Cape Town 2010 Advance Paper
People At Work: Preparing To Be The Whole Church
Author: Willy Kotiuga
Date: 08.06.2010
Category: Workplace Ministry
Translations
Editor’s Note: This Cape Town 2010 Advance Paper has been written by Willy Kotiuga as an overview of the topic to be discussed at the Multiplex session on “Preparing Your Marketplace for a Faith Journey.” Responses to this paper through the Lausanne Global Conversation will be fed back to the author and others to help shape their final presentations at the Congress.
Abstract
One of the largest ‘unactivated’ peoples’ groups that spans across all nations and continents is the workplace where most of the world’s populations is actively engaged in earning income to support their families. Within all segments of the workplace are believers who have a personal relationship with God. Some are extremely effective in using their workplace to invite others to join them on their journey while for others work is a place where faith shapes their behavior but not much more. The fields are ripe unto harvest and in the workplace there are many harvesters but only a small percentage are fully engaged in proclaiming hope to a world looking for hope.
While there is little disagreement on the theology of being salt and light where we are planted, the reality of our current situation is that we have fallen short in our passion to live out our responsibility to declare Jesus Christ as Savior. In this paper we explore where we are today, highlight the many positive developments in workplace ministry and look at the barriers to getting where God would like us to be so that there is sustainable development in properly equipping the believers in the workplace to do what God has called them to do.
1 The Context (Biblical Basis)
We are called to go into the entire world and that includes the world that God has placed us in. Wherever our sphere of influence extends we are to be the salt and light for this world to see. This call does not make a distinction between professional Christian workers in churches or Christian agencies and those who have ordinary occupations. Even Jesus lived out His vocation as carpenter until it was time to live out the last ten percent of His life focused on announcing the Kingdom to the masses full-time.
There are numerous examples of Biblical heroes that model how faith was an integral part of how they conducted business in the workplace. The one common element in all the stories is that their faith journey and professional journey were one and the same, with faith and work mutually interdependent. There was no differentiation between work and spirituality as they lived out their faith twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (24/7).
Joseph’s faith not only sustained him through four separate careers (family business, household management, prison administration, public service) but was also a key element in his rise to the top in each position he held. Paul used his skills as a tentmaker not only to support his missionary endeavor but also as a means to reach an audience who did not have the luxury of engaging in public discussion on faith-related matters. Daniel rose to the highest ranks because of his God-given wisdom and his unswerving commitment to God’s principles, despite personal risk to his life. All aspects of their work were offerings of excellence unto God.
2 Our Current Situation
The Biblical examples have been the inspiration in the founding of many organizations with a diverse reach into communities around the world. Paul’s tentmaking skills inspired a generation of tentmakers who used their professional skills as an entry point to cultures that would have normally been closed to ‘formal’ missionary work. The Business as Mission (BAM) movement has taken this one step further in encouraging and equipping entrepreneurs to set up legitimate self-sustaining businesses around the world. These businesses provide living examples of God working through individuals determined to live out the Gospel using their God-given skills.
Throughout the world, men and women of faith have brought the church into their workplace in various creative ways. There are workplace Bible Studies that are taking place in small businesses to large corporations. These studies are not only a source of encouragement to those who attend, but also a reminder that living out the faith is a 24/7 responsibility that extends beyond the boundaries of the local congregations. Many of these Bible Studies have opened up the door for workers in search of God to find Him as they discover the relevance of faith to daily living.
Profession-based Christian fellowships or societies bring people within professional disciplines together to be a source of mutual encouragement and to explore how they can use their professional expertise effectively in building God’s Kingdom here on earth.
However, living the faith and professional living are not always aligned. We live in a secular - sacred paradigm that separates the Church from what happens in the workplace. In this paradigm, faith is expressed primarily within the confines of the church building or in church sanctioned and organized functions. But the same faith does not necessarily extend to the workplace where individuals spend forty hours a week rubbing shoulders with people who live in worlds that are not familiar with the Gospel.
