TGIF (Thank God It’s Friday) is a phrase heard in offices around the world to celebrate the end of another work week demonstrating we live in a culture that celebrates Fridays and dreads Monday mornings. Research shows that 70 per cent of people who start their work week on Monday regularly ask themselves “Why am I here?” Pastor, author, international speaker and chaplain to The Hawks (NBL team), Paul Bartlett, set out to uncover why that is and as a result, founded the TGIM (Thank God It’s Monday) movement.

Bartlett states that there’s something about a TGIF lifestyle that Christians should be wary about because it comes from the age-old idea that work is demeaning, unfulfilling and unspiritual. If Christians are banking on just getting through the week so they can get to church on Sunday, they are missing out on a huge part of the purpose of God for their life.

Bartlett penned Thank God It’s Monday out of a desire to encourage Christians and non-Christians alike to look forward to Monday mornings. He argues that when we re-frame the start of a new week as an opportunity for growth and change and begin living out our purpose, week-long, incredible things happen.

“At its core, TGIM is a shift in thinking that allows us to create a life that is fulfilling and purposeful, using our passions, talents and skills for others, said Bartlett. “In order to move from a TGIF lifestyle to a TGIM mindset, we need to put our faith into practical action from Monday to Saturday. I’ve seen how doing that can allow for incredible impact and change our communities like never before. How? By understanding that the mission we’re called to is predominantly worked out throughout the week.”

As the idea of adopting a TGIM mindset began to spread, Bartlett watched perspectives of Monday change, and lives, businesses and communities be transformed. In order to further resource churches and businesses who want to encourage their congregations and staff to adopt a TGIM mindset, Bartlett and his team created training materials, small groups, merchandise and video content to accompany the book.

“I set out to write Thank God It’s Monday out of an overwhelming passion to ensure we could represent Christ authentically in our community,” said Bartlett. “Of course, we still love weekends, but we should be even more excited for Monday. Because Monday is when we go to work or school and that’s where we’re positioned to engage with people who don’t yet know Jesus. We can live every day with purpose and have a huge influence on those around us. And it all begins on Monday.”