"Share Christ in the Workplace" (R. Larry Moyer)

TITLE: Show Me How to Share Christ in the Workplace (Show Me How Series)
AUTHOR: R. Larry Moyer
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2012, (192 pages).

Your presence in your workplace is not just a job, it's a ministry! So says the author of this book. Workplace ministry has been quite a popular topic in evangelical circles for quite a while already. Many seminaries are providing courses to equip students and ministry workers on how to actively live out our faith in the workplace. After all, if a person is only in Church once a Sunday, and at work for most of the other days of the week, the workplace is certainly a major opportunity for influencing others for God. Churches hold regular talks about the importance of evangelism and mission not just in social circles or in Christian events, but right inside our secular domains of work and business. In our increasingly secular West, and sometimes hostile anti-religious environment, the challenge is two-fold. First, how do we get past the initial hostility. Second, even if we can get the opposition forces to lower their resistances, what then do we do with the opportunity to share Christ? Step by step, R. Larry Moyer, a gifted evangelist and founder of EvanTell ministries does not simply tell us what to do. He shows readers the way to do it. With clear steps and concrete ideas, he declares that the workplace is the ministry, and the everyday worker who calls himself a Christian is to see that place as his full-time ministry and a calling to be the witness there. The whole book is based on seven systematic purposes for learning. For practice, it can be mixed and matched.

The first stage is Prayer. We pray for opportunities to share. We pray for boldness to speak. We pray for success, safety, and salvation. Before we can really talk to people about God, we need to talk to God about the people. We can discover the doors of opportunity. In regular prayer groups and Bible studies, one can create a consistent presence. Of course, any of these activities require an active application for approval by authorities. Even if one cannot hold the prayer meeting in the workplace, there is no law that bars one from holding a small gathering in a place elsewhere, like public park, etc.

The second stage is Lifestyle in the workplace, and in how we live. Through our behaviour and lifestyle, we are demonstrating Christlikeness to others around us. Be competent. Be consistently ethical. Be self-controlled.

The third stage is in our Speaking. If our speech be seasoned with grace, and flavoured with saltiness, we can win hearts and gain opportunities to share Christ.

The fourth stage is in knowing some basic truths of the Christian faith. What is truth? What is sin? Here, there is a need to be clear about our own faith, as well as knowing how to ask questions and to respond to the questions others may pose.

The fifth stage is Testimony time, where one needs to be prepared with one's life story of conversion. Three major areas often trigger interest. People like to hear about one's spiritual perspectives of family, job, and our own backgrounds. We move from the secular to the spiritual; from the spiritual to the gospel; from the gospel to the presentation of the Person of Christ. One effective method is the bad news/good news approach to enable people to understand the difference between the two.

The sixth stage is to use Public Speaking Opportunities. Learning to communicate well and clear is crucial.  Moyer gives some really good speaking tips here. Tips like learning to base our sharing on one big idea, to learn to speak and not preach, to be brief, to be clear, and to know when to stop. Practice is key.

Finally, Moyer shares some resources to equip readers on where to go from here. Learning is an ongoing process. From books to seminars, from speaking to learning from experience, there is a lot of ground we can cover when we take our own initiative.

My Thoughts

With a book like this, no one can give any excuse about not knowing what to do about workplace ministry. The steps are all clearly laid out and are easy to follow. The stages mentioned in the book are there for a guide, and not meant to be legalistically adhered to. After all, every workplace is different. Every individual has different gifts. Every opportunity presents itself quite differently each time. That is why being prayerful is one of the biggest ways we can equip ourselves with God as our Wise Guide. R. Larry Moyer has given the Christian community a great tool to use. He summarizes each chapter well by reminding readers the key points mentioned. Moyer himself is a good communicator. Many books are heavy in the theological aspects of workplace ministry. Others are too fluffy in terms of how best to share the gospel. Some others have many ideas but are not sharp enough to hit a big point home. This book is a good balance. It gives us the biblical basis for sharing, prepares us to equip ourselves first in God's strength and wisdom. Then it shows us how. The next step is obedience. If readers want to maximize the learning from this book, one needs to put the steps straightaway into practice. If the book can get you praying right away, it is already worth the price of the book.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Kregel Publications without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.