His Church at Work |
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May / June 2006 Ministry Momentum Dear Friends of His Church At Work, God is moving in the workplace! WorkLife ministry is being addressed by churches all across America, across denominational affiliations and across all demographics. This momentum highlights recent activities at Saddleback Church and Crossroads Community Church in Toledo, OH which started its WorkLife Ministry less than three months ago. His Church at Work was born out of the great desire to help churches empower and equip members like this to see their whole life as important to God and that work is not a curse, but a blessed opportunity to serve and grow in Him. It's great to see leaders like Rick Warren (see next section) carrying the message that every believer actually has the opportunity to worship at and through their work. For those of your who have joined and supported this ministry we thank you! If your church is not intentionally addressing this area and you would like to see it join the movement simply click here and see your church and communities transformed! Doug Spada, Founder--His Church at Work _____________________________________________________________ The first week was "The Worth of Your Work" -- Work that's aligned with God's purpose for your life is fulfilling and fruitful. When you connect your faith with your job and let God lead your career, you start to realize your daily labors have eternal significance. The second week was "My Ministry in the Marketplace" -- Our work is also ministry. In the midst of daily stresses, we have the opportunity to model Jesus and point co- workers to His love, grace and truth.
Like so many others are realizing today, Rick and the staff at Saddleback understand that the workplace is where their members are already "planted" by God and have the greatest opportunity to impact the world for Christ! (see testimony from Saddleback's Small Groups Pastor to the right). Even with these kinds of things happening, the fact remains that the overwhelming majority of Christians today have never heard a sermon on worklife or even been exposed to the truth that our work has divine purpose and eternal significance. Feel free to share this message with your pastor and friends in other churches that have yet to hear this message. God wants us to seek and find Him in every area of our lives. The church on Monday is evidence that the church on Sunday is real! _____________________________________________________________ "Now it's just a matter of who wants to go to harvest first. At Saddleback, we are praying for a Workplace Small Group in every work environment for every Saddleback Member!" -- Steve Gladen, _____________________________________________________________
It was brought to my attention that my day could be a reflection of me, a Christian. I should be working for God and not for man. A little spin of my perspective, doing it for the Lord and not for myself and everything changed. It's amazing the impact that God can have on you when you live your life for Him, including your daily work life. I realized that the job I hated put me in contact with hundreds of people on a weekly basis. My simple kindness - what I needed to do my job well - could be a reflection of the love of Christ, if I allowed it to be. The only way I could do that would be to offer my day to the Lord. That daily sacrifice was part of the plan that God has for my life. Since the day I discovered my work day was all about Him, the dread is gone and it has been replaced with a longing to do His work daily and offering it all up to Him. It's amazing the change my work has taken now that I do my work for the Lord and not for man. Sure, the work is the same, the pay is the same - I haven't gotten in to ministry or changed companies - but, my perspective and understanding of how what I do every day can have an impact on those around me - for the Kingdom - what an honor and an awesome responsibility. There is no preaching or bible teaching, nothing that would make things uncomfortable in a secular setting. Just changing my focus & perspective and doing "my day" the way the Lord would have it done - being kind when under pressure, taking the extra time to listen to a co-worker or customer in need, praying during my day to make a difference in someone else's life - it all adds up and all glorifies God. Bonus for me - I've begun to enjoy my work again. Thank you for providing the WorkLife Ministry. It is a great reminder of how every day can be for the Lord, if only we view it through His eyes instead of our own. Reaching non-Christians, ALL of His people, through our daily work lives." What impact would it have on your church if just 10% of your members had this kind of transformational experience? 20%? 50%? To begin WorkLife transformation in your church... _____________________________________________________________ Thank you for your partnership! We appreciate you. His Church at Work Team. |
How exciting to see another great church with vision and focus on what many consider the greatest mission field in America--the workplace.
"I am so excited about the deepening of our Workplace Small Groups. The bottom line is we don't care where people are connected; we just want them connected in healthy small groups. Most churches target homes and campuses first, which isn't bad; but God has a whole harvest waiting for us in the Workplaces of our members."
"There was a time when I hated my job. I dreaded getting up and going to work every day. It would have been easy to just walk away, but it was a good job, with good pay and benefits. So, there I suffered. Dreading my Mondays through Fridays, living for the weekends and each paycheck.|
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