Faith at Work – Femi Idowu Visits Hackney Council 

 
My visit to Hackney Council was to encourage the Christian Workplace Group members on how to consolidate and improve on what they have been doing to make a positive difference in the borough.

That’s why I gave a short talk on ‘Faith at Work’, which formed the basis of our discussion and question and answer session.

From personal experience, I know it is easy to get ‘mixed up’ in what we should or should not be doing as Christians in the workplace. It is therefore important never to lose sight of the fact that we were employed essentially to do a job for which the employer needed our skills for the benefit of the community. To be very efficient in service delivery is therefore one of the areas in which the Christian can make a positive contribution to the workplace.

We discussed the need to make the group’s designated meeting time (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) for prayer and Bible study and training sessions for better understanding of Christian principles. One of the issues highlighted was the fact that Christianity is not a religion but a way of life. What we learn in our meetings should therefore form the basis of our interactions with colleagues, clients, service users or visitors. Our Christian faith should be evident in our work ethics.

This will include respect for constituted authority, promoting peace and fairness, punctuality and diligence at work.

We also need to be aware always that we live in a multi-faith world. We need to try our best to have a fair understanding of what other faith groups stand for and respect them without compromising our own faith. This will help us understand more clearly the need for diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.

With the permission of our employers, we can organise events at which any interested staff member could learn more about our faith. Our colleagues will, from such interactions, find out more about the Christian faith and be more able to appreciate our readiness to work with others for the overall good of the establishment.

We discussed Transform Work UK’s prayer and pastoral portfolio. All workplace groups can send prayer requests (they can also join us by telephone, on the last Monday of every month) and receive support on issues relating to pastoral care; this  enhances the effectiveness of the groups.

At the end of the meeting, members reported feeling more equipped and more properly positioned to be ‘salt and light’ in the London Borough of Hackney.

Femi Idowu