Thriving Church: A Case Study Part II
[Take a moment to read the previous post: “Thriving Church: A Case Study Part I”.]
This Part II blog post and the following Part III will highlight this thriving church’s team’s responses to the following questions I sent them recently as a client check-in:
· In what ways has adding the gifts assessment and related classes changed your church for the better?
· Can you supply a specific example or two of people or teams transformed by discovering, understanding, developing, and using their gifts?
· What pushback/roadblocks to embracing these gifts concepts have come from your leadership, staff, or congregation?
· Do you have suggestions for addressing this resistance?
Every month, C. teaches Step 1, week 1; B. teaches Step 2, week 2. They are sold on the value. Their gifts mesh well with this equipping effort. As B. said in his email to me: “While C. and I no longer work on staff at the church, we are still highly involved. We both serve as facilitators for the [new members class]. I am blessed to teach the spiritual gifts class.”
Your goal as you seek to build a team of people who are not all staff members is to find that sweet spot for each of them where they say to you that their service is a blessing to them!
Both C. and B. responded to: In what ways has adding the gifts assessment and related classes changed your church for the better?
B: “We get to help people better understand how God has wired them, which helps to point them in the right direction regarding where they serve. Knowing their gifts and having a biblical understanding of them gives people confidence to better walk in their God-given purpose
C: “I believe adding the gifts assessment and related classes has changed our church because it has provided members with a greater understanding of how God has wired them and how they can use their gifts to impact the Kingdom. I also believe it has empowered members and provided the confidence they need to fully pursue the purpose and plan God has for their lives. For many in the classes, they did not fully understand why they had a passion for certain things or why they did certain things well. After taking the assessment and class, they fully understand that it is because God created them that way and he placed gifts inside of them to be a blessing to others.”
Wow. It doesn’t get any better than that this side of heaven. Helping people better understand how God has uniquely formed then, directing them to a good-fit place of meaningful service, helping them walk confidently in their God-given purpose, connecting people’s understanding of ministry to Kingdom impact, empowering God’s people to see and step into His plan for them, unearthing and affirming God-given passions...all with the goal of church health and God’s glory!
C. responded to: Can you supply a specific example or two of people or teams transformed by discovering, understanding, developing, and using their gifts?
“I recall during my time in full-time ministry, I had a leader who seemed to be out of place. They did not have a passion for the area they were leading, and they were not giving their best to their team. As I observed their leadership, I decided to meet with the leader to find out how the leader came into this leadership position. After talking with the leader, I quickly learned that they volunteered because no one else was willing to take on the leadership role. I then began to ask them questions about their passions, interests, and strengths. I also asked them to take the spiritual gift assessment. Upon taking the spiritual gift assessment, I met with them to discuss their gifting. It was rewarding to see how the assessment illuminated their understanding of themselves, and before I could even say it, they realized that they were leading outside of the area of giftedness. This taught me that sometimes a person may be exhibiting bad leadership, not because the person is a bad leader, but because they are not leading in their area of giftedness. We immediately discussed areas that were compatible with their gifting, and they were released from their current leadership role, which was an amicable transition.”
Do you have people who seem to be “out of place” or who lack passion for what they’re doing? You might take time to pray—to discern the Lord’s leading, and then meet with that person to learn more. Having them take the spiritual gifts assessment (FREE) and debriefing it with them may “illuminate their understanding of themselves”, helping them move into a better role (or taking a much-needed break).
The next blog post contains the responses of these two church leaders to these questions:
· What pushback/roadblocks to embracing these gifts concepts have come from your leadership, staff, or congregation?
· Do you have suggestions for addressing this resistance?
Important resources:
Take this free spiritual gifts assessment or this free Spanish language spiritual gifts assessment.
Purchase the six-week workbook in English or Spanish:
DIOS. DONES. TÚ.: Tu llamado y diseño único (Spanish Edition)
Downloadable Resources--See Sample List of Interest Areas; Your Spiritual Gifts—A Study Guide; Knowing Your Unique Calling and Purpose Study Guide; Whole-Life Ministry: A Form of Worship, Grace-Giving, and Living into Your Calling.
Shirley Giles Davis, author of the God. Gifts. You. Your Unique Calling and Design workbook, Your Unique Design Class Guide, Your Unique Design Facilitator Guide, DIOS. DONES. TÚ.: Tu llamado y diseño único (Spanish Edition), and Gifts-Calling-Purpose blog, is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with hundreds of faith-based organizations, nonprofit agencies, and executive leaders in a diversity of fields for four decades. She currently serves as Catalyst for Equipping at her church.
Photo © Shirley Giles Davis.
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