There are many ‘workers’ in the workplace that are not living to their full potential in declaring the Good News. Living the faith goes beyond being good examples at work. The call to making disciples implores us to live the faith by deliberately inviting others to join us on our faith journey. The disconnect between theology and praxis has left so many people with an ‘incomplete’ calling. We work because we are designed and instructed by God to obey His original mandate as well as to declare the Good News.
3 Serious Questions
What happened that we have become so ineffective in reaching the billions of people working alongside those who have a personal living relationship with God? Within increasingly multi-ethnic work environments in the Western World, penetrating the workplace represents an unprecedented opportunity to enter into the lives of people from all the nations of the world.
We are taught in the church to go into the entire world, and yet the church has been feeble in equipping believers with tools and understanding of how God views the workplace. How we view work has influenced how we act at work. Do we see work as a necessary evil or an incredible opportunity? If it is a necessary evil, then anything related to work becomes less than holy.
Our faith and the teaching that we receive at church do shape our behavior and values. But unfortunately, in an increasingly pluralistic society, being ‘nice’ is not enough. Do we know the hearts of our co-workers? Do we see our co-workers the way Jesus sees them? Does our passion at church extend to our responsibility at work to invite others to join us on a faith journey? Does our commitment to gathering in our congregations extend to a practical love for our colleagues and customers when we scatter as the people of God? Much of the strategic significance of the workplace flows out of the reality that we are constantly surrounded with colleagues, competitors, clients and customers. Daily, most of us are in close dialogue with unbelievers.
Teaching, training and tools are necessary but not sufficient to bring in the harvest that is waiting. Our understanding and our hearts have to be enlarged to see the ‘secular’ as something that God desires to make holy. Each one of us has a responsibility to make that happen––not through our strength, but through the power of the Holy Spirit. We cannot do it alone, but we can in partnership with God. A healthy understanding of how to work with God in partnership in the workplace will go a long way into bringing the Church to the workplace.
4 Where Do We Want to Be
In a sacred work environment, there is a vibrant relevant proclamation of faith in the workplace empowered by a move of the Holy Spirit, all supported by the empowering, dynamic, invigorating prayers of the local church. The workplace is one of the few environments where believers have access to an audience forty hours a week. The workplace is ideal for embodying the Gospel, living a life that reflects grace and truth. There are very few evangelistic outreaches where this is possible.
Rethinking how we do church has become a ‘catch phrase,’ but most efforts have been directed towards the improvement and refinement of existing programs without touching the fundamental issues that would open doors towards seeing God move in powerful ways. There are incredible stories of how God has been moving in churches that have been willing to rethink how they live out the Good News.
Directing this rethinking toward equipping people to live and proclaim their faith at work would help us to move from just being present at work to living out our faith at work. Properly equipped with a holistic God-view of the workplace, workers will become highly motivated harvesters. Fully engaging the world will happen only when workers are fully engaged in the workplace.
However, fully to engage workers in the workplace will require a change in the prevailing church mindset to accept workers in the workplace as Christ’s full-time servants. The distinction, along with the ensuing inherent biases, between full-time paid Christian workers and the laity must disappear with respect to the notion of being called into the ministry.
The greatest potential for growth for the church in the next generation comes from the people who hunger for meaningful relationships in the workplace. Our workers are in fields that are ripe for harvest, but they have not yet learned how to engage effectively.
5 How Do We Get There
Unfortunately, there is no universal recipe to get where we would like to be ideally. But there are some key steps we can take today to move closer to what God intended for us. For years the church and the secular have been kept in separate spheres. Each has its own prevailing culture that separates the workplace from church.
People don’t respond until they are moved to respond. In church we hear about the Good News and how God wants to bring hope to the world, but when we get into the world on Monday there is no invitation to co-workers to discover God’s grace, forgiveness and hope. There is a lack of passion for the spiritual welfare of our co-workers. As this goes on week after week, it soon becomes ‘normal’ to disassociate church from work. The gap between theology and praxis grows, creating a paradigm where church becomes increasing irrelevant to the workplace and the workplace becomes irrelevant to the church.
