When Jesus was born in Bethlehem some two thousand or so years ago, as a vulnerable child, totally human, but also divine, no-one except His Father in Heaven could have foreseen the impact that He would have on our World. Following His three years of ministry, Jesus died on a cross. In this act, Jesus sacrificed Himself and took our place, so that everybody could have their sins forgiven. Jesus conquered death and offers that same opportunity for all people. All we have to do is to accept His invitation to follow Him and ask for His forgiveness for those things we have got wrong in our lives. Jesus, though, recognised that in order to make that decision, all of humankind would first have to hear the Good News – and that’s of course where His disciples came in.

Jesus did change the World, but He didn’t do it on His own. Jesus pulled together a group of people who became so effective as a witnessing body of believers, that the Good News of Jesus Christ was spread all over the World. In the gospels we read about how Jesus brought the disciples together and built up their faith and confidence. In the Book of Acts, we learn just what effective witnesses they became as they spread the Good News as a group of believers which grew both in numbers and in confidence. Their impact on the World came not just through what they said, but how they lived their lives.

Jesus needed help to spread His message and He chose to do it with His group of followers. Jesus knew the strength that a group identity could give to a collection of very different individuals. As followers of Jesus today - modern day disciples in the workplace - we can take our lead from the example that Jesus set. Making an impact on the world around us is so much more effective when done as a group. So it is in the workplace.

In this series of articles we will look at how Jesus led His group of disciples and consider what we might learn in order to help us make our Christian Workplace Groups more effective. Perhaps like that early group of disciples, our Group in our modern day workplace context, together with Jesus, might grow in numbers and confidence, and help to change the World!

Adrian Miles