This is really great stuff! Lots of great examples, and a really great theological framework.

Thanks for reading and commenting, JD Larson!

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This article offers a compelling and much-needed corrective to the church’s often narrow vision of ministry. I was particularly struck by the line, "God’s mission is not primarily about getting people more involved in what churches are doing, but getting churches more involved in what God is doing in the world." That shift from attractional to equipping resonates deeply with Paul’s vision in Ephesians 4:12, that the role of church leaders is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”

What I appreciate most is how the article avoids romanticizing work while still affirming its sacredness. Genesis 1 portrays humanity as called to “fill the earth and subdue it”, a cultural mandate that doesn’t end at the church door. But as the article rightly notes, we often give lip service to this theology without altering the structures or priorities of our churches.

That said, I wonder if the article could push further on how equipping the saints also requires us to deal with systemic injustice in the workplace. Isaiah 58 reminds us that true worship includes loosing the bonds of wickedness and letting the oppressed go free. How might equipping churches also disciple people to challenge unethical norms in their industries, not just to survive or even thrive, but to bear witness to the kingdom of God?

This vision is exciting...and costly. But if the church is to truly live out Romans 12:1, offering our bodies as living sacrifices in all of life, then this kind of equipping isn’t optional. It’s essential.

This was a great article on bringing to light how the church can and needs to equip its congregants for Monday-Friday "work." An excellent question is "what does the church look like on Monday? The church's congregants go to their place of work during the week and don't have anything to do with the church again until the following Sunday. Historically, we've gone to church on Sunday and we have worshipped and been fed the Word and yet how are we doing God's work effectively doing God's work? The article provided a great perspective that much of the church's perspective has been to "train" its congregants in its way of doing things and often that fails as opposed to coming alongside God and doing things His way. Paul provided a great admonition in Colossians 3:17 in which he wrote, "In all that you do, whether in word or deed, do unto the glory of God and not unto man." This is an excellent mandate for our daily work - to seek to glorify God in all that we do (which should include what we do at work). However, how do we do that is such a way that is meaningful and relevant - doing our work in an exemplary manner for our employer and bringing glory to God in the process?
This is where I think the church can be helpful in teaching and equipping congregants as to what that means. I attended a conference in which just such a dialogue was taking place and one of the speakers had some great ideas as to how to manifest such behavior - tangible steps to make it real. Sone of the most relevant tangible steps/actions I found to be very helpful in this pursuit were the following:
Dependence. Go to work utterly dependent on God (Proverbs 3:5–6; John 15:5). Without him you can’t breathe, move, think, feel, or talk. Not to mention be spiritually influential. Get up in the morning and let God know your desperation for him. Pray for help.

Integrity. Be absolutely and meticulously honest and trustworthy on the job. Be on time. Give a full day’s work. “Thou shalt not steal.” More people rob their employers by being slackers than by filching the petty cash.

Skill. Get good at what you do. God has given you not only the grace of integrity but the gift of skills. Treasure that gift and be a good steward of those skills. This growth in skill is built on dependence and integrity.

Corporate shaping. As you have influence and opportunity, shape the ethos of the workplace so that the structures and policies and expectations and aims move toward accordance with Christ.

Impact. Aim to help your company have an impact that is life-enhancing without being soul-destroying. Some industries have an impact that is destructive (e.g., porn, gambling, abortion, marketing scams, etc). But many can be helped to turn toward impact that is life-giving without being soul-ruining. As you have opportunity, work toward that.

Communication. Work places are webs of relationships. Relationships are possible through communication. Weave your Christian worldview into the normal communications of life. Don’t hide your light under a basket. Put it on the stand. Winsomely. Naturally. Joyfully. Let those who love their salvation say continually, Great is the Lord! (see Psalm 40:16).

Love. Serve others. Be the one who volunteers first to go get the pizza. To drive the van. To organize the picnic. Take an interest in others at work. Be known as the one who cares not just about the light-hearted weekend tales, but the burdens of heavy and painful Monday mornings. Love your workmates, and point them to the great Burden Bearer.

Money. Work is where you make (and spend) money. It is all God’s, not yours. You are a trustee. Turn your earning into the overflow of generosity in how you steward God’s money. Don’t work to earn to have. Work to earn to have to give and to invest in Christ-exalting ventures. Make your money speak of Christ as your supreme Treasure.

