I’ve been participating in a Lay Servant Class in the Milwaukee Metro District UMC on Saturdays–Equipped for Every Good Work. It has added to my repertoire on Spiritual Gifts study these past two weeks. Our book, Equipped for Every Good Work: Building a Gifts-Based Church, by Dan R. Dick & Barbara A. Dick, is excellent, and by authors I particularly admire.
Here are some relevant quotes and descriptions from the website by the publisher: https://wipfandstock.com/store/Equipped_for_Every_Good_Work_Building_a_GiftsBased_Church
All scripture is inspired by God . . . so that everyone who
belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17Equipped for Every Good Work is not intended as a tool to help congregations assign members to jobs on committees, boards, councils, or task forces. Instead, it is a process of discovery and discussion of the gifts, graces, and abilities of the leadership core of a local congregation. It shifts the attention off of what we do and on to who we are as called, gifted, and empowered people of God.
Through self-exploration and discovery, each person can gain new insights about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ, and the entire congregation can grow as a faith-forming spiritual community.
We have all asked ourselves:
. . . Where and how is God calling you? Is your church helping you to discover and answer God’s call?
. . . How do we maximize our leadership potential without driving one another crazy?
. . . How can we make our church more open, inclusive, and able to meet the ministry needs of a constantly changing culture?
This approach helps to answer these questions.
I have worked with Spiritual Gifts and assessments with two groups annually the past five years or so, one group being my Confirmation Class. I often use the shorter device at the United Methodist website, and I have found that to be accurate and consistent. But many adults have indicated that because of the small number of questions used, users can “psych it out.” Still I find the resources and slide show here helpful, and a good supplement to the Dicks’ materials:
Spiritual Gifts Assessment at UMC.org.
http://www.umc.org/atf/cf/%7Bdb6a45e4-c446-4248-82c8-e131b6424741%7D/
The two main tips I have learned over the years are:
- Enter the process prayerfully each time, and be open to the lead of the Holy Spirit;
- Don’t try to lead the outcome to what you want; be open to being led;
I love how God speaks to us when we enter this process prayerfully.
Related articles
- My Gift of Compassion (michelewhitney.wordpress.com)
- Day 388 – Spiritual Gift (mysketchbookjournal.wordpress.com)
- Spiritual Gifts (ghettoscorner.wordpress.com)
Hopeful 