While Christianity is the most widely practiced religion across the globe, inclusive workplaces strive to acknowledge and respect the varied religious beliefs of all employees, including those who practice Christianity. Here are some respectful practices to consider for fostering an inclusive environment for your Christian colleagues:

Understand the Deeper Meaning Behind Holidays

While Christmas and Easter are widely recognized, understanding their religious importance can foster greater respect and inclusivity. Being mindful of these days and the significance they hold for Christian colleagues helps promote an atmosphere of respect.

Learn About Key Practices of Christianity

Christianity encompasses a wide range of practices – it’s not a single unified religion. Estimates show there are more than 200 Christian denominations in the U.S. and over 45,000 globally. To increase your understanding of Christianity, it’s helpful to start with the basic elements that many denominations have in common. Here are some of the facets of this religion that can serve as a starting point:

• The Ten Commandments
• Baptism
• Eucharist/Communion
• Prayer (start with the Lord’s Prayer)
• Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection
• Jesus’ teachings, including loving God, loving your neighbor as yourself, forgiving others, and loving your enemies
• Repentance of sins and seeking forgiveness
• Belief in Jesus as the Messiah and his authority to forgive others

Recognize Christian Holy Days

While Christmas and Easter are well-known, other Christian holy days also merit recognition. Awareness of these days can help ensure that the workplace calendar reflects the full range of religious observances.

Some examples include:

• Advent Sunday
• All Saints’ Day
• Ascension Day
• Epiphany
• Good Friday
• Lent and Ash Wednesday
• Pentecost