After years of working in a major city, a Christian man surnamed Kang (not full name for secrutiy seasons) has returned to the church to start a new phase of full-time ministry.
Leaving Full-Time Ministry to Enter the Workplace
In the early 21st century, Kang, born in the 1980s, came to the church and encountered the Christian faith. Seven years later, he studied theology and became a full-time staff member at a church that catered to highly educated individuals. Initially feeling inadequate due to his academic background—surrounded by many intellectuals—he committed to continuous learning, growing significantly in the process.
However, after more than three years of service, he recognized certain limitations in himself: lacking work experience and having limited social exposure. He also began to feel that as he lived in Christian circles for a long time, he became like a Pharisee, as though he alone were holy. He decided to challenge himself, leaving his role in ministry. He also partnered with others to start a business, returning to the secular workplace.
Back in the workplace, he found his faith becoming more genuine. Through his work, he encountered friends from various faith backgrounds: atheists, Buddhists, and those with no belief system at all. They openly discussed their views, and they treated each other with mutual respect, holding different perspectives.
Finding Belonging Amidst the Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kang struggled with “virtual church gatherings,” gradually drifting from the church and feeling like a wanderer disconnected from his spiritual family.
Toward the end of the pandemic, he met a pastor through work who, upon learning of his long absence from church, invited him to his church. The pastor never pressured him to attend, nor did he rebuke him for missing church services; instead, he offered him full respect and freedom.
When he first visited the church, he immediately felt the warmth of a home. After only a few meetings, a Christian woman surnamed Ma from the church invited him to her home for meals, encouraging him to treat her house as his own. Believers showed him acceptance, never judging him for his prolonged absence. This unconditional love and acceptance deeply touched Kang.
The church members developed deep bonds, which Kang describes as a “family trust.” They visited each other’s homes, shared meals, and their children played together. When anyone had an emergency, they could confidently entrust their children to each other’s care.
“This is the home I longed for,” Kang shared.
Returning to Full-Time Ministry With a Heart of Love
In this way, Kang returned to the church. Despite his years in the professional world, he never forgot his roots in the church, regarding his work experience as God’s way of shaping him. His foundation remained in the church, which he knew was his true home.
Toward the end of 2023, he received a word from God: “Do not forsake your first love.” He became convinced that God was calling him back to serve as a full-time worker in the church.
However, full-time ministry presented a new test of faith, requiring him to provide for his family’s living expenses, rent, and child-rearing costs by himself. At his lowest point, he had only a few thousand yuan in his account. Yet, he testified, “God has never allowed me to lack anything, as long as I walk by faith.”
Learning from his pastor’s example, Kang saw firsthand how the pastor endured hardships by faith, frequently reminding the team: “Don’t do ministry if you want an easy life.”
Support Christians in the Workplace With Faith
Leading the youth fellowship, Kang helps Christians facing challenges in their professional lives, drawing upon the wisdom he gained from the workplace.
When asked about what Christians in the workplace need most, Kang responded without hesitation, “They need to learn how to testify to the gospel.”
What, then, is the gospel? Kang explained that if believers presented the Bible as a set of rules, they might become merely moralizing. Christians in the workplace often face real issues, such as whether they can ethically accept commissions or kickbacks. Many struggle with such questions because they are uncertain about who God truly is. God is love and does not treat us as our sins deserve; He accepts us regardless of our shortcomings. The key issue is not whether one takes a commission, but rather whether one has faith.
What, then, is our faith? He explained, “It’s not about whether it is right or wrong to take commissions; it’s about whether we can trust that God’s love is unwavering, which the Bible teaches. With such faith, we can do anything.” For example, he suggested that one could take a commission if he uses it to buy a gift for the boss, as he gives it back. This is one of the workplace insights he has gained. But the prerequisite is faith. One must understand that one is a child of God; whatever one does, God’s love remains constant. The essence of faith is confidence in God’s love, not just obedience to the law.
“Needing real love, believers require pastors to pay the price for them,” Kang added.
