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 Making a Christian Impact at work
At Transform Work UK we believe that the most effective way Christians can make an impact at work, is to get together and form a Christian Workplace Group (CWG). But quite often these groups can be seen as a way of ‘protecting’ Christians from unscrupulous employers in the same way that trade unions can protect their members in the face of industrial disputes.
It is true that the various UK laws to protect religious belief (Employment Equality Regulations 2003; Equality Act 2006 covering service delivery in relation to sexual orientation and religious belief), can sometimes be seen to work against Christian values. For example, we hear a lot in the press about the negative aspects of religious discrimination such as being suspended for praying for a patient; not being allowed to wear a cross; or being prosecuted for refusing to condone same sex orientation. But stories about Christians in the workplace need not be negative, as there is a strong case that religious belief, providing it is worked out with care and compassion, is of great benefit to any organisation. However, it is up to the Christians involved to make this the case.
One way is for a CWG to be formerly recognised as part of an organisation’s staff diversity network and to use this position to do good for all staff, including colleagues, management, customers and suppliers.
To do this in an effective way requires the group to be wise by being respectful and inclusive of others with different religious beliefs (or no beliefs) and gentle in how they work out ‘the Good News’. This should be bound up in a governing document that clearly articulates what the group is about and how it operates, that is completely non-threatening and which can be given to anyone in the organisation.
A good example of this is the CWG at a major council in Wales - CCCF. They are a group that is formerly recognised and works with the management teams for the good of both the staff and what the council is trying to achieve.
This group under the leadership of Sue Glendinning, regularly gives out ‘treats’ in celebration of Christian festivals such as Easter and Christmas, offers Bibles to those ask and runs various ‘Christian awareness’ events. They are allowed to promote the group and have developed bright, modern-looking posters to advertise their presence.
Many organisations recognize that to operate effectively, their staff need to be skilled at what they do as well as being physically and emotionally ‘whole’. While organisations can do a lot about skills, and to some extent, by offering or encouraging gym memberships and private health plans, can meet physical needs, they are usually at a complete loss to deal with emotional needs. Such as when an employee loses a loved one, suffers a divorce or is facing the threat of redundancy. These and other emotional trials can only be dealt with through ‘spiritual’ guidance – and that is where Christians can stand out with genuine love and compassion.
Jesus said that the mission field was ripe for harvest – the places where we work is our mission field. For one person to harvest alone is hard work and won’t cover much ground, but as a group we can make a real difference.
To find out how you can start a Christian Workplace group, order our ‘A short guide to Christian Groups in your workplace’, or download it from here.
To find out if there is a group where you work, visit our workplace directory.
 CCCF - a Christian Workplace Group in Action
Tagline:
Supporting staff. Building communities
Our Objectives
• We support staff in the workplace
• We work to help staff understand Christian beliefs
• We develop good relationships with stakeholders to help build a fair and just society and connect people together in mutual respect
Our Aims:
• V – to provide a voice for the views of Christians in the council
• A – to increase awareness of Christian beliefs through innovative engagement and excellence of our work
• L – to build relationships and lead community engagement in partnerships with Christians, people of other faiths or no faith
• U – to inform and influence policy to be understanding of Christian needs
• E – to educate and share Christian values in the council
• S – to support Christians and other staff in the workplace
Website:
At the side is one of the posters that leader Sue Glendenning received permission to put up in the buildings where she works. This has since been updated as the group is always looking at ways in which they can reach out to their work colleagues. |
Michael Coveney, 20/09/2011 |
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