I work for CMF as a Workplace Associate, establishing new workplace groups and building up existing ones. Let me share a bit of my story. I was about to go off on maternity leave when I felt God prompting me to set up a Christian workplace group in Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT), where I'd worked for the last 18 years. When I returned to work, the business of family and work-life took over, and then the pandemic started. So many of my colleagues were exhausted and disheartened, without regular face-to-face interactions or social and spiritual support from church, friends, and family. We were, however, all going into work each day and seeing each other. The acute need to establish our church family at work became clear.
There was already a small WhatsApp prayer group in LTHT led by one of the Christian Chaplains. So, I joined this and together we chatted and prayed about the group's vision. By word of mouth at work, through CMF, and advertising in local churches, the group grew to over 100 members in a couple of months. Our group is open to anyone working in or linked to the Trust. Our main aim is to support and encourage each other to be salt and light in the workplace and shine God's love out to others.
We share a daily Bible verse and any prayer needs via a WhatsApp group. We hold a prayer meeting every Tuesday lunchtime on Zoom. We have also had a few social events, including a picnic and an NHS carol service at the start of December.
In time we felt it was right to establish groups across the other hospitals in the region, developing a Yorkshire Network. A friend asked me what my vision was for these groups. I said it would be great to have as many healthcare groups as possible across the UK and Ireland, but that wasn't something I would be organising. A couple of weeks later, I was contacted by Felicia from CMF and found myself agreeing to take on this role with CMF!
I have spent the last six months working with CMF and collaborating with Transform Work UK (TWUK), Chaplaincy teams, and Everyday Faith to establish where the current NHS Christian workplace groups are in the British Isles. We have looked at ways to grow these groups and help them register as official networks with their NHS Trusts. This helps raise their profile. Where there are no workplace groups, I have been trying to find one or two individuals who will help me set one up. We start by setting up a WhatsApp group, praying and inviting people to join either through word of mouth or via local churches. We've seen some exciting growth and change in these groups over the past months.
I have enjoyed watching the list of workplace groups across the country grow steadily. It's been great to get to know different people within them. There are currently around 35 such groups. I'm hoping and, more importantly, praying that this number will increase with the help of you all. A workplace group might be in one hospital or across several hospitals in a Trust or region. It may involve only people working in the Trust or may connect to healthcare professionals working in the community. Different models can be used depending on what best suits the place that you work in.
If you are in a workplace group, even if small, I would encourage you to register this on the TWUK website so that others can find out about it and join you. The TWUK website (see below) has some great information and advice on becoming a registered group in your Trust. I am happy to chat this through with anyone interested.
I hope you are encouraged by what God is doing in our workplaces. Remember, it is always essential to have a vision so great that it is only possible to achieve it with the help of God! Be encouraged and think big.
I would love to hear from you if you'd like to join a workplace group or be involved in helping set one up. For more information on healthcare Christian Workplace Groups, please get in touch with me on: karen.flood@cmf.org.uk
Also, have a look at the fantastic work and resources on the Transform Work UK website: transformworkuk.org
