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Introduction
Marketplace Champions are Christians connected with
their God 24/7. They champion the cause of mission in the marketplace in
their local church and they champion the cause of the Kingdom of God (KoG) in
the marketplace.
This is of primary relevance because the marketplace
is where working people spend some 67% of their waking time
Monday to Friday and this is the place where Christians meet non-Christians
most often.
Our goal is for every Australian to have at least one
opportunity to work alongside someone who is a living letter of God to them
(2 Cor 3:3).
Click here to join the Marketplace Champions Forum email bulletin.
Why
form a group in the marketplace?
In isolation we are fragmented and easily intimidated by the
forces of secularism. We are in a battle... and which army can fight a battle
without being trained into an effective fighting team? (Matt 11:12, Eph
6:10-18). This requires Kingdom focus,
relationships, connectedness, training, and resources.
In Isaiah the prophet warns:
We all,
like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the
LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isa 53:6)
This is the
territory of isolation! But we are amongst those called to be focussed
overcomers:
seek
first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given
to you as well (Matt 6:33)
and we are
called to teamwork:
From him
the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows
and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work (Eph 4:16).
The first rule for starting anything new is do your
homework. Always try to avoid reinventing the wheel.
Research
-
Is there a pre-existing group that will do the job?
Click here for a directory of known workplace groups.
-
If there is
a pre-existing group, take time to evaluate it's suitability and
effectiveness.
-
If not,
find a prayer partner who shares your passion... ask the Lord to help you meet
other suitable Christians in your workplace. Contact AMC and see if they
have any connections that may help.
-
Review
the AMC resource page for guidance.
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Review
the guidelines for Christian conduct and leadership on the resource page.
-
Review
the latest
research on connecting with the non-Christian people in our society.
-
Read some
of the recommended books.
Please note: avoid one-on-one meetings with a
person of the opposite sex. At all costs avoid circumstances that can lead
to the development of inappropriate relationships.
Getting
Started
-
make
yourself available to God in your workplace and wait on him to lead you
forward in how his Kingdom purposes can be grown through you (Isaiah 64:8)
-
commit to
excellence in the way you work and relate to your work colleagues (check out
the example of Daniel 6:3-5)
-
if you
have found a prayer partner you are already under way (Matt 17:20, 18:20 and
Zech 4:10).
-
Be
confirmed in your purpose. You are a strategic small group uniquely placed
by God to build the Kingdom of God (KoG) in your sphere of influence (Matt
6:10, 13:31-33, Luke 19:10, Col 1:16 and 2 Cor 5:17-20).
-
Through
your circumstances you are appointed by God to take 'spiritual duty of
care' for your company, department or division (John 20:21).
-
Ask these
three questions in your group:
a) What did Jesus teach about the KoG?
b) What would our company, department, team or division look like if the KoG was fully manifested in our workplace?
c) How can we make progress from where we are towards this objective?
-
Seek the
support of your local pastor or minister.
-
Where
possible join an AMC Marketplace Champions forum where
you can join with other people on a similar journey who can share
experience, encouragement, resources and ideas.
-
Affiliate with AMC as a vital part of a bigger
picture and subscribe to suitable AMC email
lists.
Workplace
Small Groups
Christian
small groups in the workplace are strategic new wineskin
microchurches. These key descriptors provide continuous reminders of how
to keep on track in this new work of God. Workplace groups need:
-
sound
leaders
-
seven
foundations
-
three
mandates
-
three legs
of balance
- to function effectively as part of the
big picture.
Let's unpack these descriptors...
Leadership
If you were appointed Captain of a football team what would be your
objective? Would you say to your team, "lets go out there and just
be nice people". No way. You're going out there to kick some goals!
Now not
everyone is an evangelist, but in 2 Cor
5:18 God has given every Christian a ministry of reconciliation and an
appointment to the role of "Ambassador for Christ"
(5:20).
Remember
that what you model has much greater impact than what you say. Your capacity
to influence others comes in the following ways:
-
7%
spoken word
-
38%
tone
-
55%
body language.
Imagine
you're an Ambassador in a foreign country. What are your objectives? How
about:
-
living an
exemplary life that honours your own country (in our case the KoG, John
17:19)
-
relating to the culture of your host country (John 17:18)
-
promoting your country's interests in the host country (John
15:16)
-
being wise in winning people to your country's
mission (John 15:27)
-
caring
for expatriates who need assistance
(John
15:17).