The Sunday and workweek dynamics that exist today are worlds apart even though they should not be. Workers and pastors for the most part live in different paradigms. Many pastors have spent the majority of their careers in professional ministry and don’t fully understand work dynamics. And workers have not attempted to educate pastors on how they spend the week in the workplace. As a result, each stays in his/her own respective worlds, meeting only at church functions. Workers have a responsibility to take their pastors on a tour of their workplace and pastors need to become more proactive in understanding the heart and context of the work culture of their parishioners. The Gospel is not just about theology but also about sharing living examples of what works and what does not.
Lunchtime Bible Studies at work, early Morning Prayer with fellow believers and corridor discussions are part of the solution. Workplace conferences and some of the books and studies on work are helpful tools and can assist in getting started. However, the problem is that many people do not, in general, integrate work with ministry. We don’t have many shining examples of Christian workers who are able to integrate seamlessly their expressive faith on Sunday with work during the week. Many people’s faith tends to be compartmentalized. Very few workplace believers make significant contributions that get noticed or celebrated at church on Sundays.
The church has to become alive at the workplace by making the workplace sacred. Work has to be seen as an integral and essential part of the mission field at our doorstep. Two things need to happen if the church - work divide is to be bridged effectively: we need to rethink globally the role of the church in supporting our workplace emissaries, and to rethink the role of work in motivating emissaries. Without deliberate rethinking and concrete actions, we will continue to perpetuate the current paradigm of workers doing very little to bring in the harvest that awaits our attention.
The Business as Mission (BAM) movement has demonstrated how we need to be much more intentional about penetrating the workplace. Its focus on the practical aspect in equipping entrepreneurs to succeed needs to become part of the culture of the church. One common characteristic of BAMers is that they are extremely passionate about their mission and willing to put everything at risk to achieve their objectives.
Work needs to be seen as an opportunity for mission, a place where we can bring God’s gift of love to people with whom we would not normally have contact. To transform the current secular paradigm of ‘working for a living’ into ‘breathing God’s life into work,’ church needs to become more than just worship and teaching.
6 What Do We Need to Do Now
We don’t need elaborate plans and strategies––we just need to start. But to help us get started, we do need to develop simple models that work and to build on current experience. We already have a number of good motivational books, studies and examples—and enough guilt about not doing enough—to get a good start. What we don’t have is enough critical mass to build and create momentum to make the process sustainable.
Bridging the current secular - sacred divide starts with bringing the church to the workplace. Greater involvement of the laity in developing strategies such as is happening at Cape Town 2010 is a good start. Although pastors rub shoulders with the laity in a church context, the discussions are primarily focused on church business and not workplace mission. Many pastors don’t have the background or knowledge to engage in practical mission-based discourse on reaching the workplace. Educating the laity on how to bring workplace issues to the church mission agenda is key, but must be done in parallel with helping the clergy to see the mission possibilities in the workplace. Everything that we do is a gift to God, whether it is preaching, teaching, designing, cooking, cleaning, creating spreadsheets or operating a machine. And everything we do should reflect excellence that is a worthy offering acceptable to God.
All the best training and all the best tools will gather dust on our shelves unless there is a renewed passion that can come only through prayer and the moving of God’s Spirit. The pulpit is a powerful instrument but only if it is relevant. Regurgitating old clichés without understanding work dynamics will only widen the secular – sacred divide.
Now is the time to put aside the old paradigms and start the process of transforming the workplace into holy ground where God is invited to move through each of our lives. Starting is great, but without sustainability as an integral part of the design, mission in the workplace will become a fad and not a growing reality. We need to ask God to raise up champions to drive the process. We need these champions to work with believers of all vocations and callings to build a community of practice to promote excellence and to keep the momentum going.
We have tools such as the Internet and Skype that can facilitate the exchange of knowledge through virtual communities that can have real impacts. Through technology, not only can we share but also experience the move of God in real time. We need to set the wheels in motion that will take us to places that we would have thought impossible.
