Stephen Lazarus is a currently a consultant with the US Department of Labor, specializing in implementing workforce collaborations that draw on the strengths of faith-based organizations. He formerly served as a social policy analyst with the Center for Public Justice in Washington, D.C. for ten years, where he also directed the Center's Civitas Programs for Leadership in Faith and Public Affairs. His professional passion is to advance a new understanding of government's relationship to civil society that honors the dynamic work of religious institutions and all communities of faith in the public square.