Investing in People
“I think we need to be active in our roles and understand that we are strategically placed to bring people into the Kingdom,” says Shiraz Siddique [MTS Modular 2016]. Currently working as a manager at Primus Telecommunications, he says working in a secular environment gives him an advantage when sharing the gospel.
Shiraz’s studies at Tyndale have given him a solid theological foundation and a breadth of understanding from many different denominational perspectives. His degree has provided him with a starting point for conversations with his coworkers. “The difference that MTS can make is that when you open your mouth and speak about things of God, you will know what you are talking about. It’s not enough to live in a shallow place, you have to go deeper,” says Shiraz.
He lives out his faith by fostering strong relationships within the team he works with. “We live every day in the borderlands. Christ was out there where the people are,” says Shiraz. These relationships have led people to attend church, some for the first time. For him, “it doesn’t have to be a moment they accept Christ on the spot, but if there is progress towards the Prince of Peace – that is where my greatest moments come from.” From his managerial role, he is also able to mentor other Christians on how to live out their faith in the workplace.
Shiraz recognizes that an immediate conversion does not always happen. But he has faith that “if I can invest in their lives in a worthwhile way, then I feel that they will remember the impact. And if they remember the impact, then you have to trust that the Holy Spirit will do His part.”