The Office Celebration That Changed Everything
Shanthi* is a retired banker. From the time she was in college, it had been her deepest desire to become equipped to share the Gospel with the people living around her in India. That can be difficult in a country where another religion is the majority.
As a Christian living in a largely Hindu world, it’s hard to watch one of the most important festival days for Christians celebrated as what she calls “a secular music festival.” For more than two decades, Shanthi watched her co-workers get excited about songs, instruments, and the chance to eat and drink together before they’d move onto the next day. Christmas was celebrated alongside Diwali and Dasara, two traditional Indian holidays, in her office. The staff mostly looked forward to them, but for Shanthi, Christmas’ meaning was lost.
In 2007, Shanthi participated in the Haggai Leader Experience. There, she attended the many sessions and learned much about sharing her faith. Through this, her perspective shifted. She left with a new vision for her countrymen and women, and the motivation and confidence to use newfound skills for sharing the Gospel.
“I was so fascinated with each of the sessions — reaching friends from other faiths, learning how to use multimedia tools for sharing Christ, studying Christian integrity, etc. As soon as I came back to India, I organized a seminar and helped in other seminars, both financially and volunteering.”
When she did return, she was also ready to put the wheels in motion to changing up the Bank’s Christmas celebration. Placed in a leadership position at the bank she worked at, she guided the Christmas program to follow a celebration of Christ’s birth more closely.
Practically, that looked like using multimedia tools to show who Jesus was, dimming unnecessary sounds and noises that took away from the message, and she “made it a point to invite Christian speakers with non-Christian backgrounds, so that they could appeal to my non-Christian colleagues and friends in presenting the Gospel.”
The program was short, concise (complete with great snacks), and to the point. The entire bank attended the Christmas program — which is unprecedented, even compared to the Indian festivals.
The bank’s Christmas program was changed forever.
“I remember one Christmas program at my bank in which we invited a well-known speaker. After the usual singing and videos, he shared his testimony of how he came to Jesus. In the front row of the audience were all the senior officers of the bank, almost all of them Hindus. As soon as the speaker was finished, he asked the audience to stand up to their feet and to repeat the salvation prayer after him.
At this point, I was so afraid, as I did not expect this sudden turn in the program; but everyone, including the senior officers, stood up and repeated the prayer. I felt that as though my mission was accomplished in joining the bank. Since then, our Christmas programs happen every year along the same lines. Even after my retirement, the Christian Employees Fellowship continues to use the Christmas program as a platform to share the Gospel.”
Today, Shanthi uses every opportunity to share about Jesus, but she prays for the Christmas season all year long. To her, Christmas is the biggest opportunity for her and other Christians living in India’s Hindu-majority communities to share the Gospel with their neighbors while their interest in piqued. After all, she’s got Good News to share about the greatest gift of all.
“All believers who are working as professionals in their respective fields need to attend a Haggai seminar at least once in their lifetime,” said Shanthi. “It changes the way you look at sharing the Gospel. Anyone can be a witness for Jesus and impact others in their everyday work and life, and being equipped with the tools and confidence can make all the difference.”
And that’s truly something to celebrate.
*Name changed for protection of privacy.
Written by Jennifer Colosimo
The Office Celebration That Changed Everything
Shanthi* is a retired banker. From the time she was in college, it had been her deepest desire to become equipped to share the Gospel with the people living around her in India. That can be difficult in a country where another religion is the majority.
As a Christian living in a largely Hindu world, it’s hard to watch one of the most important festival days for Christians celebrated as what she calls “a secular music festival.” For more than two decades, Shanthi watched her co-workers get excited about songs, instruments, and the chance to eat and drink together before they’d move onto the next day. Christmas was celebrated alongside Diwali and Dasara, two traditional Indian holidays, in her office. The staff mostly looked forward to them, but for Shanthi, Christmas’ meaning was lost.
In 2007, Shanthi participated in the Haggai Leader Experience. There, she attended the many sessions and learned much about sharing her faith. Through this, her perspective shifted. She left with a new vision for her countrymen and women, and the motivation and confidence to use newfound skills for sharing the Gospel.
“I was so fascinated with each of the sessions — reaching friends from other faiths, learning how to use multimedia tools for sharing Christ, studying Christian integrity, etc. As soon as I came back to India, I organized a seminar and helped in other seminars, both financially and volunteering.”
When she did return, she was also ready to put the wheels in motion to changing up the Bank’s Christmas celebration. Placed in a leadership position at the bank she worked at, she guided the Christmas program to follow a celebration of Christ’s birth more closely.
Practically, that looked like using multimedia tools to show who Jesus was, dimming unnecessary sounds and noises that took away from the message, and she “made it a point to invite Christian speakers with non-Christian backgrounds, so that they could appeal to my non-Christian colleagues and friends in presenting the Gospel.”
