Making Disciples for the Workplace by Mark Greene

'This booklet is so packed with ideas, stories, Biblical insights, and theological reflection that makes it difficult, despite its brevity, to do it justice in a short review'

Making Disciples for the Workplace; how to nurture whole-life discipleship
By Mark Greene
Grove Books
ISBN: 978-1-78827-197-4
Reviewed by Philip Clements-Jewery

For over 20 years until 2020 Mark Greene was Executive Director of the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity. He is well known for his passionate advocacy of what is termed ‘whole-life discipleship’.

This little booklet (just 28 pages) helpfully addresses how Christians may become fruitful disciples of Jesus Christ at their workplace, with more than just paid employment being in view. It provides an encouragement of the kind of Christian discipleship that embraces the goodness of the created order, refuses the sacred-secular divide, and believes that God values the Monday to Saturday lives of Christians as much as what they do on Sundays.

There are also suggestions for ministers and leaders about supporting people in their daily work, including workplace visiting, and how to shape Sunday worship in ways that will help congregations see that the workaday world matters to God.

This booklet is so packed with ideas, stories, Biblical insights, and theological reflection that makes it difficult, despite its brevity, to do it justice in a short review. Its value far exceeds its length. I can only recommend it strongly, and advise that you read, mark, learn and inwardly digest its contents.

It concludes with words worth repeating: ‘...every day God sends his people into his world to be channels of his blessing, vessels of his presence, stewards of his planet, sources of his wisdom, models of his ways, sharers of his truth, lavishers of his love – for the sake of the work, the workers, the workplaces and the communities they serve. To the glory of the Creator and Redeemer of all things.’

As Mark Greene says, ‘May it be so.’

Philip Clements-Jewery is a retired Baptist minister living in Huddersfield

Baptist Times, 14/10/2022

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