Since people attend church only a few hours a week, I try to invest some of my time with them where they spend much of their time: at work.
In the early years of my ministry, I’d visit farms in the community where I served. It was fairly easy to spend a few minutes with agricultural folk. I’d wait at the end of the turn-row. When the farmer pulled up in the tractor, he’d shut it down for a few minutes’ conversation.
Or I might work with the person I’d visit. I might drive the tractor or brand calves. I understood their work better, and they got to see how I operated on their turf, and the latter often prompted good-natured laughter.
There aren’t many farmers or ranchers in my congregation now, nor do many pastors minister in agricultural settings. Most people work in shops and office buildings spread over a city. They’re harder to see on the job. But that only increases the value of a pastor’s visit.
Naturally, I try to be sensitive to the work situation. Sometimes company policy forbids employees to have visitors while on the job. In other cases, I can visit only with permission. I have to meet with some employees before or after their workday. Although most supervisors appreciate help from those who are concerned about the well being of their employees, it’s always wise to check with them ahead of time. So before I visit, I ask the person for the name of his supervisor so I can explain to him what I’m about.
In spite of these few obstacles, I find visiting on the job has a number of benefits.
- It shows a pastor cares. A number of the men in our church are in the construction trade. One man works as a painter, another as a wallpaper hanger. Some are finish carpenters. Others are farmers. They work in several communities in all stages of construction. I find out where they’re working and try to drop by once or twice while they’re on that job. On large home and commercial construction, it can be quite a treasure hunt to find them, but when I do, their faces always light up. By visiting them at their place of work, around which a great deal of their life revolves, I communicate, “Your pastor cares about you and your life.”
- People’s daily work is valued. Soon after one woman in our congregation had begun working for a property-management company, I drove an hour to see her on the job. She recently had divorced and was forced to find work to support herself and her small children. I entered through a glass door and met the receptionist. As she greeted me, Carolyn, who had been talking to co-workers close by, visibly brightened and asked, “Doug, what are you doing here?” “Well, I came to see you,” I answered. “You look like a high-powered executive. Where’s your office?” Obviously pleased, she led me past her co-workers to her cubicle. Since she’d just joined the company, it was a small workspace, but it was hers. She sat behind her desk, and I sat in the chair in front of it. “You mean you came all this way to see me?” she asked. I explained that several other church members worked in the same town and that I’d come to see them, as well, but added, “I especially wanted to see you on your new job and pray for you, if that would be possible.” She was delighted and said she felt honored that I’d come to see her. We chatted a few minutes about her work. I sensed this shouldn’t be a long visit in her busy office, so I looked around to make sure we had some privacy, and, looking at her, prayed, “Almighty God, we thank you for the opportunity to work hard, make money, and accomplish things. I pray for Carolyn in her work here that you would bless her with wisdom and efficiency. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.” She smiled and stood to see me to the door. Not only could I affirm her in her new job, I was able to pray with her and “bless” her daily endeavors, reminding her of Christ’s presence in that place.
- Opportunities develop for deeper ministry. One of our church’s men was a truck driver. Every day he drove a load of heavy freight to a mine in the next valley. After I got to know him, he invited me to ride with him on one of his runs. He left early—4:30 A.M.—so I arrived at the maintenance garage a little after four with my Thermos of coffee, as he’d advised. I met his fellow workers, he loaded his truck, and off we went. We spent several hours together as we made our way to the mine. I learned a lot about him and his job. Another man in our church sells industrial products. When his sales calls will be brief and low-key, he invites me to join him. We talk as he drives between calls. One day while I was riding with him on his rounds, he was obviously hesitant. He wanted to talk about something, but didn’t know exactly whether or how to bring it up. But because we were spending extended time together, he finally was able to get it out. It was a deep concern he felt was inhibiting his Christian life and witness. He and some of the other men at church had talked about it but didn’t know what to do. On this trip, we were able to discuss it.
- Christ’s teaching can be brought to bear on the job. Greg worked in a local manufacturing operation, a small shop with less than 10 employees. After he and his family began attending church, I visited him briefly on the job. Before long, he began to complain about conflicts and pressures at work. He especially complained about “the stupidity and insensitivity” of his boss, who had been denying him pay raises and assigning Greg to less glamorous jobs. When Greg began describing this attack of Satan through his non-Christian boss, I asked if it would help if I talked with his boss. He said it might. I had previously met the employer, and he seemed friendly enough. So I made an appointment with him at the end of the day, after the employees had gone home. Knowing I was this employee’s pastor, he was genuinely curious about our visit. After assuring him I wanted Greg to be a productive and harmonious worker, I said, “It appears that Greg is having some difficulty at work. He’s indicated that he’s being passed up for promotion and assigned entry-level tasks. That tells me there are some things about Greg you’re not pleased with.” The boss nodded agreement and appeared curious. I continued, “As Greg’s pastor, I’m concerned about his character development. You must feel Greg isn’t being as productive as he should or that he’s being disruptive. You have a bottom-line financial equation you have to balance, and Greg must not be contributing toward that end. I’d like to know what deficiencies or problems you see in Greg so that I could work with him as his pastor. I won’t tell Greg specifically what you tell me, but I will work with him on weaknesses you point out.” Greg’s employer didn’t know exactly how to respond. It sounded like he had the equivalent of an industrial psychologist offering to help him with a problem employee. But soon he warmed to the idea. He had no problem talking about Greg’s problems and was able to illustrate his concerns with specific examples. I listened carefully and took notes, and together we honed in on the character traits Greg would need to work on. Greg’s boss then asked me how he could deal more effectively with Greg. He recognized Greg could be a valuable employee but was hindered by these issues. Since I knew Greg had been raised by an overly-demanding father, I suggested the boss balance necessary criticism with praise. Greg and I spent several sessions together in which we discussed these traits in light of biblical principles. Approached in a different manner and by someone other than his boss, Greg responded positively and set about to make some changes. Those changes took awhile, but Greg and his boss are now getting along much better. Some might think that’s a lot of time and effort to invest in one person. But for me, that’s what pastoring is about. Discipleship means helping individuals apply Christian principles in daily life—which is exactly what Greg and I did. As a result, I’ve developed a deeper relationship with Greg and a credible relationship with Greg’s non-Christian boss. In addition, Greg is more effective in his ministry in our church because he’s not so troubled by his job.
- Ministry is performed for the community. Several years ago the miners at a local coal mine went on strike. They picketed the mine entrance and soon nonunion workers began crossing the picket line. Tempers flared, and some ugly confrontations ensued. I began going to the picket line with another elder, early in the mornings during the shift change. A knot of miners stood around a roaring fire. We would visit with them for a while and catch up on the latest developments and rumors. Then we’d go over by a large rock, kneel, and pray for the miners, the “scabs,” and the management. We prayed for peace and for a mutually advantageous settlement. The miners appreciated our presence, and some new relationships were formed. Granted, this is an unusual situation. But such unusual opportunities for ministry to the community occur more often when I try to bring pastoral care to the workplace. There’s no formula for successful marketplace ministry. In fact, sometimes it’s threatening to venture out. I’m more at home in a church setting, where I know what’s expected of me. But I continue to go outside the church walls and look for ways I can care for people pastorally in the department store, on the job, on the sidewalk. For me, meeting people on their turf is what the Incarnation was all about.
Mastering Pastoral Care; Bruce Larson, Paul Anderson, Doug Self; Ministering in the Marketplace, pp. 52-56
