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