7 What Does a Sacred Work Environment Look Like? – Joseph Model
Discussing what is and what should be will create awareness and motivate people into action. But unless we know where we are going we are at best growing in the dark. We all expect our endeavors to produce people who begin a faith journey and enter into a growing relationship with God. But going from where we are today to where we want to be does not normally happen overnight. We don’t have a magic formula or instruction manuals that guarantee perfect results, but we do have a collection of examples of what is possible. God has blessed me with a sacred workplace where I serve Him as a professional consulting engineer. I call it the ‘Joseph Model’ in honor of Joseph who transformed each of his work environments under adverse conditions.
The path to faith is a journey that reaches its critical state when searching gives way to commitment and ongoing transformation through a daily walk with God in an environment that has been reclaimed for God. However, in the process of planting the seed, there are many variables outside of our control, impeding growth to maturity. After years of trying to invite co-workers to join me on a faith journey, I realized that without an enabling environment, words and personal examples were not enough. To overcome some of the impediments to reaching the commitment phase, I started the discipling process from the moment that someone came into my sphere of influence. While I have the privilege of being a director of the company I work for, I also have the responsibility to use everything in my power to create an environment that is highly conducive to excellence in the product we provide and in helping people attain their highest potential.
I lead a highly skilled group of professional engineers with active projects in over 20 countries. Our primary output is high level consulting reports for governments, international funding agencies and senior electricity company executives. The values driving our work environment include accountability, responsibility, excellence, teamwork, discussions in a learning environment, risk-taking, forgiveness, support and celebration. While all these are highly desirable from a professional perspective, they also are critical in terms of helping people embark on a healthy faith journey long before any commitment to the Lord is made. These have become not only drivers to attaining professional excellence, but also an integral part of making good disciples.
Accountability reminds people that in all areas of life we are accountable to a higher authority. Responsibility reinforces the principle to work through difficulties in meeting our obligations and commitments. The value of excellence motivates people to do better than they have done in the past and better than others are used to doing. A learning environment stimulates discussion and encourages exploration beyond current knowledge to explore and discover more about life. Encouraging staff to take risks helps them learn to step out of their comfort zone into new territory while forgiveness is offered to those who make mistakes or whose risks have not turned out to be as successful as their initial optimism indicated. Support enables people to go in confidence to the next level of understanding and knowledge with celebration for successes. There is no secular – sacred divide in promoting these values.
This is a holy environment since all of the above values are fundamental to walking in faith. Such an environment is not only an environment for professional excellence but also for coworkers to be discipled long before they make a commitment to faith. Each of the values highlights an aspect of faith, and is practiced in the workplace on a daily basis, giving co-workers a taste of walking in faith, which is what the Good News is all about. Therefore when they meet Jesus, crossing the bridge into a life of faith will mean entering a lifestyle that is already somewhat familiar, because prior to their conversion they will have gone already through an intensive discipleship training course that will now help them grow rapidly in their relationship to God.
This is the sacred environment in which I live at my workplace. For others who are not in managerial positions, the holy ground may be limited to one’s shared workspace, desk or workbench. For some, a sacred workplace is the lunchtime Bible study once a week. For others, it could be coffee breaks and/or lunchtimes filled with discussions (not monologues) about matters in life. Ultimately what transforms the secular to sacred is the presence of God––and when God is present, changes take place. We are all called to be change agents. If Joseph could do it as a slave and as a prisoner, there is no reason why we cannot transform that which is within our sphere of influence into holy ground.
8 Road Map For the Future
The future is full of possibilities for reaching the billions who actively gain their living in the workplace. Where the road will take us depends on breaking the secular – sacred divide. Cape Town 2010 will bring laity in direct contact with church leaders. We can script a program, but what we need more than a script is an enlarged vision with effective leadership. And that will only come through prayer.
All movements need leadership. Leadership in the workplace is needed as much as leadership in mission agencies and churches. Many workplace people are leaders but many are not. The few who speak out or write get some attention, particularly if they are CEO’s or some luminary. We need to energize, train and equip laymen and women to lead for the Gospel in every corner of the workplace. How do we train leaders to be catalysts in their context—and to mobilize others? Many believers in the workplace truly want to reach out and have an impact. As in so many other contexts, they need leadership. Almost everyone thinks of leadership in the secular context and the church/organizational context. People read all the management books and leadership books on leading better in their work or ‘ministry.’ But what does it take to lead in the context of the workplace in order to make an impact for the gospel? Surely it is more than organizing a noon Bible study or a special speaker. What does that leader look like whether on the assembly line or at the head of a corporation? What do they need in order to develop their faith leadership skills at their workplace—not merely to be a better manager in their job?
