Help to train and equip people for their ministry in the workplace.
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. - Hebrews 13:20.
"We've spent too much time equipping those in the workplace to do our ministries rather than equipping them to do the ministry God has called them to in the workplace," said a third-world pastor to a large group.
Over 70 percent of our time is spent in the workplace, yet our training and teaching focuses on areas where we spend much less time. The workplace is the greatest mission field of our day, yet we do not train workers how to effectively integrate their faith into their workplace. The wall between Sunday and Monday still exists. Most people in the workplace do not understand that all of life is spiritual, not just life on Sunday.
A recent study found that 50 percent of Christians have never heard a sermon on work; 70 percent have never been taught a theology of work; and 70 percent have never heard a sermon on vocation. Why do we focus on the fringes rather than the center where most people spend most of their time - the workplace?
God is removing the wall of separation by speaking to pastors and those at work all over the world. A pastor recently shared how his church ordains its people in the workplace for their calling to the workplace. Another pastor described his church's commitment to integrating training for people in the workplace on the theology of work. Another told how they began a marketplace ministry within their church, and even integrated Sunday school programs specifically geared to help those in the workplace understand their calling as it relates to the workplace.
We are entering a new era in the Church when all vocations are seen as a remnant of the Body of Christ, needing to be mobilized and trained for the work of the ministry to their own mission field - the workplace. Are you one of the men and women God is raising up for this task? Pray that God will help pastors understand and affirm this calling, and that they will respond by training the people of their churches for their own ministry to the workplace. When we reclaim the 60 percent, the remainder will be reclaimed automatically.
Writtten by Os Hillman. Os is president of Marketplace Leaders, an Atlanta based ministry. marketplaceleaders.org ICWM.net Contents distributed by WorkLife.org > used for non-profit teaching purposes only.
