Opportunities for Workplace Ministry in Canada
Abstract
Most Christians spend one to ten hours per month at church. They spend another 160 to 200 hours per month at work where they must contextualize what they learned and experienced at church. Christians who effectively contextualize the gospel in their workplace are a blessing to their workplace and beyond. Christians who struggle to see the relevance of the gospel to their workplace context often struggle with their faith, may leave the local church, or may abandon their faith.
There is a symbiotic relationship between a Christian’s workplace and place of worship. When the church invests in people to live out the principles of God’s kingdom in their workplace, these individuals are better equipped to cope with the stress of the workplace and are more engaged in their work, leading to higher profitability and productivity for their employer. When Christians experience God in their workplace, they bring to the local church the leadership skills they have honed in the workplace with renewed energy and vigor, enabling the local church to be more effective.
In this article, I will examine the following questions from a first-hand perspective as a consultant for the railroads and as chaplain coordinating workplace faith communities in Calgary, Alberta: What are the demographics of the workplace in Canada in the 21st Century? What organizations are ministering in these demographics? What are some challenges that Christian’s encounter in these demographics? This article will also include original qualitative research interviewing practitioners in the faith and work movement in Canada and Christian HR professionals.