonna Laue, the executive director of global services and CFO at TEAM, she discussed how they are integrating wellness programs to include spiritual retreats and mental-health resources to support their staff's well-being.

So we're seeing that organizations are prioritizing open and transparent communication, and this includes using engagement surveys, town-hall meetings, focus groups, and communication platforms to create an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing ideas and feedback. And that kind of sharing and communication is really helpful. Organizations are leveraging data analytics to share and refine their employee-engagement strategies by analyzing data from regular engagement surveys. Organizations can identify areas for improvement and measure the impact of their initiatives.

And finally, we continue to see building momentum for measuring employee engagement and well-being for Christian organizations as leaders follow the proverb: know the condition of your flocks.

So, Rob, that’s trend number three: the emphasis on mental health, employee well-being and engagement.

Rob: Fantastic. What a great trend to see happening.

Jay, you got number four for us. Top trend.

Jay: You bet, Rob. I feel like we need a drumroll or something in the middle of this. But, yeah. The fourth trend is the importance of upskilling staff as well as continuous learning and development. So, you know, with the rapid technological advancements that we experience year after year, upskilling and reskilling are essential for, really, any organization. In Christian organizations, we’re seeing investing in training programs that help ensure that their staff can adapt to these new tools and technologies and methodologies.

For example, churches are starting to offer digital-literacy workshops to help their staff and their volunteers effectively use the various online platforms for ministry that exist now. And similarly, Christian educational institutions are providing professional-development courses for their teachers to stay updated with the latest educational technologies and teaching methods that are out there.

You know, just this last month on this podcast, Al interviewed Kendra VanderMeulen, National Christian Foundation's president. And she described how they have invested in technical-skills training, to be sure that they're able to be operationally excellent. And Kendra mentioned they've invested in developing leadership competencies that they use in talent-development plans and also in career pathing.

According to LinkedIn's Workplace Learning Report—this is kind of amazing—94% of employees say they would stay at a company longer if it invested in their learning and development. Ninety-four percent of employees want their employer to invest in learning and development. That’s huge.

So we've got organizations like IBM that have implemented extensive upskilling programs. They are offering employees access to online courses and certifications to keep their skills current. Amazon—this is amazing—committed to investing $700 million to upskill 100,000 employees by 2025, which is now, right? Seven hundred million dollars. And they're focusing on areas such as cloud computing and machine learning. But together, these efforts highlight the importance of continuous learning and how that helps to retain talent and stay competitive.

Now, some of you may know Becca Spradlin, the founder of On Mission. Becca shared recently on our podcast how they provide continuous-learning opportunities through leadership-development programs and workshops that focus on both professional and spiritual growth.

So upskilling and learning and development is definitely a continued focus for us all in 2025.

Rob: Another incredible trend, which would fall under, I think it would fall under, our uplifting-growth category and driver with our FLOURISH Model. So if you're wondering how you're doing with uplifting growth, you might want to consider surveying with us.

So, Al, you've got trend number five. Drumroll for Al. What's the fifth trend?

Al: Okay. Here we go. Ladies and gentlemen, the fifth trend is the comprehensive redefinition of DEI initiatives. Now, this has certainly been all over the news, and some might consider it controversial. But 2025, we're seeing Christian organizations reshape their approach to diversity and inclusion, aligning more closely with biblical mandates of justice and unity in Christ.

For example, International Justice Mission has moved away from secular DEI models and instead developed a Kingdom diversity framework. And this approach emphasizes the biblical vision of every nation, tribe, and tongue worshiping together—and we all know that Scripture—and they also address, then, systematic injustices.

Similarly, Chick-fil-A has revamped their hiring and promotion practices to focus entirely on culture, competence, and calling rather than meeting specific demographic quotas. And they're implementing blind resumé reviews and structured interviews to minimize bias while also offering leadership-development programs specifically designed to equip individuals from underrepresented backgrounds for senior roles. So this means creating inclusive environments that reflect the diversity of God's creation.

For example, Christian businesses are implementing mentorship programs that provide unity in leadership roles. Churches are also hosting community dialogs and workshops on racial reconciliation and justice, fostering a more inclusive and understanding community. Specifically, Life.Church—we all know who they are—they host forums on racial reconciliation, fostering open dialog and understanding.

So in a recent episode with Dr. Jason Rachels, the president of Calvary Christian Academy, he discussed how they've redefined their DEI initiatives to align with biblical principles, including hosting workshops on racial reconciliation and creating mentorship programs to promote diversity in leadership.

Well, when it comes to the marketplace implementation of DEI, Christian organizations are following the Romans 12:2 encouragement not to conform to the pattern of the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, by encouraging unity in the diverse body of Christ.

Rob: Thank you, Al. Unity is certainly a biblical pursuit. So appreciate that.

So, Jay, number six. What's the sixth trend for this year?

Jay: All right, Rob. We’re almost there. The sixth trend is the continued rise of the gig economy. And again, this is a topic that I think Al and I’ve been talking about for several years now. And the facts are that more and more professionals are seeking flexible, project-based work. And Christian organizations are tapping into this trend by hiring freelancers and contractors for specialized tasks and projects. And the approach allows organizations to, really, access a broader talent pool and adapt quickly to changing hiring needs or staffing needs.