Thanks. Always give thanks to God for life and health and work and Jesus. Be a thankful person at work. Don’t be among the complainers. Let your thankfulness to God overflow in a humble spirit of gratitude to others. Be known as the hope-filled, humble, thankful one at work.

These actions, in whole or in part, done on a routine basis, I believe will serve to differentiate Christians in a positive way in a work environment and bring glory and honor unto the Lord. I pray that it may be so!

I was struck by the portion of connecting work to worship and the church's role in doing so. As a member of Gen Z, I'm not sure if this is unique to my generation or simply youth in any generation, but many of my peers are not particularly interested in thinking about their work as an act of worship. They might see their creative work as an act of worship, but beyond that, they often don't look for God in the mundane things. They might think, "I need to go to church again," or "I need to read my Bible more," which are good things. However, as the article says, being a Christian is a lifestyle, not just an activity. We should be asking, "How can I worship God in washing the dishes as well as in more creative pursuits?"
I'm reading Brother Lawrence, and it's beautiful how he contemplates the Lord in the mundane things. My prayer is that churches would help their congregations move away from a Sunday morning routine faith and encourage a Monday morning faith. This type of faith challenges our comfortable Western lifestyle, prompting us to integrate our spiritual beliefs into every aspect of our daily lives.

Its good to read what churches can do and are doing to address the disconnect. Churches are using various methods to integrate work and worship, such as sermons by Steve Graham in Christchurch, New Zealand, that relate biblical stories to daily work, receiving positive feedback. Bible readings, children’s talks, hymns, and contemporary songs highlight connections to life and work, helping congregants apply scripture to their work lives. Participatory prayer and liturgy reflect congregants’ work experiences, reinforcing the link between worship and daily activities. Some churches bridge the Sunday-Monday gap by discussing work in home groups, holding commissioning services to pray for and support daily work, and celebrating festivals like transformed Harvest Festivals to highlight the value of all types of work. To equip congregants for spiritual growth, churches provide resources such as faith and work resource centers, small group studies, and workplace fellowships for recent graduates to integrate their faith with their careers.

The evolving approach to worship in some churches emphasizes a stronger connection between faith and work. These connections are explored through songs, prayers, testimonies, and preaching. Churches are realizing that worship extends beyond church services into everyday life. As a Sydney Anglican paper on worship notes, "Worship is the appropriate response of the entire person to God’s revelation in Christ: it is an all-of-life activity (e.g., Romans 12:1)." Churches encourage congregants to practice what Paul talked about: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…It is the Lord Christ you are serving (Colossians 3:23-24)."

George Shakwelele

Article: “Equipping Church”

The work of discipleship is at the heart of pastoral work. It was interesting to read about the kind of ministry focused on discipling professionals in the church so that they can use their jobs as a ministry to their colleagues. It was informative to read about churches that are doing well in the area of discipleship. I appreciated the following quote: “God’s mission is not primarily about getting people more involved in what churches are doing but getting churches more involved in what God is doing in the world.” The focus of discipling workers is to prepare them to be involved as missionaries or witnesses at their workplaces. As observed by the author, this approach is a departure from the traditional church ministry in which people are invited to get involved in the ministry of the church, mainly in those church programs that take place on Sunday and are related to the worship service. I like the idea of “equipping and supporting” professional church members for the sole purpose of serving. This is a shift in emphasis from attracting crowds at church meetings to equipping and supporting followers of Jesus to use their professional workplace as a mission field. I agree with Stuart Dugan’s conclusions from his study that there is “no single model for marketplace ministry”; the size and the financial strength of the church matters; context and level of maturity counts; and finally, “no single model is adequate in and of itself” for the implementation of the “faith-at-work” program in any given congregation. I think this a very helpful guide for both churches already doing it and those considering starting such a ministry. I have been a pastor for many years, and I have encouraged professional church members to use their jobs as their calling, but I never thought of developing a discipleship “faith at-work” program. The article was an eye-opener for me to consider broadening the discipleship program in my own philosophy of ministry. The pastor, leadership team, and the entire membership should agree to move forward together in implementing this program. There needs to be a plan that fits the pastor’s philosophy of ministry.

