In April 2023, a church in Guangdong Province established a workplace group with the initial aim of facilitating post-Sunday worship sharing and activities. However, several proposals for holiday gatherings never materialized.
On November 25, 2023, the Ark Group for Christians in the workplace posted a message, "We plan to hold group meetings every Tuesday evening, format unrestricted, including activities like cooking together, sharing, praise, prayer, and Bible study." The first meeting attracted seven participants.
The sessions typically began with three hymns, followed by a recorded sermon from the church pastor. Afterward, participants shared experiences, concluding by setting practical tasks to implement the teachings in the following week. For instance, after hearing about piety, they focused on practicing piety the next week. Some suggested a minimum of three daily prayers, while others proposed at least two kneeling prayers.
Following a recent group meeting where the topic of smartphones came up, everyone agreed to take a short-term "no phone usage" pledge and pose for a group photo. Participants shared their struggles, with statements like "When I opened the phone, I closed it immediately," "I didn't use my phone yesterday, but I start to feel the urge now," and "I didn't use the phone, but time doesn't seem to increase." Days later, pop-up messages displayed their statuses, such as, "Today, I conquered, for I didn't give the devil a chance to steal our time."
Since the inaugural group meeting, members of the group have gathered every Tuesday evening, making it a habitual practice.
The members of the Ark Group are all working professionals who gather together every week to listen to the teachings and share their experiences. Each one becomes more empowered because of mutual prayers and support.
In addition to regular Bible study sessions, they also organize group exercise sessions to practice growth in distinct aspects.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
2023年4月，广东一教会成立职场小组，一开始只是为了方便组织主日礼拜后的分享和一些活动。但几次节期的提议，最后都没有组织起来。
2023年11月25号，方舟小组弹出一条消息：“计划每周二晚举办小组聚会，形式不限，可以一起做饭分享，赞美，祷告，查经等”。第一次组织就有7个人过来参加。
首先会有三首赞美诗的时间，然后一起听一篇教会牧者的录音讲道.结束后大家一起分享，最后定下 下一周要跟着话语实际操练的功课。比如听了关于敬虔的话语，那一周生活就操练敬虔，有人主张要每天至少做三次祷告；还有人提出在此基础上，至少有两次祷告是屈膝的祷告。
在近期一次小组聚会后，因为听了相关的话语，大家分享中也都提到手机的挟制。于是就联名制定了短期“不刷手机”的承诺，还一起合影留记。
期间大家也都经历挣扎：“打开瞬间，就关了”、“昨天没刷，不过开始有点想刷了”、“不刷手机，时间似乎也没有变多”，几天之后，消息框弹出大家各自的状态，“今天得胜了，没有给魔鬼吞噬我们属灵力量的机会”……
继第一次组织小组聚会以来，方舟小组的成员每周二晚间相聚在一起已经成了习惯。
方舟小组成员汇聚的都是职场人士，每周聚在一起，听道后分享。大家从新得力，因为彼此祷告，相互扶持来走。
除了常规的小组查经聚会，方舟小组近期也组织了一起运动的时间，操练各方面的成长。
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系广东一名基督徒。
记相约星期二晚间的职场小组
In April 2023, a church in Guangdong Province established a workplace group with the initial aim of facilitating post-Sunday worship sharing and activities. However, several proposals for holiday gatherings never materialized.
On November 25, 2023, the Ark Group for Christians in the workplace posted a message, "We plan to hold group meetings every Tuesday evening, format unrestricted, including activities like cooking together, sharing, praise, prayer, and Bible study." The first meeting attracted seven participants.
The sessions typically began with three hymns, followed by a recorded sermon from the church pastor. Afterward, participants shared experiences, concluding by setting practical tasks to implement the teachings in the following week. For instance, after hearing about piety, they focused on practicing piety the next week. Some suggested a minimum of three daily prayers, while others proposed at least two kneeling prayers.
Following a recent group meeting where the topic of smartphones came up, everyone agreed to take a short-term "no phone usage" pledge and pose for a group photo. Participants shared their struggles, with statements like "When I opened the phone, I closed it immediately," "I didn't use my phone yesterday, but I start to feel the urge now," and "I didn't use the phone, but time doesn't seem to increase." Days later, pop-up messages displayed their statuses, such as, "Today, I conquered, for I didn't give the devil a chance to steal our time."
Since the inaugural group meeting, members of the group have gathered every Tuesday evening, making it a habitual practice.
The members of the Ark Group are all working professionals who gather together every week to listen to the teachings and share their experiences. Each one becomes more empowered because of mutual prayers and support.
In addition to regular Bible study sessions, they also organize group exercise sessions to practice growth in distinct aspects.
- Translated by Abigail Wu
An Evening Meeting of Workplace Group
