9) Running Your Christian Workplace Group
By this stage, you should be familiar with the key issues surrounding the setting up of your Christian Workplace Group. Now is the time to pull these together and ensure that the development of your group has momentum and direction. Every workplace situation is different, but there are a number of common strands, some mentioned earlier in this booklet, which you should now consider in more detail:
Frequency.
How often will you meet as a group? Most groups tend to meet on a weekly or fortnightly basis, but this is entirely for you to decide. However, make sure that you put them in the diary and stick to them. Even if attendance is low, keep going.
Venue and Time.
Hopefully you will have identified a regular venue with your managers. Be aware of its location, for example decide whether singing and music is appropriate to that venue. Make sure the time of meetings is acceptable to most people. It is important to comply with workplace rules, so above all, ensure that the meetings finish on time and that people are not late back to work. You might like to book the room for half an hour before your meeting is planned to start and half an hour after it is planned to finish, to avoid potential pressure on room usage.
Agenda.
Make sure that you have a clear outline of what you are going to do in the meetings. It could be prayer, Bible study, discussion or you might have a speaker. Ensure you make the best use of the time. Plan ahead as far as you are able. You can find a number of suggestions for activities on Transform Work's website.
Leadership.
It is important to identify a small number of people to take responsibility for leading the CWG forward. Decide how the leadership of your group will operate. This ensures that the success of the group is not dependent on one or two people and will assist the longevity and vibrancy of the group. It is important that the leadership team is committed to developing the group and living out their lives as committed Christians. Remember enthusiasm, maturity and skills are not always synonymous, so try to give people roles suitable to their skills. Give them small tasks first to see how they manage before you appoint people to a major role.
Supporting Members.
The Christian Workplace Group should be a place where members can be strengthened and encouraged. Try to make time to come together to share individual concerns or issues. Pray for each other‘s needs. You may like to establish a prayer team that can pray for individuals and the organisation as a whole.
Awareness Raising Events.
Awareness raising events are a useful way to spread the Good News in the workplace in a gentle way. Other Christian Workplace Groups have held special events such as:
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Easter events – serving hot cross buns; giving out Easter eggs; accompanied by a display recounting the Easter events.
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Carol services – sending out advent calendars.
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Christian Awareness weeks – holding a series of events for a week, telling others about the Christian story.
Check out the
Resources page on our website for more details. Also, let us know what you are doing and when so we can tell others via our website and newsletter and we can pray for these events
office@transformwork.net or use our
contact us form.
| What is God saying, at the start of this process take time to listen. |
| Tips on how to find other Christians in your workplace |
| Who will lead? What roles are needed? |
| All equality, diversity and inclusion frameworks, principles, policies and
procedures of any organisation are first and foremost governed by the Equality Act 2010 |
| Now you've understood Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, hopefully you are ready to learn about being a recognised group called a Staff Network or Employee Resource Group. Find out more |
| Time to create your business case or terms of reference. Be totally transparent so management and all staff know what your are endeavouring to achieve. |
| How and why your group should engage with management |
| This is one of the most important roles of a Christian Workplace Group. Let your light shine so they can see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven. |
| Christian Workplace Groups can be at several stages of development and knowing where your particular group is can help in the process of achieving employer recognition. |
| Watch this short video as Matt explains how the Christian Workplace Group started in a local authority in Oxfordshire.
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