Devon County Council Christian Union
Natasha Round, leader of the Christian Union in Devon County Council, tells their story below.
Back in early 2023 God spoke to me in a prayer about starting a Chrisitan Union at Devon County Council. When trying to get this off the ground, we received some opposition from the leadership wellbeing team, as we were informed that it should be a multi-faith group. I pushed back with this, explaining that we believe that Jesus is God and no other faiths acknowledge this, so it would be difficult. They then felt that they were unsure if we would be able to pray within our working time. However, Transform Work’s website provided us with the guidance needed to inform employers about how important Christian only groups are within organisations. So we went back to the wellbeing team through using the information found on Transform Work, and they agreed that we could start a Christian group! This is in line with the Equality Act 2010, as Christianity is a protected characteristic.
In mid 2023 we had around 5 members which was fantastic. I went on maternity leave and the group was led by others who did the most incredible job growing the group. It has been SO evident how God has empowered and strengthened the group in Devon County Council. The leaders of the group identified a policy which enables dedicated religious practice time in work. So we meet each week unashamed and there is no need to get any permission. Additionally, the group became recognised as a ‘support network’ within Devon County Council, meaning that anyone within the Council is able to reach out to us for questions and prayer.
Fast forward 2 years and we now have 65 Christians on our weekly email mailing list! We meet regularly each week and can get anywhere between 2 and 15 people. We pray for each other, do prayer updates, read verses from the bible, listen to worship and praise Jesus in our working time!
We write monthly articles that are centred around themes such as Easter, VE Day, Mother's/Father's Day, St Patrick's Day, Christmas etc and share the amazing good news of 
Jesus to everyone at the Council. Some of our articles have reached over 2000 employees. We just pray that those seeds that God enables us to sow, He can water to enable people to have saving faith in Jesus and come to know him personally.
It has been phenomenal to see how the Holy Spirit has worked within this group and we pray that we continue to grow and bring people to know the truth of salvation in Jesus.
Looking ahead, we are excited about new initiatives to further strengthen our community. We hope to equip our members with practical tools and encouragement, while also inviting others to explore the Christian faith in a welcoming, non-judgmental environment.
Above all, we remain committed to prayerfully seeking God’s guidance in all we do. Our hope is that the Christian Union at Devon County Council will continue to be a light—offering hope, support, and the message of Jesus to everyone we encounter. We trust that as we stay faithful, God will use our group to touch many more lives, both within the Council and beyond.