At Cape Town 2010, may God open our eyes and break down the barriers we have created so that we may all prepare the workplace for an incredible faith journey.
© The Lausanne Movement 2010
Keywords: marketplace, people group, equipping, Bible studies, accountability, occupations, disconnection, multicultural, love, dialogue, training, Joseph, journey, culture gap, relevance, transformation, integration, intentional, passionate, leadership
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United States
Often it is those we are closest to, and really care about the most that we find the hardest to witness to. I wonder if it is because they see the "true" us each and every day. We need to teach our people to make sure they "live-out" the gospel in all they do. If we are different, people will notice and begin to seek what we have. Witnessing will be easier when Jesus is first in all aspects of our lives. Let us be like Joseph - depending on God no matter the situation we find ourselves in.
Great and thought-provoking paper. Needs to be shared with all of our churches
07.12.2011
United States
Thank you for this article on Work-place ministry. Oftentimes we go to work wondering how people will react if we talk about our faith. So in turn we keep our faith to ourselves. I appreciate the you lifting up that the harvest is ripe, but where are the harvesters. Carrying our faith to work and sharing it with our co-workers are great opportunities that reaches the masses and allows the gospel of Jesus Christ to have transforming effects in the lives of those who may not know him. We are the salt of the earth, and it behoves us to go, share and make disciples, even at the workplace. Our witness is only as effective as we make it. This article encourages me to encourage others to reach out to others who are hurting, and despondent, by sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Reggie
11.07.2011
United States
@ triedstone1009:
Triedstone1009,
You are so right in your comment that our witness is only as effective as me make it. That is something that I sometimes forget when I am working my secular job. Most times I am so focused on planning the next ministry event that I miss opportunties at work. Thank you for readjusting my perspective.
14.11.2011
United States
Willy
I also share you statement that the fields are riped in the workplace. there are so many opportunities for Christians to witness that if all of us will take advantage of the situation, there will not be enough of us to share the gospel in the places that we work. Inspite of the fact that in the majority of the workplaces talking about Jesus is prohibited, there are still plenty who allow believers to witness to their coworkers at a certaing time and place. therefore, let us not lose the wonderful opportunities that we have to proclaim the powerful truth that there is hope and salvation in Jesus Chirst our Lord and Savior.
17.10.2011
United States
@ Ernesto:
Ernesto,
You bring up a good point that sometimes Christians are not allowed to share their faith in Christ at work; therefore, Christians must express their faith in their words and deeds. If Christians would exercise the Fruits of the Spirit, their faith should become obvious to those around them. Since most of the world is not patient, being a patient with people will definately make you stick out as a Christian.
12.11.2011
United States
@ Haley_GWU:
that’s rihgt haley,
one of the methods of sharing our faith is by allowing the power of the Holy Spirit do HIs work in and through us. If and when we do it, then we will fully understand that God’s power has not limits and that He will use us in a special way.
13.11.2011
United States
@ Haley_GWU:
that’s rihgt haley,
one of the methods of sharing our faith is by allowing the power of the Holy Spirit do HIs work in and through us. If and when we do it, then we will fully understand that God’s power has not limits and that He will use us in a special way.
13.11.2011
United States
@ Ernesto:
Ernesto,
That is what I would like to communicate to our churches, if we let the Holy Spirit move then we can be used in such a special way. The Holy Spirit allows us to do things we couldn’t even imagine doing in our own power. The Holy Spirit is the key to effective work place ministry.
14.11.2011
United States
thank you haley,
doing evangelism in the work place is a blessing to Christianity because by doing so, we will reach a good amount of people that does not attend church. And, in addition to that, we will be obedient to the Great Comission of going to the ends to the earth to preach the gospel and make disciples.
