Bringing Ministry into the Workplace –– Brett's Story

Brett Dixon loved InterVarsity so much as a college student that he proposed to his now wife, Rachael, during their fall conference senior year. 

As a student leader in his InterVarsity chapter at Colorado School of the Mines, Brett Dixon remembers learning how to lead inductive Bible studies and invite others to study Scripture. His staff minister encouraged him to always look at where he was present and who the people were around him that might not have others sharing Jesus with them. “Sometimes, the people most unlikely to join, at least in our eyes, would be the ones to join us,” he said about his student leadership experience. 

After graduating in 2012, Brett and his wife moved to Austin, Texas where Brett was hired as an engineer at a large semiconductor manufacturing corporation of over 5,000 people onsite. For seven years, he was involved in his local church, even leading small groups there, but he felt like something was missing. 

“I was an engineer at work and a Christian at home,” he admitted. 

Why Not Me? 

One day, Brett’s church began showing video testimonies of different ways members of the church were living out their faith. One person talked about the ways they were sharing the gospel in the workplace. 

In that moment, Brett heard God say, “Why not you?” He knew then that God was calling him to start something at his job. Brett began longing to see the power of the gospel in his workplace, realizing it was such a high stress environment, people sought escape, and that escape was an accepted way of coping. 

Brett’s church helped him connect with two other church members who also happened to work at the same company as him. Together, they started meeting during lunch once a week to study Scripture and pray. 

Once it had become a routine, they wanted to invite others to join them. 

Brett began sitting next to random people at lunch, getting to know them, and then inviting them to the weekly Bible study. And like his experiences in college, “some of the most unlikely people would accept the invitation,” he said. 

After only a few months, the weekly lunch Bible study grew to 15 people. Brett and his coleaders started discerning other ways to grow, like hosting Bible studies on multiple days so more people could attend, doing prayer walks, or even planning quarterly service events outside of the office. 

A Community of Invitation and Support 

As the Bible study group at Brett’s work grew, people from different backgrounds got involved: seekers, people of other religions, and Christians who’d never gotten plugged into community. Since many members of the Bible study attended churches across the whole city, everyone had an opportunity to be invited to and explore church with a friend. 

The group became a strong community of support for each other. People who had worked in different departments gave advice to those who worked in those same parts of the company, and they were even able to pray for and exhort each other in difficult personal situations too.  “It’s the last place they ever thought they’d get spiritual support,” he said. But it turned out to be exactly what they needed. 

After two years of Brett’s Bible study existing relatively under the radar, they applied to become a recognized resource group for the company. They continued meeting in the meantime, praying that they’d get an answer, for over two years. 

Finally, in late 2024, Brett and other group members had the chance to present ways the Bible study group could benefit the company to its executives. 

“We have the best retention of any group, we can call each other to respect and love all people, plus we could be listed on the Religious Equity Index which could bring in new talent wanting to work for a place where there’s a safe religious group they can be part of,” Brett said. 

Calling Others to Ministry in the Workplace 

Now, Brett’s workplace Bible study has grown to three different meetings throughout the week, giving people who work different shifts the ability to attend. 40 to 60 people regularly come to Bible studies, and over 160 people are part of a group chat where prayer requests and encouragements are shared. 

This month, they’re finally becoming an official support group, meaning they’ll not only receive monetary support from the company, but they’ll also be allowed to announce the group to the entire workplace, inviting all their coworkers at once to come learn more about Jesus. 

Even outside of his own workplace, Brett is making an impact in his city. As he’s shared about what God is doing in his workplace with his church small group, many of them have been inspired to start reaching their workplaces too. 

“God has done a great work through our simple obedience to meet together,” Brett said. His encouragement to current InterVarsity students is that less people would be called out of the workplace and into ministry, but that more people would be called to bring ministry into the workplace. 

For more on Brett’s story, watch him share it at our recent Ambition conference or hear his interview on our InterVarsity World Changers podcast.