Until August, Brian Weyandt was having a great 2010. Two of his children got married, a granddaughter was born and he started a new job at AT&T. But the 57-year-old IT project manager from Atlanta was unexpectedly laid off.

Mr. Weyandt spent the next five months searching for a job. He also joined a career support group that was being hosted by a Methodist church in nearby Roswell, Ga. "It was very comforting to find a network of people like me who shared my faith," says Mr. Weyandt. The group has kept him motivated, which...