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Christian Workplace Groups (CWGs) – Being The Church. 
If you ask anyone what the church is, they will almost certainly describe it as a building where people attend. Even Christians tend to define it in terms of a group of like minded people who love God, which is then qualified by the beliefs of the denomination to which they belong.
The only problem with this perception is that it isn’t what God intended. God’s church isn’t about buildings, creeds, rituals and logos, instead it is all about people having a relationship with God and who are striving to bring heaven on earth.
Jesus' earthly ministry was denomination independent and most of it took place in the workplace – the market, the cornfields, on fishing boats – and not in the synagogue. His ministry was all about how God could set them free to live the life He intended for them, irrespective of where they lived, their background, their titles or even their personal beliefs.
At the TWUK national conference last November, Caroline Spelman of the Conservative party and Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, mentioned how she and other Christian MPs meet together each week to pray for the country. These MP’s represented different political parties and as such have very different beliefs on how the country should be run. But what they share in common is the desire for God to take His rightful place in the hearts of men and women, and in our country.
A few weeks ago, we were discussing in the office how CWGs are just like that group of MPs. Christians who come from different churches and political beliefs, but who share the same passion about Jesus and His kingdom. It then struck us that CWGs are in some ways the essence of the real church. They are not about denominations or rituals – but about working out their faith where they work and to bring others into a knowledge of Jesus Christ.
This is exactly what God had planned for His church. The buildings where we meet on a Sunday are just a training ground – the real work of the church takes place where we spend most of our time, and for many of us that’s at work.
In this environment, CWG's are able to 'do church' - reach out to those in need, offer hope and comfort to those who are hurting, lead and direct those who want to know the real meaning of life. The Christian message and Christians in general are never irrelevant.
So let’s hear it for the CWG’s – stand up, be the real church!
“He (Jesus) is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the centre of all this, Christ rules the church. The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ's body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence. “ Ephesians 1:22-23
If you are not involved in a CWG and would like to know if there is one where you work, then check out our workplace directory. Or why not see if there is a group for your profession in our Professional group directory.
If this draws a blank, then maybe you should think about starting up your own CWG. If that’s the case then check out our ‘How to Setup a CWG’ guide. |
Michael Coveney, 29/01/2010 |
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| | | Hugh Webber (Guest) | 03/11/2010 00:15 | I think this is true. When groups of people from different denominations get together, and stand in unity with God for their workplace, then amazing things can start happening. One of the biggest issues our CWG had to overcome was this difference of background - it nearly tore the group apart in the early days, but we found that we could come into agreement around a simple 'creed', and from that point we were free to move forward and we started to see growth.
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