13.11.2011
United States
@ Ernesto:
Ernesto,
Workplace ministry is a good way to get unchurched people into our congregation. I did not even consider that some people that are not bold enough to share Christ with their co-workers, can simply invite them to church to hear the Gospel.
14.11.2011
United States
thank you haley,
doing evangelism in the work place is a blessing to Christianity because by doing so, we will reach a good amount of people that does not attend church. And, in addition to that, we will be obedient to the Great Comission of going to the ends to the earth to preach the gospel and make disciples.
13.11.2011
United States
i HAVE LONG FELT THAT THE WORKPLACE IS THE INTENDED FIELD OF SERVICE FOR THE CHRISTIAN IN THIS AGE. WE HAVE UNDER UTILIZED OUR POTENTIAL TO INTIDATE THE WORLD WITH A POSTIVE ENERGY THAT SHOULD FOSTER GOODWILL TOWARD ALL MEN. THIS HAS BEEN DONE SIMPLY BECAUSE WE HAVE DICTOMIZED THE SACRED AND THE SECULAR AS A LIFE IMPLYIED AND A LIFE REALIZED. WE MUST ENGAGE THE WORKPLACE WITH MASSIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO REACH PEOPLE OF ALL RACES AND CULTURES AVAILABLE IN OUR WORK CIRCLES.
27.09.2011
United States
@ Billy_Houze:
Billy,
Like you said, fostering goodwill towards men is a Christians only chance for sharing their faith. Without kindess, Christians don’t have any merit to witness. It is so important that we teach our congregations this lesson.
12.11.2011
United States
For the past thirty years I have had the privilege of working in both the secular and Christian work force. First as a salesman and then as a manager for a large retailer in the South East. Now that I am a pastor I can reflect on my years in retail to determine what worked when it came to me sharing my faith. First, I do believe that the work place is a great place to share our faith, but I also believe that it is a privilege that is earned. Like the old cliche that says "people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care" is true or at least it is in my experience. Building a relationship with your co-workers allows you to share your faith when the appropriate time comes. The challenge that is ahead of us is building the relationship, because I fear that we are quickly becoming a generation that does not know how to talk with one anothern face to face. Today it is easier to send an IM, text message, e-mail, or Facebook comment to someone setting five feet away than it is to talk to them face to face. Nevertheless, I believe God has placed Christians in the work force to be a light to a darken world. We should not be afraid or ashamed of the Gospel as Romans 1:16 reminds us "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." Thank you for this article
02.10.2011
United States
@ pastort:
Pastort,
I agree with your idea that sharing your faith in the workplace is something that you must earn the right to do. You cannot expect to share your story without forming that relationship first. It is always good to be reminded of this fact.
11.11.2011
United States
I agree with Melanie that most Christians are too busy with "church work" that they miss out on making disciples. I think the best solution to this problem is to be knowledgeable of this issue and find a way to plug into society. Volunteering at social service organizations, like children shelters, or homeless shelters are an excellent way to get involved in the outside world. It is vital for ministers to find outlets so they can actually meet lost people.
25.10.2011
United States
@ Haley_GWU:
Your right Haley,
We Christians should take the time to interact with those who have been marginalized by society insead of ignoring them. If we are true followers of Christ, we have to live by personal example and go beyond our comfort zones in our churches. Jesus on the other hand, did not reject anybody during his ministry. On the contrary, He showed them His love and compassion by spending time with them in spite of the criticism from the religious leaders of His time. And, of course, He was not popular for the fact that he loved and cared for those whom have been abandoned.
26.10.2011
United States
@ Ernesto:
Ernesto you are right. Jesus did not do the popular thing but still changed people’s lives. The lesson we can glean from Jesus example is that if we act in accordance to the Scriptures there will always be people to minister with the Gospel. As long as we let the Holy Spirit dictate our actions then God will be faithful in providing individuals to minister.
28.10.2011
Australia
I found this paper and the discussions helpful, this is something I’ve thought a lot about lately, especially with Lausanne coming up...do we really need to be in "full time ministry" to be in full time ministry?
