EQUIPPED FOR THE WORKPLACE

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant
brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the
sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will, and may He
work in us what is pleasing to Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be
glory for ever and ever. Amen." - Hebrews 13:20

"We've spent too much time equipping our workplace believers to do our
ministries rather than equipping them to do the ministry God has called
them to in the workplace," said a third-world pastor to a large group of
workplace believers.
Over 70 percent of our time is spent in the workplace, yet our training
and teaching focuses on areas where we spend much less time. The
workplace is the greatest mission field of our day, yet we do not train
workplace believers how to effectively integrate their faith into their
workplace. The wall between Sunday and Monday still exists. Most
workplace believers do not understand that all of life is spiritual, not
just life on Sunday.
A recent study found that 50 percent of Christians have never heard a
sermon on work; 70 percent have never been taught a theology of work;
and 70 percent have never heard a sermon on vocation. Why do we focus on
the fringes rather than the center where most people spend most of their
time - the workplace?
God is removing the wall of separation by speaking to pastors and
workplace believers all over the world. A pastor recently shared how his
church ordains their workplace believers for their calling to the
workplace. Another pastor described their church's commitment to
integrating training for their workplace believers on the theology of
work. Another told how they began a workplace ministry within their
church for their workplace believers, and even integrated Sunday school
programs specifically geared to help workplace believers understand
their calling in the workplace.
We are entering a new era in the Church when workplace believers are
seen as a remnant of the Body of Christ who need to be mobilized and
trained for the work of the ministry to their own mission field-the
workplace. Are you one of the men and women God is raising up for this
task? Pray that God will help pastors understand and affirm this
calling, and that they will respond by training the people of their
churches for their own ministry to the workplace. When we reclaim the 70
percent, the remainder will be reclaimed automatically.