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 Finding the Fit in MinistryLife experiences can open doors to dynamic ministry.
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During college, I took a physical education course in boxing. The instructor matched each student with someone of approximately the same height, weight, and reach. But my assigned partner kept missing class, so I frequently ended up boxing a fellow twenty pounds heavier. (I had loose teeth the whole quarter!) Three one-minute rounds seemed to take forever, especially when the opponent danced around the ring and I connected only once every several punches. Fatigue set in quickly. I learned a lesson that quarter that has stuck with me ever since: You're drained of more energy by swinging and missing than by landing a solid punch. Now that I am in church ministry, I see a number of people who are worn out in their ministries while others put in a lot more time yet remain refreshed. I suspect that the differences rest not in their commitment level or energy level as much as how well their ministry job fits. When expended energies "connect," people last longer. The church's traditional pattern of fitting available people into existing ministry job slots doesn't usually meet this need. Nor have I found spiritual gifts classes, growth institutes, or seminars particularly helpful. Instead, people received a mishmash of often excellent material, but a muddle of messages and no clear direction for where to go next. No doubt other churches might do it differently, but here are the steps we take to help our people. Taking InventoryKaren had been a Christian for several years but not serious about her faith. One day, she explained, "I'm not sure I have anything to offer the church. I have no idea what special gifts or talents I have. In fact, I'm not sure God even gave me any." Rather than immediately finding Karen a program to work in, we decided to help her discover the spiritual resources God had provided her. We found that she had organizational and verbal skills. Also, Karen had given birth to a child before she was married and was feeling useless to Christ as a result. We pointed out to her that God could change this difficult life experience into a positive resource. Karen soon became an effective participant in a ministry to young women. So life experiences can open doors to dynamic ministry. Spiritual gifts also play a role. We've found that one's secular expertise may not coincide with one's spiritual gift. Scott, an executive-level administrator in a large corporation, has never felt comfortable managing people and activities in the context of ministry. During spiritual planning he decided that, instead, he has the gifts of mercy and teaching. He now works with a support group where people are coming out of difficult life experiences. In addition, he teaches in that context. At Bear Valley, people attend four sessions with one of our trained spiritual planners. The first three sessions focus on the resource mix. Before the first session, we give each person a questionnaire. It must be completed prior to the first session and covers a number of key areas. |             |
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