Workplace Groups

 

 1. How can we be an effective Christian workplace group?

People often ask this question, or others that flow from it. Wonderfully, there is much freedom here and many great ideas. Let us share some wisdom that we have gleaned over the years, having had the immense privilege of being involved with many workplace groups across the City. 

Some encouragements:

1. Have a clear purpose: to reach your office with the gospel, that they may be won for Christ

 2. Relay your purpose to those in your group and those you invite

 3. Keep your purpose front and centre

 Notes of caution:

 a. Purpose: which one? There are so many worthy purposes you could have: to encourage believers, to pray for one another’s needs, to meet for fellowship… But we would suggest that the local church and church family is the best (and typical) place for all those things. The workplace group, in contrast, is unique in being a group of believers wanting to make the most of the exciting gospel opportunity in their mission field that is the workplace.

 b. Pressure to change or dilute purpose. This is real, but do work hard to keep your purpose clear and consistent.

2. How can we keep our evangelistic purpose  front and centre?

A useful format that groups use to help with this can be:

 a. Plan a meeting (monthly, fortnightly…? 30-45mins…?) to pray for colleagues to hear the gospel and for opportunities to share the gospel with them, and invite others to join you in that.

b. Begin reading a few verses to let God set the agenda (Psalm 1, John 5v21-24, Luke 19v1-10, Mark 2v15-17…?).

 c. Take prayer requests – particularly for each others’ ministry in the workplace: names of colleagues they are seeking for opportunities with, for boldness to tell people that they are Christians, etc.

d. Keep an event in your sights that you’re praying towards: Christmas carols, evangelistic event, etc.

Some encouragement:

a. Don’t be discouraged if people don’t commit – if you stay small but pray for your colleagues for 30mins, then it won’t be at all wasted time!

b. Don’t be surprised if there is pressure or encouragement to change the focus and become more introspective. That’s normal. But keep positively keeping the focus on evangelism.