This
reflects
your role as an Ambassador for Christ in the marketplace. At work you
are a representative of the Kingdom of God (Matt 11:12). Accordingly you need
to live a consistent life that reflects your
appointment. This is possible as Christ lives in you in the person of the
Holy Spirit (John 17:23).
Do you
have to be Perfect to be an Ambassador for Christ?
No, people
will respect the integrity of your beliefs through your commitment to
consistency and your humility. For example, by replying to a colleague who
points out your mistake at work: “thank you, that was a good call”.
Strategy
Invest time in prayer and fellowship to develop
strategic goals for your
workplace group. These may include:
-
praying one
lunch time per week for your company, managers and work colleagues (taking
spiritual duty of care for your workplace
-
starting
an Operation Andrew prayer initiative
-
developing
wholesome relationships in the office
-
forming a
workplace mentor group to grow as living letters of Jesus in the context of
your specific work situation (2 Cor 3:3)
-
helping
each other mature as disciples of Christ where you spend so much of your
time - developing
mutual support and encouragement
-
investing
appropriate relational time with a non-Christian staff member one lunch time
per week
-
running a
business Alpha once per year
-
each member
having a target to lead one person to Christ in your workplace per year
-
inviting
your pastor to your workplace group
-
taking an
outreach initiative such as booking a table at the Melbourne Prayer
Breakfast or some other purposeful bridging event.
What
would your company, department, team or division look like if the KoG was fully
manifested in your sphere of influence? Define some goals that will help
your strategic small group move in the direction of your vision.
Click
here for guidelines for Christian conduct in the marketplace.
Click here for some great leadership guidelines from John Maxwell.
Seven
Foundations
The basis of
serving Jesus in the mission field of your workplace is not rocket science.
It is based on putting down the right foundations on which you can build the
Kingdom of God.
In the past
many Christians have been stuck in the old social paradigm where they don't
talk about religion and politics at work.
Yet if we are not willing to be transparent about the God who is at the root
of our lives, how can we have a relationship of integrity with our
non-Christian colleagues at work? Every ambassador wants to speak about his
country!
Jesus said we will be his witnesses... not go and witness (Acts 1:8). In
other words, you may not be an evangelist but you will be a witness. The
question is this: will you be a good or a bad witness? God wants you to be a
great witness for his son.
In the marketplace this witness is built on the following foundations, being:
-
competent
-
consistent
-
caring
-
credible
-
committed
-
connected
-
creative.
It is essentially through these Holy Spirit empowered attributes, along with
the Fruit of the Spirit and the Gifts of the Spirit, that
you may well be the first letter from God that your non-Christian work
colleague reads (2 Cor 3:3).
Microchurch
Jesus said "where two or three come together in my name, there am I with
them" (Matt 18:20). There it is: microchurch! No bureaucracy, no
overheads, no politics... just a few gathered together in His name for His
purposes. Do-able!
Then add
to this Jesus teaching: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this
rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."
(Matt 16:15-20). That is, on the basis of Peter's receiving the revelation
from God of who Jesus is and acting on this truth... Jesus will build his
church and evil will not overcome it. So putting this together: where two or
three take this faith into the marketplace to build the Kingdom of God
we have microchurch at work!
Microchurches do not replace the local church. Microchurches are people from
a variety of local churches working together in the marketplace to influence
there sphere of influence for Christ.
New
Wineskin
The biggest
battle we will face with microchurches will not be the world, but Christians
trying to pour new wine into old wineskins!
"Neither
do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst,
the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new
wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." (Matt 9:17).
The new
wine is a fresh new breeze of the Holy Spirit moving into new territory
in the marketplace. The old wineskins are perished, worn out, dull,
lifeless with divisive habits and patterns from the past.
Leaders in
marketplace ministry will need to be very clear that this is no place for
denominational differences, divisive attitudes and old thinking. Jesus warned
us not to pour new wine into old wineskins. We must be filled with the
Spirit, inclusive in attitude, creative, outgoing and full of faith for the
future. We are to be new wineskin microchurches with new strategic purposes.
Three
Mandates
God has tasked us with three specific mandates for the marketplace:
-
Creation
Mandate
partnership with God in caring for his creation (Gen 1:26-28).
-
Discipleship Mandate
God's love made known to our neighbours and colleagues (Matt 22:37, Matt
28:18, Lu 19:10).