The other point that I found interesting is the idea of commissioning professionals to use their disciplines as ministry at their place of work. Reading the argument, I saw the need for doing that in my church. However, the article’s lack of examples of such a practice in the New Testament church made me to desire to search the Scriptures in more depth. It appears that the practice of commissioning members was usually linked to the vocation of Christian ministry or church workers (Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3). The article was very informative and thought-provoking in how it discussed discipling professionals for ministry at the workplace. As was observed, the local church should develop a model for this ministry, which should be guided by the Holy Spirit in its implementation. I will continue to study and develop a “faith-to-work” that is relevant and applicable in my context.

References:

https://baltimorebiblechurc....
https://bible.knowing-jesus....
https://www.theologyofwork.....

George Shakwelele

Article: “Equipping Church”

The work of discipleship is at the heart of pastoral work. It was interesting to read about the kind of ministry focused on discipling professionals in the church so that they can use their jobs as a ministry to their colleagues. It was informative to read about churches that are doing well in the area of discipleship. I appreciated the following quote: “God’s mission is not primarily about getting people more involved in what churches are doing but getting churches more involved in what God is doing in the world.” The focus of discipling workers is to prepare them to be involved as missionaries or witnesses at their workplaces. As observed by the author, this approach is a departure from the traditional church ministry in which people are invited to get involved in the ministry of the church, mainly in those church programs that take place on Sunday and are related to the worship service. I like the idea of “equipping and supporting” professional church members for the sole purpose of serving. This is a shift in emphasis from attracting crowds at church meetings to equipping and supporting followers of Jesus to use their professional workplace as a mission field. I agree with Stuart Dugan’s conclusions from his study that there is “no single model for marketplace ministry”; the size and the financial strength of the church matters; context and level of maturity counts; and finally, “no single model is adequate in and of itself” for the implementation of the “faith-at-work” program in any given congregation. I think this a very helpful guide for both churches already doing it and those considering starting such a ministry. I have been a pastor for many years, and I have encouraged professional church members to use their jobs as their calling, but I never thought of developing a discipleship “faith at-work” program. The article was an eye-opener for me to consider broadening the discipleship program in my own philosophy of ministry. The pastor, leadership team, and the entire membership should agree to move forward together in implementing this program. There needs to be a plan that fits the pastor’s philosophy of ministry.

The other point that I found interesting is the idea of commissioning professionals to use their disciplines as ministry at their place of work. Reading the argument, I saw the need for doing that in my church. However, the article’s lack of examples of such a practice in the New Testament church made me to desire to search the Scriptures in more depth. It appears that the practice of commissioning members was usually linked to the vocation of Christian ministry or church workers (Acts 6:6; Acts 13:3). The article was very informative and thought-provoking in how it discussed discipling professionals for ministry at the workplace. As was observed, the local church should develop a model for this ministry, which should be guided by the Holy Spirit in its implementation. I will continue to study and develop a “faith-to-work” that is relevant and applicable in my context.

References:

https://baltimorebiblechurc....
https://bible.knowing-jesus....
https://www.theologyofwork.....

I really like the introduction to this article in preparation for the church, "The effectiveness of a church’s mission largely depends on its ability to mobilize its people in doing God’s work in the world. The largest force the church has to accomplish its mission is the People of God engaged in the life of the world every day in the course of their daily work." This quote reminded of a lecture in a business class where my professor expanded on the call of Christian, which is first a dedication to God, secondly, to the immediate family, and third to the body of Christ. In this sense, placing God first in our lives as he is a Jealous God, and we are told to "seek first His kingdom and righteousness" (Matthew) we can continue to remain in obedience to commands. With our obedience comes our responsibility to love our neighbor like we love ourselves, emphasizing to love those near us in our household, then to those near by through our interactions and vocation. Because vocation is a major part of our lives were honor God in many aspects through our creativity, interactions, involvements, and ethics, we get to experience God in our work place and extend that to our coworkers, which I like the notion as stated, "Churches that support Christians at work find themselves on a journey in mission. Their focus has expanded from concentrating on what God is doing in the church to include what God is doing in the world." Every work setting is unique learning opportunity for us and having the church behind us through intercession and wisdom on how to deal and serve others in an empowering tool to move the kingdom forward in unity. Author Tom Nelson writes, "A concern for the well-being of others and the flourishing of the broader society in which we live is strongly affirmed throughout Scripture," (2011). Work Matters : Connecting Sunday Worship to Monday Work. Crossway. providing an example by Jeremiah where God's people were exiled and then commanded to live and help the Babylon flourish so they too may flourish. This also translates for us to help our neighbors and coworkers that we can all prosper together.

