The office fellowship is not about Bible/book study. It is not about the songs. It is also not about the number of attendees that sustains the fellowship. It is, rather, the deep communion with God as the centre of the marketplace.

It draws on the commitment of each fellowship member to enthrone Him and enjoy His presence. It is ultimately the choice of every individual member to commit themselves intentionally to the fellowship and trust God to fill the fellowship with His presence and encouragement!

One of the greatest joys of the office fellowship is being able to enjoy deep intimacy with God through a smaller group of kindred spirits.

As iron sharpens iron, transformation happens in the marketplace as we walk together in His presence, doing our God-assigned work diligently and discipling one another in love. 

My marketplace discipleship group has committed to meet every Friday at 5.30am for a time of encouragement and fellowship. It is not an easy commitment and it creates a lot of inconvenience. But it is necessary if we are serious about it.

Why 5.30 am? Because the only excuse to miss this meeting is one’s sleep. Most meetings do not start that early. It is a test of our commitment on what truly matters to us.

 It requires a laser-focused intent and a rigorous discipline to get a fellowship going. It will not happen by chance.

Ultimately, God presides, but our will our heart and our mind need to be aligned.

Testimonies of God’s goodness

The encouragement that I have received from the office fellowship is difficult to measure. At its core, it tells me that I’m not alone.

It reinvigorates my walk with God as I listen to the testimonies of God’s goodness in our lives. It also allows me to exercise my faith in lifting others along so that, together as His children, we will glorify His name!

I remember vividly we had one member whose dad was promoted to be with the Lord, and we were singing a Mandarin hymn together in tears. Such is the joy of our fellowship when we needed one another.

Every Christmas and every Good Friday is another opportunity to do “in-reach” to our fellow colleagues who are believers to join the fellowship and — together — spread the Christmas cheer and message of Good Friday throughout the office.

Recently, we witnessed a few salvations in the office fellowship. One happened when a fellow believer in the office and I shared about Jesus over a simple lunch to a pre-believing colleague and issued the offer of Jesus’ salvation as a gift.

Another also received salvation after a few years of wanting to believe but did not have the chance until we asked openly, “Would you like to believe in Jesus?”

Oh, there was so much rejoicing when we saw our colleagues come to believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Such amazing work by the Holy Spirit.

There is no magic pill. In all my interactions with fellow sisters and brothers from other companies, every office fellowship is on a unique journey. Many have gone through a series of starts and stops — some have been discontinued.

The key is to trust the Lord and be obedient as He guides you. Submit to Him every plan, stay close to Him, and He will certainly direct you in doing His will and glorifying His name in the office.

Marketplace disciples

Of late, the number of retrenchments has been increasing as companies reorganise to remain relevant to the evolving needs of customers, especially as the negative economic impacts of Covid-19 become more severe. Some of our colleagues have left and joined other companies.

Although troubling economic times can bring about job uncertainties and fears, such as one becoming unable to put food on the table, we can also see this as an opportunity for us to raise up fellowships in many new companies when the “scattered” people rise to the occasion in their new companies. 

Across industries, many have been hit hard financially, and it is precisely in moments like these that the Lord’s presence is needed all the more.

It will provide encouragement for those facing difficult challenges and bring about innovations through the wisdom of God, and breakthroughs through faith — knowing that God can calm every storm.

In running an office fellowship:

1. Remember that God is the Author of every office fellowship – God makes it grow (1 Corinthians 3:6).
2. The purpose of the office fellowship is to love and encourage one another (Matthew 22:36-40, Hebrews 10:24-25).
3. The agenda belongs to God, so plan with Him, through prayer, on what pleases Him in your office. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and let Him lead.
4. Establish an inner core of three members to anchor the group. Intentionally commit to a regular time together – do not go beyond a membership of seven as this group will need to be closely knit.
5. Manage discouragements:
   i) When only two are able to attend: Read 1 Corinthians 15:58. Continue to meet and encourage each other.
   ii) When work catches up and you cannot attend: Read John 17:3, take time to draw near and be intimate with God again.
   iii) When colleagues label and single us out: Read Matthew 22:39, come together to pray for them and love them. 

All 12 disciples of Jesus were from the marketplace, and they were called to the office to serve Him where they were placed.

As we continue to serve the Lord from the offices in which we are placed, we are — in essence — writing Acts 29* by carrying on what our early church fathers started.

There might be starts and stops in our office fellowships, but the Lord is going after our hearts, not the form.

It might be discouraging at times, but the Lord’s grace is sufficient to take us through. God’s sovereignty will reign, and His movement will not be stopped. It is such a privilege and honour to be counted amongst those who walk alongside the King and fill the marketplace with His presence.

*Editor’s note: The book of Acts in the Bible consists of only 28 chapters. Acts 29 is a metaphor for carrying on the Gospel work and the church building that the first Christians started in the book of Acts.

This is an excerpt of Carrying His Presence @ Every Workplace Through Office Fellowships by Lim Kok Ping. Republished with permission. 

Carrying His Presence was written to call on every believer to shine for Jesus in one’s assigned marketplace. By capturing the faithful testimonies of many fellow colleagues and friends, Lim Kok Hing hopes to encourage many to rise up and respond to God’s call so that they may bless others and glorify our Lord at work. 

The book is available at SKS Books at $16. E-book versions are also available. 

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