Start a Christian group at work

At the London Men's Convention in May there was an interview with Ben Stone, who works for Schroders.

This month Ben tells EN more about life as a Christian in the City (London's financial district), and how he set up the Christian group that meets regularly at his firm . . .

When I applied to work in the City my motives were completely self-serving. I wasn't a Christian at the time and figured that the City was the place where I'd make a lot of money, which would allow me to live exactly as I wanted to.

I'd spent three years at university actively trying to disprove Christianity. I thought that the exclusivity of Christ's claims were supremely arrogant. However, most wonderfully, God had mercy on me and a month before coming to the City he showed me I was the arrogant one. I needed to repent and receive his forgiveness. I became a Christian and arrived in London starting to have a new perspective on life.

A Christian in the City

As a young Christian in the City, I at first assumed that my time working there would be short-lived. With the ignorant zeal of the new convert, I expected that God would want me to leave and go and do what was surely the only useful thing in life - full-time evangelism and Bible teaching. However, God has taught me that the City is a mission field as needy as any other. He needs workers there who not only do their jobs well but also regard themselves as missionaries, placed there by God to bring him glory. That's where God had placed me and that's where, for the time being at least, he intended me to serve him.

That isn't to say I've found this very easy. All work places are pretty tough but I found the City to be a particularly hedonistic place. It was all too easy to get caught up in this. To this end, I tended to compartmentalise my life. I would be involved in church things at the weekend but in the week would tend to go with the flow of what was happening around me. I found it very hard to live in a distinctively Christian way that would mark me out as different from others.

I began to see things weren't as they should be. I realised that instead of caring about witnessing to my colleagues, I was more interested in myself. Things had to change. If only I knew other Christians in the workplace - at least then we could support each other and help each other to live godly lives and keep praying for the non-Christians we were surrounded by.

To that end I desperately started praying. As far as I knew I was the only Christian at Schroders. However, it is a big organisation so I couldn't be sure. I prayed that God would either bring another Christian to Schroders, or allow me to meet one, or else convert someone I already knew. I was thrilled when, after a few months of prayer, somebody who wasn't a Christian put me in touch with another Christian at work who knew about two other Christians. The four of us began to get together once a week to encourage each other and spur one another on.

Having a group has made a real difference to me. I found it so encouraging knowing that others were also struggling! Like me, these Christians were having the same battles and temptations but were fighting to keep going and keep pleasing Jesus. It was heartening to know other Christians were praying and looking out for me as I faced the pressure of the office - praying I would keep living the right way and not get sucked into the City way of life.

An outward focus

It's hasn't always been easy keeping the right focus in the group and to stop it from becoming another prayer group preoccupied solely with our own problems and concerns. Whilst we do pray for each other and different needs and situations, we also make sure we start each meeting with a few verses from the Bible that remind us of the gospel and its eternal truths. We remember that Jesus has come to give us eternal life and that this is the greatest need of all of our colleagues. They might believe that what they need is a holiday or a pay rise or a nicer boss but actually they really need to be forgiven. Having thought about these truths at the start of the meeting it then spurs us on to have an outward focus. It reminds us to be praying for our godliness and that our colleagues would come to understand the gospel and acknowledge Christ as their Lord.

Gospel-sharing

As well as praying, we also seek to keep urging each other to live godly lives in the workplace. This might mean an encouragement to keep loving and working hard for one's boss, even if he is being selfish or difficult. Or at times of promotion or bonus, or, more recently, when faced with the threat of redundancy, we've kept reminding each other that our hope should not be in our career or money but in the Lord Jesus.

In terms of actively seeking to expose our colleagues to the gospel, we are very fortunate in having a weekly evangelistic lunchtime service at a church nearby that we've been able to invite them along to. But we really wanted to take the gospel into the workplace for those who weren't willing to come to these lunchtime talks. So we organised a carol service that now takes place every Christmas. Each year God has drawn between 100 and 200 people along to hear the gospel explained simply and clearly by a guest speaker. As a result, some have been willing to come along to the lunchtime services and our home churches to hear more.

As well as big events, we have also encouraged each other to share the gospel and read the Bible one-to-one with our colleagues, and arrange more low-key events. One summer I had the enormous privilege of studying Mark's Gospel with four non-Christian workmates. Another colleague organised a dinner party for his department and asked someone to come and give a talk about Jesus and the evidence for his existence.

Reactions

Reactions to all these efforts have been mixed. There have been many negative responses, some hostility, and for the first four years that we met together we didn't see any fruit at all. Wonder-fully however, despite our lack of faith at times, God kept us praying and in the last couple of years we have seen a few people turn and give their lives to Jesus. There really is no greater thrill than seeing God change lives by bringing them to know, love and worship Jesus.

Apart from the rejections mentioned above, there have been some other discouragements. It is always disheartening when people calling themselves Christian, who go to church every Sunday, seem to show no interest in living this out during the week. They never talk about their faith, they don't want to meet to pray, and don't live distinctively. They don't invite people to the carol service, don't even turn up themselves and refuse to receive or give Christian encouragement and support. This has been really heartbreaking at times and it makes you wonder whether they really believe the eternal realities of the gospel.

Keep going!

So what would be my advice to someone who believes he is the only Christian in the office?

Well, firstly, I'd say that while having a group is great, it still doesn't make it all plain sailing to live as a Christian in the office. It's still a real struggle. So don't envy what you don't yet have. Instead, keep reminding yourself of the eternal realities. Take five minutes out of your day, sit back in your chair and look around at your colleagues. Tell yourself that, however contented and successful your colleagues may seem, they are really in big trouble. They are on the path to hell and face God's wrath. Their greatest need is to come to know Jesus.

Secondly, seek to make yourself known as a Christian early on. Have a Bible on your desk and mention you are a Christian. Be bold and rather than talking about the fact you go to church at the weekend, talk about what you learned. It's not very British and it's not easy but pray that God would help you respond to questions by talking about your relationship with Jesus openly and naturally. Even if your non-Christian colleagues display no interest they may put you in touch with other Christians in the workplace. After all, that's what happened to me.

Thirdly, get praying. Pray that you would meet other Christians or that God would create new ones! Get your local church behind you and ask them to pray and to keep encouraging you to see the workplace as a mission field. After all, if you are a Christian who works you are already a missionary in your workplace. It is the privilege and responsibility God has given to you. So pray, pray, pray, that you would live up to your calling and bring God great glory in the work environment he has chosen for you.