I was in a lecture last week and we were discussing the problem of witnessing to friends and sharing faith with work colleagues and them commenting that we as christians are too busy doing church stuff to really enjoy life! How are our church commitments and pressure in many churches to "get involved" often in numerous committees and ministries, helping or hindering our proclamation of the gospel? If we spend all our day doing Christian meetings, how do we firstly build meaningful relationships with those outside the church and secondly, how do we stop ourselves from getting bogged down in church politics?
I think we need to rethink our lifestyles in order to connect with our workmates better!
11.10.2010
United States
@ Melanie:
good point Melanie,
I agree with you that we Christians are too busy doing church stuff and we often forget what are proriorities are to begin with. I think that we can balance our daily walk with Christ by doing what He commanded us to do, to be the salt and light of the earth everywhere we go. By doing so, we will honor God and be a blessing to others as well.
25.10.2011
United States
Workplace ministry is definately one of the most important ministries in America. The majority of our church members are involved in a secular workplace atmosphere; therefore, it is vital that they take advantage of these opportunites. As church workers, we should inspire these individuals to utilize their opportunities. There are several things people can do before they even open their mouth to spread faith in Christ. They must perform at a highest standard than the average worker because Christ calls us to work as if we are working for God and not for men. Workers can also display a Christian attitude and kindness towards individuals, this alone should make them stand out from the crowd. I believe it is our job, as ministers, to inspire our people who have access to the people we can’t reach.
25.10.2011
United States
workplace ministry is a huge area to witness to those who do not feel the desire to attend a church service on a given Sunday morning. I have also learned from other experts on evangelism that the average christian worker is far more effective than the "professional ministers." I am not saying that ministers are not a blessing because I stronlgy believe that they are the experts in doing the work of the Lord in any context or setting. On the other hand, the average Christian has the ability to be a better witness to his coworkers for the fact that he/she spend the majority of the time with them. Therefore, they have the tremendous opportunity of to be a blessing to their fellow workers right at the exact moment of a crisis.
24.10.2011
United States
In regards to the ministry in the workplace, one should ask the question, if Christians don’t step up to the plate and speak in the name of our Lord, who will? yes, there are many other religions whose members claim to have "the truth" and they wind up distorting it. But, the turth of the matter is that the majority of the times, they will convince others due to the fact that they are in desperate need of spiritual help in such a way that they are willing to listen to anyone who shares his/her faith. My personal opinion is that we as Christians have the truth in Christ who said and in fact it was true, "I am the the way, the life and the truth, no one comes to the Father but, through me."
17.10.2011
United States
This advanced paper was very interesting because this topic is definately a severe problem in America. Christians feel unequipped and unable to share their faith with their co-workers, so they miss God given opportunities to make disciples. Every workplace Christian knows that there unchurched people in their office, so the first step is to simple take an interest in these people. If Christians begin to care and take an interest in their coworkers, questions of spirituality will arise. Once people know that you are true follower of Christ, they begin to see you as a moral counselor. They are likely to approach you and share information about themselves because they know you care about them. For Christians that are scared or feel inadequate, simply caring can be a great first step.
08.10.2011
United States
A colleage, Christian Overman, and I are partnering in presenting a workshop for church leaders: MAKING WORKPLACE-READY DISCIPLES (comparing the need here to the need for battle-ready soldiers in any war zone). We offer this strategy statement:
To equip workplace-ready disciples, we will mesh Sunday with weekdays by: (1) making scattered-church concerns a major part of gathered-church services, and (2) encouraging believers to gather even when scattered.
Among the tactics we recommend to carry out this strategy are: Sermons on the workplace; Reports from the front lines (workplace testimonies in public services); Public prayer for those in the work world; Video clips; Commissioning; Home groups that include workplace prayer ane encouragement; Pastoral visits to the workplace; Workplace groups (such as one just started in Microsoft); and Seminars.
I am currently doing a series on these tactics in my website, www.calledintowork.com.
