How to Start Workplace Ministry

Your workplace is already a mission field. The question is not whether God has placed you there. The question is knowing where to begin.

Mimi Chan spoke at our Work as Globalocal Mission Webinar "Building Bridges Across Faith At Work". When she was Head of Seasonal Events at Amazon Books, she was also the founder and chair of Christians At Amazon, which started with ten people praying together and has since grown to over a thousand members and twelve chapters.

Mimi surveyed her members and found that 75% of them feel comfortable being openly Christian at work, but only 55% have shared about their faith, and only 48% know of another believer at work. The disparity in numbers may be even higher among Christians in the company who are not part of her group.

Here are some real-world questions she addressed in the webinar about sharing the Christian faith at work.

How Did She Start Sharing Her Faith at Work?

Early in her career, Mimi met a colleague who normalized sharing about faith with her. So she was comfortable doing it from the start. People come to her now because they know she is a Christian. Opening up early about her faith made sharing easier and more natural.

She also brought up quieter, less intimidating ways to share her Christian identity regardless of career stage. Some local colleagues found out about her Christian group through a badge attached to her work contact information. Another way is to be open and transparent about taking time off for holidays or events related to faith. Given these clues, some people took the initiative to approach her because they sense a psychologically safe space for meaningful conversations. Eventually this openness may lead to sharing Christ with some of them.

How Does Workplace Ministry Compare to Full-Time Mission?

For those who feel strongly about sharing Christ as their life purpose, the question of whether they could serve better in workplace ministry or full-time mission will inevitably come up. The workplace is where Christians encounter 90% of the people in their lives who do not yet follow Christ. During the pandemic, 30% of those in full-time ministry considered leaving, while more professionals with pastoral or seminary backgrounds moved into marketplace roles. 

Mimi believes that God is sending more believers into the workplace because of better access to people who are not yet his followers. Countries around the world closed to the gospel are also welcoming of skilled foreign workers, who can naturally bring their Christian beliefs with them.

While bi-vocational professionals are reaching people overseas, God is bringing international students and workers to North America. This is work as globalocal mission in practice: the mission field begins at home. The Great Commission and the Great Commandment are given to all of his people. The question is: do senders see their mission field at home as goers see theirs abroad?

How Did She Start a Christian Group at Work?

Mimi's process was simple and it started long before any group existed.

1. Pray first. She began by praying for her workplace, her local colleagues, and specific people who might become the core group.

2. Gather a core. As she got to know more people, they prayed together to multiply impact before multiplying members.

3. Create a visible presence. The core group created a badge and used available channels at work to let others know the group existed.

4. Invite personally. In her experience, a personal invitation remains the most effective way to reach people. God does the rest.

Whether your next step is sharing your faith, recognizing the mission field where you already are, or starting a Christian group at your workplace or neighborhood — the key is simply to begin. You may feel alone. You may not know of another believer in your building. Start there: pray for one likeminded person outside of work who will partner with you, and watch what God will do. The Holy Spirit given by Christ is with you where he has placed you — to reach people for him.

Watch the webinar video for more suggestions on how to reach out to others with the love of Christ.