In the vision of God of the workplace I really like how its mentioned, "These churches give the people of God a sense that they have been strategically placed by God in their working worlds to make a difference there" here by the church coming together to support one another magnifies our feel good emotions knowing that we are contributing to God's kingdom through our church body and promotes a stronger sense of unity within the body as it is something they can go through together. Relationally people will feel better attached to their congregation which they can follow up as it won't be a superficial connection, but one of concern for one another. By having people in the church asking about what happened in our work or how we handled a certain situation creates accountability to keep up with what we say and not feel discouraged about what may be happening. When a pastor follows up it we feel as someone who really cares about what is going on in our lives both at work and in the personal. With a lot support, guidance, and preparations for our vocation it can lead to an outward focus to serve others and love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

This article invoked a lot of great ideas as I read through it. The first point that stuck out to me was the idea that the main influx of new church goers occurs in the occupations of current church goers. This highlights the importance of being able to carry out God's work outside of the church. While Sundays spent in God's house are essential, being able to do what He has called us to the other 6 days is equally as important. For example, if we are approached by an individual at work that is interested in expanding their faith but we are "in work mode" we will miss an opportunity to bring another person into the Kingdom. This highlights the importance of always being ready and able to carry out the good fight and be the light we were created to be. I need to constantly remind myself to be ready for these opportunities and pray that God open my eyes to them. Thank you!

Work takes up the majority of people’s lives and there is often a huge disconnect between their faith and their work. As Tim Keller pointed out in the video in the sidebar, people will tend to follow the spirit of the age and have less joy unless the church steps in and disciples them.

This is an excellent article. So often the value of something is championed without sharing the “how-to” so people can actually do it. There are so many good ideas in this article to really help churches disciple their workers. I really like R. Paul Steven’s idea of getting people up and telling their stories during the service. Another good idea is to have a breakfast focused around faith and work.

In my church, we held a seminar designed to help people find and fulfill their calling. People of all ages showed up to discover their purpose. Paul knew his life had two callings: to know Christ and to make him known (Phil. 3:10, 12). He pressed on toward that calling to making Christ known to the Gentiles. It gave him purpose is suffering and marching orders when his work was hard. People want to have purpose in life and the church can help them find it!

There is so much good stuff here both in the theological sense but also in the practical sense!
I appreciate this quote, "God’s mission is not primarily about getting people more involved in what churches are doing, but getting churches more involved in what God is doing in the world. It is a shift in emphasis from attracting crowds to church meetings towards equipping and supporting followers of Jesus for their work in the world."
As a Church staff member, I appreciate this perspective especially in how it relates to equipping our congregation for Gods mission in the workplace. So often the desire of Church leadership is to get bigger numbers of people into the Church to get discipled. However, in that process, the concept of outreach and a missions mindset is lost because we get comfortable staying in our little Church bubble.
These resources establishes well the concept that Gods mission is for everyone to know the truth of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 2:4). How would God accomplish this task if it were only up to the pastors or missionaries. It discounts the other 95% of the congregation that works the "regular" jobs. I would imagine that God would want all His followers, no matter where they are, to participate in this goal. The article, "The other 100,000 hours" by Chris Armstrong discusses well the importance of understanding the importance of our work especially since throughout our entire lives, it is what we spend the most time doing.

How do we include the more intentional mission service to people away form our city, country, if we are only (mainly) thinking, praying and reaching those who are near? Does the concept of TOW has a place for going over there, sort to speak. If so I don't see it covered in this article.

This is a lot of great information in understanding God’s will for humanity on a daily basis, in a fallen world, in fallen bodies.

Eugene H., thanks for reading! We hope you'll share our resources with your Christian community.

I have been working at, thinking about, planning for, enticing others into, wondering about (how bible study is part of),

Hi Peter, Thanks for reading. If you're interested in work-related Bible studies that you can do individually or as part of a group, we have some here: http://theologyofwork.chris...