God tells us don’t give up the habit of meeting together (Hebrews 10:25), and at Transform Work we are so keen to encourage you! Keep meeting online with your Christian Workplace Group, even if you can't meet in person. Your organisation… and the nation… needs you more than ever

We need The Church in all spheres to keep praying and in fact… as Paul also said… to pray without ceasing!

“BUT how can we meet?”, I hear you say, “when we’re told to work from home, when we’re self-isolating or social distancing…?”

Quite easily thanks to technology, whether that’s Facebook, WhatsApp, Emails, Intranet systems like yammer, bluebird, zoom calls, skype for business or let's face it good old-fashioned phone calls… although did you know you can set up three way calls on smartphones? Isn’t technology great?

Once you've established the means of 'virtual' connection, the question is – logically how does one ‘meet’? Below are some ideas to help you… but above all – listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit who ultimately is our teacher!

WhatsApp Groups

Week 1. Build relationally

Each month ask a different member of the group to briefly share their testimony. Encourage the member whose turn it is to

• include a picture of them in their work environment if possible to make it relational.
• share a quick testimony of how they became a Christian, either written or audio.

Week 2. Pray for your colleagues

Once a month send out a message on the WhatsApp group

• this month we're praying for… e.g. our CEO, our colleagues
• include 3 bullet pointers for prayer
• leave a short written or audio prayer that each member can pray through when reading or listening.

Week 3. Pray for your organisation

Once a month highlight a topic / issue for prayer regarding your workplace.

Week 4. Give thanks

Focus on what you're celebrating as an organisation.

Conference Calls (Skype, Zoom)

Taking a 30 minutes break to pray with colleagues is so beneficial and makes very good business sense for your organisation. Make sure everyone has access to the relevant technology and the dial in / internet links. Make sure the Chair of the meeting introduces who is online, if a small group, and give space for each other to say a quick hi at the start. When you meet online simply ask these two questions;

A. What are you celebrating this week? (10 mins)

What is going well in your work / department / organisation?

It could be that people share answered prayers from the week before.

B. What are your challenges this week? (10 mins)

What are the main issues you / your department / organisation is facing at work at the moment?

Don't be afraid to keep on sharing the same issues and keep praying and seeking the Lord for his answers / strategy of way forward.

C. Pray (10 mins)

A. and B. are your praise and prayer pointers.

The beauty of using this format is that no extra planning is required and you are being relevant and prayerful!

Email Connection

Once a week set aside 15-30 minutes to put together a short action email for the members of your group. Write an email and ask that your colleagues to pray over the words as they read them. In this way you are facilitating workplace prayer for staff at their work desks. It is powerful to think that 5 or 100 people (depending on the size of your Christian Workplace Group) are corporately praying over the same issue or person. It is exciting to think change will happen as a result! Here is an example.

Hi Christian Colleagues,
Whilst at your desk, would you like to join me to stop for a few minutes and pray for e.g., David Jones, CEO of Ultimate Consultancy.
Father, we lift David Jones to you today and ask for your protection on him, his wife and children. Thank you that he has been willing to take up this post and we pray you give him wisdom and discernment as he leads this organisation. We pray that you, through his leadership would prosper this organisation in Jesus’ mighty name. Amen.
God Bless you in your work for Him today.
Lucy Smith
Christian Workplace Group Leader

Another potential prayer targeted for this season could be…

Our Father in Heaven,
As a Christian Staff Network Group we seek your protection on our colleagues and those they love, that they will not be infected with covid 19.
That our Christian colleagues will rest in the shadow of the Almighty so that his outstretched wings will protect them and fend off the disease that prowls in darkness.
That God will stop harm getting through the door into their homes. For discernment in knowing what is safe to do, where to go and where is unsafe.
That Christians will bring God's light and reassurance into their workplace. Wisdom for those in authority that they may minimise the impact.
That Christians will be filled with God's peace, show serenity and help others to be calm.
Endurance and energy for medical staff.
Thank you for our jobs and we choose to trust in You and your hand of protection on your people at this time.
In Jesus' mighty Name. Amen.