-
Kingdom
Mandate
God's ways integrated into every aspect of everyday life on a personal
and corporate basis (Matt 5:13-16, 6:10, 13:31-33).
Please refer to the
AMC booklet: "How can I help my Church make the
Sunday-Monday Connection". This booklet contains more information about implementing the mandates of God in the marketplace.
Three
legs of Balance
Your new small group will succeed as it balances the
three reasons for your existence with Biblical integrity and wisdom:
-
Worship: in heart and attitude on a daily
basis,
click here for a
prayer to start your work.
-
Discipleship: growing in Christian maturity,
click here
for six lessons in foundations.
- Mission: building the Kingdom of God.
This balance will keep your group strong, like a
three legged stool on level ground.
Four Steps of Effectiveness
-
to
survive as a Christian in the workplace... this is all to often the case -
trying to earn a dollar and then retreat to the local church on the weekend
with a siege or hospital mentality.
-
To seek
to implement biblical principles in the way you do business
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To take
the Holy Spirit to work with you on a daily basis; and
-
To
transform your marketplace for the Kingdom of God.
Our objective is to see
people and microchurches grow up into the fourth dimension (credit: Ed
Silvoso, Anointed for Business).
Ten
"Big Picture" Objectives
Christian
groups in the marketplace do not exist to replicate small groups in local
churches. They have a big picture strategic purpose: to implement the
mandates of God in the ten spheres of society, ie:
-
business
-
charity
-
church
-
creative
arts
-
education
-
government
-
health
-
justice
-
media
-
sport.
Keep
Purposeful
Your group is strategically located to
strengthen and encourage each other as ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor
5:20). Right where you are...
in the place where you spend around
70% of your waking time Monday to Friday. This is where the rubber hits the
road!
Be encouraged, this is a wonderful mission
enterprise. Start small by simply having the heart of servant leadership
(Matt 20:25-28) and implementing together the great commandment (Matt
22:37-40). Then as a microchurch start to take on the spiritual duty of care
in the sphere of influence where God has placed you
(Matt 13:31-33).
Network
Ask the Lord to connect you
with other like minded Christians in your organisation. Here are some
practical networking suggestions that people have used in different
companies:
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If allowed, use
notice boards and intranets to make yourself known.
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Invite other Christians to join you
at marketplace events such as the Melbourne Prayer breakfast.
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Ask your supervisor if you
can email staff to hear a guest speaker or to come to a common interest
lunch or BBQ.
-
Click here for an
overview of how you can fit into the big picture of developing the Kingdom of
God in the marketplace.
Go to it in Jesus name (Prov 3:5-6, John 17:11-12 and 17:18).
Please
contact us if we can be
of any further assistance to you or your small group.
Suggestions on how to
Release Revival Imprints in Your Workplace
-
Realise your
work is the place where you serve God daily
see: Ephesians 2:10, 2 Cor 5:17-20 and
Col 1;20.
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Start
your daily work with prayer to turn your work into worship:
www.marketplaceconnections.com/archive/PDF/BeforeYouStartWorkToday.pdf
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Excel
in professional competency and take up training opportunities to
improve your skills.
-
Ask God
to fill you with Holy Spirit anointing for your work: Ex 31:1-11.
-
In so
far as it depends on you…
- look after God’s creation in the way you do business: Gen 1:28
- implement
Biblical principles in the way you work: Matt 6:10
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Take
the Fruit and the Gifts of the Spirit to work, eg: the
fruit of self control and the gifts of love, wisdom etc: Gal 5:22 and 1
Cor 12.
-
Develop
mateship with your work colleagues: take John 13:34 to work.
-
Do
something relational with not-yet-Christian work colleagues one
lunch time a week.
-
Pray
for those you connect with on a daily basis:
www.marketplaceconnections.com/resources/andrew.htm
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Be prepared to give an answer for the hope within you: 1 Peter 3:15
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Base
your witness on grace, integrity and humility rather than
perfectionism: 1 Peter 5:6
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Read
some key books to help you develop your ministry in your
marketplace:
www.marketplaceconnections.com/shop.htm
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Take
spiritual 'duty of care' for your workplace
by starting a strategic small group in your workplace one lunch
time per week to support each other and pray for your company staff and
management: Matt 18:19-20 and:
www.marketplaceconnections.com/resources/newgroup.htm
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Invite
a friend of colleague to subscribe to OnWatch:
marketplaceconnections.com/subscribe.php
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