ASHEVILLE, N.C. (BP)–Doug Spada spent almost 10 years in naval nuclear engineering, specializing in submarine operations before God called him to launch His Church at Work to empower local congregations for workplace outreach.
“The concept of workplace ministries matters to me because it matters to God,” Spada said, voicing a certainty that “God created me to do this job.”
His Church at Work seeks to help churches and pastors develop an infrastructure for an ongoing process of workplace ministry, through intentional strategies aimed at equipping Christians to live out their faith at work.
“Can you imagine what could happen if your congregation actually lived out their faith at work?” Spada asked as he addressed a conference of workplace leaders at The Cove Billy Graham Evangelist Association March 31-April 3.
Spada, of La Mesa, Calif., lived out his faith as president of a growing energy consulting firm following his service in the Navy — experiences which inspired him to establish His Church At Work.
After witnessing to a highly successful business executive, Spada later received an e-mail from the man that read, “About Jesus, I don’t know who He is, but I find myself increasingly around people who do.”
Spada later led the executive to Christ, and the man now operates a ministry to orphans and prostitutes in the Philippines.
“Can you imagine this happening with all our people who are sitting in our congregations across America?” Spada asked.
Traveling the nation to help local churches see the necessity of equipping their members for workplace ministry, Spada said, “Equipping the local church is important because the majority of the people in the church spend a majority of their time with a majority of people who do not have a relationship with Christ.
“The life of the average Christian consists of spending 15 percent of their waking hours having a ‘church life,’ 35 percent having a ‘home life’ and 50 percent having a ‘work life,'” he said.
The role of the local church in encouraging workplace ministry is to nurture the stewardship of their congregation, Spada said, explaining, “It is about leveraging the time, talents and relational energy your people are already using at work and turning it toward God’s agenda.”
Spada’s vision is for 1 million people to influence 10 million people in their workplace by equipping 10,000 churches to spiritually support the 1 million people in the workplace.
“The purpose is to help churches build a sustainable infrastructure in which workplace ministries can grow and thrive,” he said. “I am not interested in another program; I want to see transformation in the lives of others in the workplace.”
While describing His Church at Work as “a work life revolution in the church,” Spada cautions that a workplace ministry must be intentionally focused, consistent and ongoing, as well as process-oriented and balanced.
“Workplace ministry must become more than a program or a ‘pump them up’ strategy. It must be more than operating as a parachurch ministry. It must be more than a focus on just the ‘business and professional’ niche in the church,” Spada said. “It must be a catalyst that bears lasting fruit. …”
“We must mobilize our people in the churches…. [W]e must equip them to reach their workplace for Christ,” he said. “Workplace ministry can cause an outreach revolution if your people catch it.”
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“For more information about His Church at Work ministries visit www.HisChurchatWork.org.” (BP) photo posted in the BP Photo Library at http://www.bpnews.net. Photo title: ONGOING EMPHASIS.
