Supporting Christians at Work

The issues associated with supporting Christians at work are expressed in clear, unambiguous language and supported by biblical references. The author worked in advertising for ten years before his appointments at London Bible College and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. This monograph includes both pertinent observations and relevant quotations about opportunities and the support needs of Christians. Quotations such as 'The workplace is where many people are, people who don't know Jesus, where Christians can work to transform society' and 'Are we encouraging people to go out and fish in pools and puddles when they are sitting in a lake full of fish?' set the scene.

Although quite short and written primarily for pastors, the booklet is full of challenges for us all. 'If we really believe that the word of God equips the person for every good work, then why is it so many Christians believe that the...working place is no context for evangelism?' Again, 'I spend an hour a week teaching in Sunday School. The rest of the week I am a full-time teacher and the church has never prayed for me'. 65% of waking time is spent at work. 'Most Christians find themselves praying for the salvation of someone named by an overseas missionary, without knowing the name of their closest friend's boss!' adds another dimension to our praying.

Among the suggestions for building faith consciousness about the world of work are to pray in our worship services about the pressure points for those in particular jobs (eg. accountants, teachers, retailers); and to begin an 'adopt-a-worker' (or even a local firm or company) scheme in our churches. This is an impressive booklet written from an evangelical standpoint. The fact that copies were officially sent out last year to all Methodist industrial chaplains is testimony in itself to its usefulness.