Working faithfully?

Findings from the October 2013 21st Century Evangelicals report

on work

• In May 2013, 1,511 people responded to our survey on work

• Respondents were 53% male and 47% female.

• The age profile was concentrated among the over 40s.

Who took part in the survey?

To take part in the next survey visit www.eauk.org/snapshot

How can we as a church better support people in their work – both paid and unpaid?

How do we work?• 93% said they were interested in their work • 84% felt valued for the work they do• 37% did more than 40 hours paid work per

week, • Many also gave a lot of time to unpaid caring

and voluntary work.• However, 39% said they were often stressed by

work (10% had taken time off for stress) • 85% felt that management by targets was a

significant problem at work

What do we look for in a job?

Does our church teach people what factors to consider when looking

for a job?

Does our church value certain types of work and workers above

others?

When thinking about what is desirable in a job…– over 60% said the sense of vocation or

calling to their type of work was very important

– 59% the opportunity to serve and help others– only 22% thought the rate of pay was very

important

Justice in employment• 85% of respondents thought the inequalities of

pay between top earners and the rest were too great

• Three-quarters thought the government should change the law to ensure everyone receives a living wage

• Over half our panel recognised that there was discrimination in employment - particularly against those with disabilities, ethnic minorities, women and on grounds of age.

Are any of our church members involved in tackling injustice in the workplace?

• 85% say that most people at work know they are a Christian

• 52% have opportunities to talk about their faith with people they work with

• Less than half thought their church helped Christians to think through the issues they face in their workplace

Is the teaching in our church easily

applicable to people in their workplace?

Faith at work

Do we see the workplace as a mission field?

• 53% thought that Christians getting into trouble at work if they say what they believe was a significant problem in the workplace

• But a much lower proportion had actually experienced difficulties on account of their faith or a stand they had taken on an ethical issue;

o14% felt they had met some hostility from colleagues, and 9% from management

Faith at work

Has anyone in our church experienced problems because of their faith?

Did the church support them?

• Less than half felt that their church helped Christians to think through the issues they faced in the workplace

• Only 57% felt their church encouraged and prepared them to witness and evangelise at work

Is the teaching in our church relevant and applicable to

working people?

The Church and work

The Church and unemployment• Almost one-third who had become unemployed said

they felt they received no support from their church

• Encouragingly, 40% say their church offers practical support to unemployed people in the community

• However, only 13% of our respondents were in a church which ran a specific project to help unemployed people, and only 13% were in churches offering voluntary work placements to the unemployed

Is our church trying to meet the needs of local unemployed people?

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