Evaluating the Scope and Effectiveness of Existing Marketplace Ministry in Hong Kong with an Aim to Develop a Roadmap to Launch the Same in Local Churches

According to the most recent survey conducted in 2009 by Hong Kong Professional and Educational Services (HKPES) on Christian behavior at workplace, majority of the respondents (65 percent) experienced intense pressure at work. When choosing a job, “salary and compensation” came up as the top consideration (65.4 percent). The overwhelming majority consider “maintaining livelihood” as the key value for work (68.3 percent) as well as their feelings towards work (75.8 percent). According to a similar survey conducted by HKPES in 2003, more than 90 percent would not share the gospel at work, not with their partners, colleagues or customers. There appears to be a gap between Monday and Sunday for Christians at work in Hong Kong; the struggle to integrate faith and work is not to be underestimated. What is the church going to do about it? Following the global trend of intensifying discussion and focus on “Faith at Work” (FAW) or often used inter-changeably as “Marketplace Ministry” (MM), there is also an increase of interest in FAW/MM among churches and Christian circles here.
In this dissertation, I attempt to find out the scope and effectiveness of existing MM in Hong Kong by conducting interviews with various channels including the key general MM organizations, fellowships in key professions and industries as well as a sample of representative churches. I recognize that while the former two can serve as bridges between the church and marketplace, they can never replace the role of church in MM. What is the church’s role in all these ministries and how may it equip its members for the challenge? I hope my findings will help develop a roadmap to launch MM in local churches.
An extensive literature review is conducted on MM in this dissertation and various frameworks for MM are discussed. Last but not the least, the theological basis of MM in relation to Theology of Work, Marketplace and Spirituality at Work will also be explored.