Let’s talk about sharing Christ in the workplace.
Due to our present culture, I hear so often this statement, “I really want to share my faith but I am not able to because if the boss or department chief finds out I shared my faith, I could get fired.” Know this is a true reality in our present day culture.
Would you like to know how to navigate your workplace so you can share your faith without worry of repercussions from some co-workers or your boss? I have got the solution to your desire to share your faith. It is tested and works….no matter the workplace environment.
Of course the first thing you must do is build an informational bridge to the individual you want to share your faith with in the market place. By using the FORM acronym, you will gain information about them and their family members.
Let me explain how to use the acronym FORM. I suggest this informational gathering technique be done in the market place at a coffee break or going to lunch with the individual. Your goal is to Listen Intently to their answers and record their answers for future reference of building a sound relationship to them that has meaning and heart.
the FORM ACRONYM stands for Family, Occupation, Recreation or Motivation.
F. – Talk about their family and where they were raised. Number of brothers or sisters in their family? Are their parents healthy? Ask “What is the best quality of your Father or your Mother?” Ask how they personally met their present spouse if they are married? How many children do they have? Are children involved in sports. What academic interest do children have. Are they looking forward to having grandchildren?
O. – Talk about their occupation. Ask when they decided to become a dentist or a teacher or a construction worker? What was their major in college if they went? Why did they pick the college they went too? What was their academic pathway to graduate school? Are they pleased with their present job? Have they thought of changing jobs. Have they interviewed for other different jobs. If money were no object, what would they like to do as a job or profession? Why have they not pursed that dream?
R. – Ask what he/she does for recreation as an individual. As a family together? Is physical exercise important to him/her? What sporting events do they like to observe? Do they think exercise is important? Do they lift weights. Do they think living weights is important? Why? Have they considered when they may retire. Do they plan to increase their exercise program when they retire.
M. – What is their motivation in life. Teaching may be there job making a secure income for their family but they light up when you talk about knitting for grandchildren or coaching little league football or woodworking. Many times if someone has been working a long time in the same job they can take time off or work toward reducing the days they work. If they could find a way to work four days per week can would mean they could spend three days per week with their family. Do they think spending time with their family members should be something to strive for? Do they have a plan to spend more time in the future with their wife? Their children?
Using F.O.R.M. is so easy to remember and so easy to use in a conversation.
Remember: God gave us two ears and one mouth. We should listen twice as much as we talk
Use the FORM Acronym to find out about them rather than impressing them about you and your accomplishments.
After using FORM write down the information you gained from listening to the answers you got from them.
Most of the time you will find a concern with themselves or one of their family members during the FORM exploration. You may have to do a followup conversation after collecting the personal information from them acquired with the FORM acronym.
What do you do after finding a concern of theirs or a concern of a member of their family?
Please use this exact wording as you are getting their permission to pray for that concern. Obviously they are giving you an entry into their heart to later share Jesus Christ.
When you find a concern in themselves or a member of their family. Let us say you learn that their mother has cancer. Simple say,
“With your permission, may I pray for your mothers cancer situation?” Take out a piece of paper and ask how to correctly spell her name. Write down her name and ask, “How can I best pray for your mother?”
After collecting the information on their mother, say these suggested words,
“With your permission, may I email or ask you in about 2-3 months how your mother is doing and how I can best pray for her?”
Add the mother to your weekly prayer list on your computer so that in 2-3 months as you are praying for her, you can copy and paste the present prayer request and send an email to the person explaining “I have been praying following prayer for your mother once per week about her cancer situation. Can you please bring me up to date so I can best pray for her?” Remember to include the old prayer request when you ask for an updated prayer request. Most will change what you sent them with the new prayer requests.
When you get the updated prayer requests go into your big prayer request and change the prayer you are presently praying weekly. You may use a Word Document on the PC or iPages if on an Apple computer.
What you have done is build a pathway to mutual bonding with this employee or colleague or friend so you can meet them in person sometime in future to use the mayishare.com brochure.
After a few months you can then easily ask them to go to lunch with you or meet for a cup of coffee outside of the office. This avoids a conflict in the office setting if it is a potential problem.
Please feel free to contact me at dukeheller@mayishare.com email to discuss personal situations in the workplace that may need special consideration. I will reply to any questions or statements you send to me.
You can contact me Duke Heller at dukeheller@mayishare.com to ask me any questions you want about any specific blood relative or close friend, or just someone who is on your heart if you are having difficulty getting a conversation started in the direction to share your faith.
Remember the goal of sharing is to ask the bottom line question, “Can you point to the exact time or circumstance you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior?”
I am willing to send you a book free that gives you techniques of sharing your faith in a non-threatening way. Just contact me at dukeheller@mayishare.com or go to mayishare.com to request your free copy and the “Bridge” brochure.