How Do I Have Workplace Gospel Conversations?
How to intentionally reach co-workers with the good news of Jesus Christ.
Routines. Almost everyone has them. As for the workplace, most of us have routines that we repeat nearly every day, ritualistically. One such routine is that of conversations. We talk with coworkers about the weather, our weekends, family, hobbies, and sometimes, our concerns. However, what is often not embedded in those conversations is the Gospel. How do we turn an ordinary conversation at work into a gospel conversation?
Prayer
Before going to work, take a few minutes in earnest prayer to ask the Lord for opportunities and courage to have gospel conversations. Recall the request of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 4:3-4, “And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should”(1). Pray this prayer with genuine expectation that the Lord will answer it for you. Pray that God would give you an open door to speak for Him and that you would speak the Gospel clearly. Furthermore, identify at least one coworker who needs Christ and pray for them regularly. Pray for their salvation, a softening of their heart, and pray for an open door to have a gospel conversation with that person.
“Pray that God would give you an open door to speak for Him and that you would speak the Gospel clearly.”
Prepare
While praying about opportunities to have workplace gospel conversations, you must also prepare for them. You wouldn’t go fishing without a rod, reel, and tackle. In the same way, you are not likely to have a gospel conversation, or at least an effective one, without being equipped to do so. Take the time to read, study the Bible, and choose strategies that prepare you for gospel conversations. One such resource is a simple, yet dynamic, document written by Tim Beougher. It discusses various “bridges” that allow you to cross over from an ordinary conversation to a gospel conversation (2). Periodically practice having gospel conversations with Christian family members and friends who will listen and offer advice in a “safe environment.” These and other practices will help prepare you for gospel encounters.
“As Christians, we have the immense privilege of being conduits of God’s good news of grace, mercy, and salvation.”
Purpose
Having prayed and prepared, look for opportunities to have gospel conversations at your place of work. Much like the other routines you practice at work, purpose in your heart to have regular gospel conversations. As Henry Blackaby reminds us, God is always at work and he invites us to join him in his work (3). As Christians, we have the immense privilege of being conduits of God’s good news of grace, mercy, and salvation. So, as you are chatting in the breakroom, whisper a prayer, take a deep breath, and pivot the conversation toward the thing that matters the most, knowing the Son of God, who came to seek and to save the lost (4).
New International Version of the Bible
https://www.kybaptist.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/c025e4d552.pdf. Dr. Tim Beougher is a professor and pastor in Louisville, KY.
Luke 19:10
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