- Edited by Katherine Guo & translated by Abigail Wu
在大城市职场奋斗多年的康弟兄重新回到教会，开始新一轮全职服事。
辞别全职服事，踏入职场
21世纪初，80后康弟兄来到教会接触基督信仰。7年后，他读了神学，成为高知人群教会的全职同工。他曾自卑于自己的学历，因周围精英云集，他不断学习成长，收获颇丰。
服事3年多后，他逐渐意识到自己的不足：缺乏工作经验，社会阅历有限。同时，他发现在基督徒圈子待得久了，自己变得像法利赛人，并觉得自己才是圣洁的。他决定突破自己，放下全职服事；与人合伙创业，回归职场。
重返职场后，他发现信仰变得更为真。在工作过程中，他接触到不同信仰背景的朋友，有无神论者、佛教徒、没有任何信仰的人……，大家在一起彼此探讨，即便观点不同，也互相尊重。
疫情中的漂泊，归属感的重拾
疫情期间，康弟兄因不适应“云聚会”逐渐远离教会，变成了与家断了联系的流浪者。
疫情快结束的那一年，他因工作结识了一位牧师。这位牧师得知他很久没有参加聚会，便邀请他来自己的教会。不过，牧师从未强迫他来，更没有指责“基督徒怎么能不聚会”；给予他充分的尊重和自由。
刚来教会，他就在教会中再一次感受到了家的温暖。牧者马姐妹在与他见面没几次后，便邀请他到家中吃饭；让他把她的家当自己家，有需要尽管拿。教会其他人也对他充满包容，从不因他长时间没来而冷落他。这种无条件的爱与接纳，深深触动了康弟兄的心。
这间教会的信徒建立了深厚的情谊，康弟兄形容为“托孤之交”。他们彼此串门、吃饭、交流，孩子们也在一起玩耍。若谁家里有事，完全可以放心将孩子托付给彼此。
“这就是我渴望追寻的家。”康弟兄告白说。
割舍不下起初的爱心，回归全职服事
就这样，康弟兄回到了教会。尽管在职场奋斗了几年，他始终没有忘记自己属于教会；觉得工作经历只是上帝给予的一个提升的机会。他的根深扎在教会的土壤里，深知教会才是他永远的家。
2023年底，他从上帝那里得到了一句话——“不要丢弃起初的爱心”。他确信上帝再次呼召他，开始在教会担任全职同工。
全职服事首先要面临的就是信心的考验。生活费、房租、孩子抚养费他都需要承担，最困难时，账户里只有几千元。但是他告白说：“凭着信心走，上帝一点没有让我缺乏。”
牧师的榜样也给了他极大鼓励。康弟兄亲眼见证了牧师如何靠着信心渡过艰难。牧师常对同工们说：“想好了，服事不是过好日子。”
如何帮助职场基督徒？——信心
如今，康弟兄带领教会青年团契，在职场中他学到许多智慧，能帮助在职场中面临挑战的基督徒们。
当被问到“职场的弟兄姐妹需要的是什么？”时，康弟兄没有任何犹豫地说道：“他们需要学习如何见证福音。”
那福音是什么？
康弟兄说如果我们把圣书当成条例来讲，只能是变成说教。而职场的基督徒需要面对的往往是很真实的问题。他举例道：基督徒在职场上能否拿回扣？
许多人为这个问题挣扎，是因为不清楚上帝究竟是怎样的一位。上帝是爱，而不是律法；无论我们是否犯错，上帝都接纳我们。关键不在拿不拿回扣，而是是否有信心。
那我们相信的到底是什么？
他解释道：“不是相信拿对还是不拿对，而是相信上帝的爱不会因为任何事情而断掉，这是圣书的教导。如果有这样的信心，就能做任何事情。”
比如，我们可以拿回扣，再用这笔钱买礼物送给老板，最终相当于没拿，康弟兄说到。这是他从职场学到的智慧。但前提是信心。认识到自己是上帝的儿子；无论做什么，上帝的爱始终不变。信仰的核心是信心，信才可以进入爱，而不是活在律法的恐惧中。
“信徒需要的是真实的被爱，需要我们牧者付上代价。”
对话| 职场打拼多年的80后弟兄重归全职服事：如何帮助职场基督徒？
After years of working in a major city, a Christian man surnamed Kang (not full name for secrutiy seasons) has returned to the church to start a new phase of full-time ministry.