The program was short, concise (complete with great snacks), and to the point. The entire bank attended the Christmas program — which is unprecedented, even compared to the Indian festivals.
The bank’s Christmas program was changed forever.
“I remember one Christmas program at my bank in which we invited a well-known speaker. After the usual singing and videos, he shared his testimony of how he came to Jesus. In the front row of the audience were all the senior officers of the bank, almost all of them Hindus. As soon as the speaker was finished, he asked the audience to stand up to their feet and to repeat the salvation prayer after him.
At this point, I was so afraid, as I did not expect this sudden turn in the program; but everyone, including the senior officers, stood up and repeated the prayer. I felt that as though my mission was accomplished in joining the bank. Since then, our Christmas programs happen every year along the same lines. Even after my retirement, the Christian Employees Fellowship continues to use the Christmas program as a platform to share the Gospel.”
Today, Shanthi uses every opportunity to share about Jesus, but she prays for the Christmas season all year long. To her, Christmas is the biggest opportunity for her and other Christians living in India’s Hindu-majority communities to share the Gospel with their neighbors while their interest in piqued. After all, she’s got Good News to share about the greatest gift of all.
“All believers who are working as professionals in their respective fields need to attend a Haggai seminar at least once in their lifetime,” said Shanthi. “It changes the way you look at sharing the Gospel. Anyone can be a witness for Jesus and impact others in their everyday work and life, and being equipped with the tools and confidence can make all the difference.”
And that’s truly something to celebrate.
*Name changed for protection of privacy.
Written by Jennifer Colosimo
The Office Celebration That Changed Everything
Shanthi* is a retired banker. From the time she was in college, it had been her deepest desire to become equipped to share the Gospel with the people living around her in India. That can be difficult in a country where another religion is the majority.
As a Christian living in a largely Hindu world, it’s hard to watch one of the most important festival days for Christians celebrated as what she calls “a secular music festival.” For more than two decades, Shanthi watched her co-workers get excited about songs, instruments, and the chance to eat and drink together before they’d move onto the next day. Christmas was celebrated alongside Diwali and Dasara, two traditional Indian holidays, in her office. The staff mostly looked forward to them, but for Shanthi, Christmas’ meaning was lost.
In 2007, Shanthi participated in the Haggai Leader Experience. There, she attended the many sessions and learned much about sharing her faith. Through this, her perspective shifted. She left with a new vision for her countrymen and women, and the motivation and confidence to use newfound skills for sharing the Gospel.
“I was so fascinated with each of the sessions — reaching friends from other faiths, learning how to use multimedia tools for sharing Christ, studying Christian integrity, etc. As soon as I came back to India, I organized a seminar and helped in other seminars, both financially and volunteering.”
When she did return, she was also ready to put the wheels in motion to changing up the Bank’s Christmas celebration. Placed in a leadership position at the bank she worked at, she guided the Christmas program to follow a celebration of Christ’s birth more closely.
Practically, that looked like using multimedia tools to show who Jesus was, dimming unnecessary sounds and noises that took away from the message, and she “made it a point to invite Christian speakers with non-Christian backgrounds, so that they could appeal to my non-Christian colleagues and friends in presenting the Gospel.”
The program was short, concise (complete with great snacks), and to the point. The entire bank attended the Christmas program — which is unprecedented, even compared to the Indian festivals.
The bank’s Christmas program was changed forever.
“I remember one Christmas program at my bank in which we invited a well-known speaker. After the usual singing and videos, he shared his testimony of how he came to Jesus. In the front row of the audience were all the senior officers of the bank, almost all of them Hindus. As soon as the speaker was finished, he asked the audience to stand up to their feet and to repeat the salvation prayer after him.
At this point, I was so afraid, as I did not expect this sudden turn in the program; but everyone, including the senior officers, stood up and repeated the prayer. I felt that as though my mission was accomplished in joining the bank. Since then, our Christmas programs happen every year along the same lines. Even after my retirement, the Christian Employees Fellowship continues to use the Christmas program as a platform to share the Gospel.”
Today, Shanthi uses every opportunity to share about Jesus, but she prays for the Christmas season all year long. To her, Christmas is the biggest opportunity for her and other Christians living in India’s Hindu-majority communities to share the Gospel with their neighbors while their interest in piqued. After all, she’s got Good News to share about the greatest gift of all.
“All believers who are working as professionals in their respective fields need to attend a Haggai seminar at least once in their lifetime,” said Shanthi. “It changes the way you look at sharing the Gospel. Anyone can be a witness for Jesus and impact others in their everyday work and life, and being equipped with the tools and confidence can make all the difference.”
And that’s truly something to celebrate.
*Name changed for protection of privacy.
Written by Jennifer Colosimo
