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By Rick James

Grace is at the core of my faith. But is it at the core of the way I live? Does it really affect how I behave at work? I don’t think grace has even been used to describe my contribution or performance in any annual appraisal. And yet I believe we are called to be ‘stewards of grace’ (1 Pet 4:10) at work.

Grace is the distinctive feature of our faith. As Desmond Tutu wrote: ‘I preached my only sermon – that God loves us freely as an act of grace’. Grace is what sets Christianity apart from other religions. It is what should set Christian organisations apart from all others.

Yet grace does not fit easily with our current approaches to management. It’s counter-cultural, even scandalous. It’s often misunderstood and misused. Grace should not be an excuse for sweeping important stuff under the carpet. It is about dealing with openly and honestly and honestly with the human condition. Grace is radical and transforming.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if grace characterised our organisational cultures? Our leadership? The ways we relate to partners? Our theories of change? Our office culture?

It starts with you and me. This week think about:

• How are you being shaped by grace at the moment?
• What opportunities do you have to be a steward of radical grace?

Space for Grace is an approach to inspiring change. It’s about integrating our Christian faith together with thoroughly professional methods in facilitating change. For ten years we have benefited from financial support from the mission councils in Sweden, Norway and Denmark. This has helped us develop a rich resource of case studies and materials and share that learning with a community of more than 500 practitioners. It’s now time for us to stand on our own two feet. The funded element ended in December 2017, but the song will continue and expand. We will adapt the lyrics and melodies to our different contexts, secure in our faith that God is active in helping us and our organisations become the vehicles for this grace that we are called to be.