For instance, Christian NGOs are hiring freelance grant writers and project managers to handle specific projects, ensuring that they have the expertise they need without having to make long-term hiring commitments. We also see Christian-owned businesses leveraging gig workers for marketing and I.T. support, which allows them to scale their operations efficiently over time.

So really, the gig economy is growing rapidly, with 36% of the U.S. workforce participating in freelance work last year, in 2023. Thirty-six percent of the U.S. workforce participated in freelance work. And this number is just expected to keep increasing.

We have companies like Upwork and Fiverr that have seen significant growth, providing platforms for freelancers to connect with businesses who are seeking specialized skills. Additionally, we see Uber and Lyft have expanded their services. They include delivery and logistics, which further diversifies their gig economy. And this trend really offers flexibility for workers, and it allows organizations to quickly adapt to changing market demands.

Now, in one of our recent podcast episodes with Dr. Steve Graves, the founding partner of Cornerstone, he highlighted how they leverage gig workers for specialized tasks, allowing them to remain agile and responsive to market changes. We've heard that World Vision frequently hires grant writers and project managers on a gig basis to handle specific projects efficiently. And Hobby Lobby even leverages freelancers for digital marketing, which helps them to adapt swiftly to market demands.

So, Rob, the gig economy is definitely still going strong and continues to be an area that Christian leaders can keep tapping further into.

Rob: Yeah. That makes sense. And it's gotten easier and easier, hasn't it, to locate great talent using those platforms that you mentioned, Jay, to find and access great talent quickly and efficiently online. So that makes total sense.

So, I’m sad to say, but we're on our final one. This has been so much fun, and these trends have been really insightful, at least for me. Al, what's the final and seventh trend that we're seeing happening in the workplace?

Al: Well, the world is changing around us, Rob and Jay. That's for sure. And the seventh trend is values driven or servant leadership in the Christian workplace. And employees are looking for leaders who embody the values of their organization and the faith. So for Christian organization, this means leaders who demonstrate integrity, compassion, and commitment to their faith. And this trend is crucial for building trust and engagement within the organization.

For example, Christian schools are focusing on leadership-development programs that emphasize servant leadership and ethical decision making. Additionally, Christian nonprofits are highlighting stories of leaders who exemplify these values in their organization, which inspire others within the organization to follow suit. Even with Deloitte, the accounting firm, they found that 77% of employees believe that there's a strong sense of purpose and how that's essential for their organization’s success. So companies like Patagonia are known for their values-driven leadership and a strong focus on environmental sustainability, for example, as well as social responsibility.

And these trends fly in the face of some ego-based autocratic leadership styles that we're seeing growing in the world. In fact, we're seeing in business, on the contrary, that Chick-fil-A exemplifies values-driven leadership, integrating faith with their operational culture. And these examples demonstrate how values-driven leadership can inspire employees and create a positive organizational culture.

On the Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast recently, again, Dr. Jason Rachels, the president of Calvary Christian Academy, shared how they implement their core values. They've emphasized the importance of hiring individuals who align with their school values and, in fact, specifically with the role of leadership development and focusing and fostering a strong team. For example, at CCA, they use laminated cards with the school's core values, which leaders carry and share with staff as a consistent reminder of their mission and their values.

So that's just an example how we're seeing that the seventh trend is values driven or servant leadership in the Christian workplace.

Rob: That is very, very insightful, but I guess in our world, Al and Jay, probably not too surprising that inspirational leadership, one of our core drivers, is, I think across the board in all sectors, usually weighted as the most important weighted driver. And that certainly makes sense. That would be a trend that leaders that are exemplifying that kind of great leadership and value-based leadership are seeing great dividends in their organizations.

Well, I want to just conclude this podcast episode by thanking you both for your incredible insights and sharing these amazing trends with us. It’s certainly shaping the future of Christian organizations. So thank you, Al and Jay, for sharing your insights.

If you're interested in any of our tools or learning how you can learn more and get more insights, you can visit workplaces.org. And stay tuned for the next episode coming soon.

Al: Thanks, Rob.

Jay: Thanks, Rob. Great to be with you.

Al: Thanks so much for listening to today’s podcast. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

You can find ways to connect with us and links to everything we discussed in the show notes and transcript at workplaces.org/podcast.

And if you’d like me to speak to your leadership offsite, all-employee conference, or special occasion, got to allopus—that’s A-L L-O-P-U-S—dot org to learn more and to schedule that appointment. That’s allopus.org.

You know we believe that the future of your organization depends on how well you adapt to these trends in 2025. So take the first step by evaluating your workplace culture, prioritizing values-driven leadership, and embracing innovation to stay mission focused in a changing world. So let's lead boldly, serve faithfully, and create workplaces that reflect Christ’s love and purpose because the Kingdom impact that we make today shapes tomorrow. Go to workplaces.org to learn more.

And next week you're going to want to tune in as we talk with C12’s president, Mike Sharrow. Mike’s seeing tremendous growth at C12, and we're going to be talking about inspirational leadership and cultivating Christian character in leadership. You won't want to miss it.

Outro: The Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast is sponsored by Best Christian Workplaces. If you need support building a flourishing workplace culture, please visit workplaces.org for more information.

We'll see you again next week for more valuable content to help you develop strong leaders and build a flourishing workplace culture.