23.10.2010
United States
@ LDPeabody:
LD Peabody,
Thank you for the website link. I was curious about how to equip my church with the information needed on being used by God in their workplace. I have a felow church member who has had to result to only being able to read her Bible or pray in the school which she is employed because of church-state regulations. I know the books listed on your website will be beneficial to her and the rest of the congregation.
17.04.2011
United States
Brother Wily,
Thank you so much for letting God use you to speak to us about such a vital area of our lives and our influence. God calls us to fulltime discipleship and evangelism. I am reminded of a story Stuart Briscoe once shared about an extraordinary experience he once had. He was conducting a new membership class and took the opportunity to have the students share with the class what kind of work they did. One of the students very boldly stated that she "was a disciple of Jesus Christ very skillfully disguised as a machine operator." I have no doubt this young lady shared her faith in every dimension of her life and was very willing let God use her to help make others what she had become. A disciple of Jesus Christ. Again, thank you for letting god use you.
30.10.2010
United States
Willy Kotiuga’s basic assertion, as I read it, is that "(secular) Work needs to be seen as an opportunity for mission." He believes that this shift "...will require a change in the prevailing church mindset to accept workers in the workplace as Christ’s full-time servants" and that "The distinction...between full-time paid Christian workers and the laity, must disappear..."
I couldn’t agree more, Willy. As you say, failure to engage our secular co-workers with the love of Christ fuels a mindset of separation between secular and sacred. We often leave the work of evangelization (which is much more than the traditional view of proclaiming the Good News of Jesus, it is perhaps more importantly about demonstrating the love of Jesus through our lifestyle) to paid clergy, resulting in the daily missed opportunities of engaging, as lay people, the needs of the world around us.
Willy also notes that the church needs to pray for a movement of the Spirit among God’s people...a movement which will renew our passion for the world. I believe that renewal is, even now, coming about. I see it especially on our college campuses, where young people are dissatisfied with the injustices present today. They are not looking to right these wrongs through only sacred insitituions and practices, but also through secular activities. They recognize that their calling is to serve humanity, in the name of Jesus, from their individual points of connection with society.
Missional is the term that is being used today to express these ideas. Living missionally is to live all aspects of life for the glory of God. May the church become truly missional, being people of God’s loving action as we pursue all that is secular through the power of the Sacred within us.
23.10.2010
United States
I think the use of Paul, Joseph and Daniel to the theme of being an influence for Christ in the work place was excellent. I had never before connected the dots before in those examples linking the two. It takes away the excuses of those who would separate their faith from the workplace. It gives us a biblical model to into the equipping of the church in this paradigm. Thank you!
18.10.2010
United States
Near the end of the article (page 7) the author states:
But what does it take to lead in the context of the workplace in order to make an impact for the gospel? Surely it is more than organizing a noon Bible study or a special speaker. What does that leader look like whether on the assembly line or at the head of a corporation? What do they need in order to develop their faith leadership skills at their workplace—not merely to be a better manager in their job?
I was looking for an answer on the next page. The question was not answered and for me it was a bit of a letdown. The article stopped too abruptly. I’m hoping some answers will come from the Congress.
18.10.2010
United States
Reading this article has greatly encouraged me. The author has put into words much of what I have a passion for that I haven’t been able to document. Because there doesn’t "seem to me" to be much emphasis in the local church for being a 24/7 witness in one’s life and work, one tends to feel like he’s carrying out a personal agenda and not being an obedient Kingdom worker. This is surely just a lie of Satan. I am greatly encouraged because I now know that there are many of you out there that feel exactly the same as I do and for this I thank you. There is hope!
18.10.2010
United States
May this congress inspire church leaders to encourage their people to utilize their gifts, talents and abilities to glorify God in the workplace! We are called to love others and to share God’s grace. I can think of no better place to naturally interact with others who do not know Christ than in our workplace. Each of us has an important role in sharing the Gospel, as we each have access into someone else’s life that no one else does. May the church awaken each believer to his/her unique contribution in this world and may active involvement in the marketplace and in every sphere of our society be encouraged by our church leaders. May we love others as Christ does!
18.10.2010
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