Leaving Full-Time Ministry to Enter the Workplace
In the early 21st century, Kang, born in the 1980s, came to the church and encountered the Christian faith. Seven years later, he studied theology and became a full-time staff member at a church that catered to highly educated individuals. Initially feeling inadequate due to his academic background—surrounded by many intellectuals—he committed to continuous learning, growing significantly in the process.
However, after more than three years of service, he recognized certain limitations in himself: lacking work experience and having limited social exposure. He also began to feel that as he lived in Christian circles for a long time, he became like a Pharisee, as though he alone were holy. He decided to challenge himself, leaving his role in ministry. He also partnered with others to start a business, returning to the secular workplace.
Back in the workplace, he found his faith becoming more genuine. Through his work, he encountered friends from various faith backgrounds: atheists, Buddhists, and those with no belief system at all. They openly discussed their views, and they treated each other with mutual respect, holding different perspectives.
Finding Belonging Amidst the Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kang struggled with “virtual church gatherings,” gradually drifting from the church and feeling like a wanderer disconnected from his spiritual family.
Toward the end of the pandemic, he met a pastor through work who, upon learning of his long absence from church, invited him to his church. The pastor never pressured him to attend, nor did he rebuke him for missing church services; instead, he offered him full respect and freedom.
When he first visited the church, he immediately felt the warmth of a home. After only a few meetings, a Christian woman surnamed Ma from the church invited him to her home for meals, encouraging him to treat her house as his own. Believers showed him acceptance, never judging him for his prolonged absence. This unconditional love and acceptance deeply touched Kang.
The church members developed deep bonds, which Kang describes as a “family trust.” They visited each other’s homes, shared meals, and their children played together. When anyone had an emergency, they could confidently entrust their children to each other’s care.
“This is the home I longed for,” Kang shared.
Returning to Full-Time Ministry With a Heart of Love
In this way, Kang returned to the church. Despite his years in the professional world, he never forgot his roots in the church, regarding his work experience as God’s way of shaping him. His foundation remained in the church, which he knew was his true home.
Toward the end of 2023, he received a word from God: “Do not forsake your first love.” He became convinced that God was calling him back to serve as a full-time worker in the church.
However, full-time ministry presented a new test of faith, requiring him to provide for his family’s living expenses, rent, and child-rearing costs by himself. At his lowest point, he had only a few thousand yuan in his account. Yet, he testified, “God has never allowed me to lack anything, as long as I walk by faith.”
Learning from his pastor’s example, Kang saw firsthand how the pastor endured hardships by faith, frequently reminding the team: “Don’t do ministry if you want an easy life.”
Support Christians in the Workplace With Faith
Leading the youth fellowship, Kang helps Christians facing challenges in their professional lives, drawing upon the wisdom he gained from the workplace.
When asked about what Christians in the workplace need most, Kang responded without hesitation, “They need to learn how to testify to the gospel.”
What, then, is the gospel? Kang explained that if believers presented the Bible as a set of rules, they might become merely moralizing. Christians in the workplace often face real issues, such as whether they can ethically accept commissions or kickbacks. Many struggle with such questions because they are uncertain about who God truly is. God is love and does not treat us as our sins deserve; He accepts us regardless of our shortcomings. The key issue is not whether one takes a commission, but rather whether one has faith.
What, then, is our faith? He explained, “It’s not about whether it is right or wrong to take commissions; it’s about whether we can trust that God’s love is unwavering, which the Bible teaches. With such faith, we can do anything.” For example, he suggested that one could take a commission if he uses it to buy a gift for the boss, as he gives it back. This is one of the workplace insights he has gained. But the prerequisite is faith. One must understand that one is a child of God; whatever one does, God’s love remains constant. The essence of faith is confidence in God’s love, not just obedience to the law.
“Needing real love, believers require pastors to pay the price for them,” Kang added.
- Edited by Katherine Guo & translated by Abigail Wu
Story of Christian Returning to Full-Time Ministry From Workplace
