How to start a CDN Prayer Group in my hospital?
Dear brothers and sisters,
Thanks God for His lovingly guidance in the CDN workplace ministry conference just held on 19th August!
There are 30 Christian doctors and 15 medical students attended the conference. God has led us into deeper understanding of the spiritual needs of each of the hospitals, and many of us are encouraged and motivated to fulfill the workplace ministry both to save colleagues and save patients, with the faith in our faithful God! Many of us are seriously planning how to start a prayer group in the workplace too!
A spiritual fire of revival has been ignited, so let us keep on praying, and anticipate the miraculous works of our mighty God in the workplace!
As many of us are thinking about how to start a prayer group in the workplace, below is a brief guideline to stimulate your thoughts. Take a look!
Starting a CDN prayer group in your department or hospital
Step 1: To define the aims and objectives ( in prayers )
Be very clear that a CDN prayer group is a MISSION group or a GOSPEL group. Everything it does is aimed at equipping and empowering Christians to believe that they CAN fulfill the commandments of God in the workplace!
Therefore, it is not merely a SUPPORT group, or a FELLOWSHIP group, though it always has these components.
Step 2: Ask - who is it for?
Don’t ask who can come. Ask who is it for?
This means, if the group is for that doctor, though he may not come at the moment, we does not put a full-stop for him! On the contrary, we count him as already a member of the group, and continue to pray for his coming!
So start to figure out who is to be considered a member of the group.
And remember that those apparently non-Christians may not be really purely non-Christians! Many of them had somewhat attended church previously in their life! So make a plan/list to gradually collect information about their spiritual history and status in detail.
Step 3: Ask - Where and when?
The trick here is: no need to consider the fitting of everyone’s duties in too much detail! Because it’s almost impossible to fit everyone’s duties once the group has more than 3 members!
On the contrary, figure out a most available and convenient time and place to start, so each time the one who arrive at the place first will start to pray no matter when the others may come.
Step 4: Figure out the rundown
This is very specific for your workplace.
But there must be heavy prayer components, especially about 3 aspects:
1. Prayers of repentance for the workplace: (Consider these questions each time)
- In what aspects in the workplace you see the ignorance of the existence of God/love of God/grace of God?
- In what aspects in the workplace you see idol worshipping?
- Any part of the habits/customs and languages in the workplace is not good in the eyes of God?
2. Prayers of proclamation of the Good news/Promises from God
The whole Bible is full of good news/promises from God, so let us turn from negative to positive, and focus on at least one good news/promises each time!
3. Prayers of responses
What is the leading of God for your workplace that you may be moved towards during the prayers?
In what aspect in the workplace you may see the thirst deep inside the heart of your colleague? What they are actually longing for?
If you find some answers to the above 2 questions, figure out action plans to go for it!
l Gradually topics may be set about: Workplace issues, ethical issues, personal issues, evangelical ministries… but the point is, remember to avoid mere discussions without actual action plans to respond to the leading of God! And never let discussions overwhelm prayers!
Step 5: Making the group known
This can be done in various ways, and it’s a crucial step to make you really commit to maintain this group!
1. Internal email – both the CDN letters, and your own words
2. Posters in the doctor’s room – announcing the starting of the CDN group
3. Hand-size pamphlets – as reminders for the colleagues about the prayer issues and the schedule
The role of the group coordinator
1. Be a prayerful man/woman first! Commit at least 15 minutes to pray for the workplace everyday.
2. Get close to the heart of our Lord, for His heart sounds for your workplace – usually via the Bible.
3. Through prayers, God will definitely add strength and courage to your weak points.
4. Keep reaching out to the colleagues.
Resources available
1. Prayers from all other Christian doctors in the CDN list are backing you up!
2. CDN letters as your encouragement as well
3. Monthly ignition prayer gatherings in QEH M Block G/F every 3rd Sunday of the month
4. Websites:
www.medicchurch.org
www.cmf.org.uk ( some of the ideas in this guideline are adopted from this website )
So just take the first step, and let God lead all the consequent steps!
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