“When it comes to the workplace, we are not called to bring people to Jesus but rather to bring Jesus to the people. And given the cultural and legal realities of the business world, Christian today must bring Jesus to people in ways that are appropriate and relevant, both to the office environment and individual employees.”

Going Public With Your Faith: Becoming a Spiritual Influence at Work by Bill Peel and Walt Larimore is a book written a decade ago, but is still remarkably relevant. It tackles the topic of sharing Jesus in the workplace while remaining respectful to your co-worker’s beliefs and following workplace rules.

Unlike some other evangelism books, it steers clear of cheesy acronyms or in-your-face tactics. Instead, Peel and Larimore provide insight on how to build friendships and trust with your co-workers. The goal is not “to save” your co-workers; it’s to develop a relationship with them that allows for the intentional and prayerful sharing of your faith.

Rather than looking at evangelism as a one-time event, readers are encouraged to view it as a process. We must earn the right to be heard by our co-workers and make sure our lives match our beliefs. Only then should we introduce what Peel and Larimore call “faith flags”- small tidbits about our faith- into conversation.

The majority of the book focuses on developing those relationships and cultivating trust. But it does not gloss over the fact that we eventually need to be bold and share the Gospel. It outlines several strategies for doing so, and how to respond respectfully (and without breaking the trust you’ve earned) to common objections.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Evangelism is not an event, but a relational process, and God has gifted each of us to play a critical role in drawing men and women to himself.” (pg 30)

“Witnessing assumes that the results are up to us; being a witness assumes that the results are up to God… We suspect that this failure to understand the difference between… witnessing and being a witness, is one of the reasons most Christians think they can’t be a person of spiritual influence anywhere, much less their workplace.” (pg. 80)

What are you thoughts about sharing your faith in the workplace? Please share in the comments section below.

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