Article written by Samuel Ennis from St. Peter’s Fulham
About 6% of the UK population attend church at least monthly, read the Bible weekly and pray weekly, and roughly 10% attend church once a month (according to data from the Evangelical Alliance’s ‘Talking Jesus’ survey in 2022).
This means that we have a huge mission field: over 90% of the UK population need to be reached with the gospel of Jesus.
In a city like London, one obvious place where you are likely to meet non-Christians is at work. The workplace is a great opportunity to meet the 90% of Londoners who don’t go to church, pray or read the Bible. One of the most memorable observations I can remember Dr John Stott (a well-known theologian) making was when he was told someone was going into full-time Christian ministry. John Stott’s view was that all Christians are engaged in full-time Christian ministry, not just church leaders! I would recommend listening to Richard Coekin’s talks on ‘A Healthy Church Is a Team Ministry’ on the Co-Mission website if you want to look into that issue further.
1 Peter 3:15 says, ‘Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.’
Are you ready today to explain to another Londoner the reason for the hope that you have in Jesus?
For me, integrity and consistency are my two main points of focus in workplace evangelism.
- Integrity
Your colleagues are likely to know you are a Christian, and they will judge the authenticity of your faith by how you act in the workplace. If they see you as a trustworthy and honest person, this will make your discussions about Christianity or invitations to a Christian event more impactful. As Peter reminds us, ‘Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us’ (1 Peter 2:12).
- Consistency
It is also important to be consistent in looking to invite work colleagues to events where they will hear the gospel. St Helen’s Bishopsgate is one of many churches that has midweek lunchtime services. I kept inviting a colleague to these talks, but for six months he always provided an excuse not to come. But then he came and never missed a lunchtime service after that. He became a Christian and then led a Christianity Explored course to help others investigate Christianity.
Another personal story concerns one of my best mates in the office. When I gave him a gospel tract on the true meaning of Christmas, he not only didn’t speak to me but avoided me for six months. Ten years later, he still remembered I believed in God and we had a chat, where it transpired he grew up in a church school, but didn’t enjoy it, and thought he knew all about Jesus! I kept in contact with him (and prayed). He is now open about God with me. I’ve seen that the key to consistency is acting in love, and not being led by the motive to win an argument or being legalistic.
Lastly, it’s important to show the relevance of Jesus in a person’s life. Many people are consumed by their material possessions and lifestyles; they are not seeking God. But everyone without Jesus is missing something critical in their lives. If others can see your integrity and consistency in living and sharing the gospel, they are very likely to see you shine like a star for Jesus (cf Philippians 2:15) and want to know why you shine!
Here are some practical tips for how you can get involved in workplace evangelism:
- Pray for the witness of Christians in the workplace. If you are currently employed, pray for opportunities to evangelise at work.
- Ask your church to organise a Sunday church service or a prayer service dedicated to the role of Christians in the workplace.
- Choose two or three non-Christians who you are going to make a conscious effort to speak to about Christianity or invite to a church event such as a carol service.
- Arrange an event that people can invite non-Christians to. This could be a coffee meeting, a sports event or something for those with kids.
Samuel has attended Co-Mission churches for over ten years, is a qualified chartered accountant and has worked in financial services in the city for over ten years.