WHY AM I HERE?
WHY AM I LIKE THIS?
WHAT SHOULD I BE DOING?
WHAT IS GOD’S PLAN FOR ME?
HOW CAN I OVERCOME?
Who knows me best?
Who can best answer these questions?
Foundational Attitude:
I am not who I think I am,
I am not who others say I am,
I am who God says I am,
Who He has made me to be!
To know who we truly are we must first look at He who created us:
FATHER
SON & SPIRIT
What kind of relationship existed between the persons of God?
Then He created man to be:
a Receptor of His love and blessing
and be a Channel of His love and blessing to others:
THE COMMUNITY IS MULTIPLIED!!
But we rejected God, His provision and plan and chose to go our own way thorough rebellion and open disobedience to His law.
The consequences:
broken relationships with God and man,
fear and insecurity because we had left behind God’s security,
sickness and death because we had left behind God’s provision thinking we could make it on our own,
depression and poverty of heart, spirit and soul without Him and His community of joy.
(Genesis 3, Rom 5:12)
REVERSE THE CURSE WE HAD BROUGHT UPON OURSELVES
USING HIS WHOLE LIFE and EVEN HIS DEATH!
Foundational Truth:
I am CREATED, MADE, and DESIGNED
To be a BLESSING
Blessing is serving, ministering, giving, and loving others
as He has loved us, with all His love and power, in any and every way.
We are made to be blessings. We are also conduits of His supernatural power and love.
"For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph. 2:10
"It is He who saved us and chose us for His holy work, not because we deserved it but because that was his plan long before the world began..." 2 Tim. 1:9 (LB)
"Saved to Serve!"
"God, in his grace, chose me even before I was born, and called me to serve Him." Gal. 1:15 (GN)
"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Eph. 4:1
"...You have been chosen by God himself-you are priests of the King....you are God’s very own-all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of darkness into His wonderful light!" 1 Peter 2:9-10 (LB)
"...you will serve as holy priests..." 1 Peter 2:5 (GN)
"God Himself LIVES in you" Rom 8:9 -- Therefor all the Power of God is within you to bless other people!
Jesus: "I tell you the truth: He who believes in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than I have done" John 14:12
"God has given each of you some Supernatural Abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessing." 1 Peter 4:10 (LB)
"(Jesus said) All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of Me..." Matt. 28:18-19
"We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors..." 2 Cor. 5:20
Jesus: "Your attitude must be like my own, for I, the Messiah, did not come to be served, but to serve..." Mt. 20:28 (LB)
"Take heed to the ministry you’ve received from the Lord to fulfill it." Col. 4:17 (KJV)
"God gave...apostles, prophets, pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of blessing so that the Body of Christ may be built up..." Eph. 4:11-12
Blessing in the context of the church family.
"All of you together are the one Body of Christ and each of you is a unique and vital part of it." 1 Cor. 12:27
"God has given each of you some Supernatural Blessings; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessing." 1 Peter 4:10 (LB)
Blessing in the context of the world:
"When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said, "The harvest is great but the workers are few. Ask the Lord to send out workers into his harvest field." Matt. 9:36-37
We minister to the whole person; body, soul and spirit; wherever their need is, just as Jesus ministered.
"So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God." Romans 14:12
The Parable of the Talents: We shouldn’t hide our blessing. Matt. 25:14-30
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward." Col. 3:23,24
"Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your Master’s happiness!" Matt.25:23
(Romans 12:1-8)
I can continue to live for myself or I can
"I urge you...to moment by moment offer yourselves up as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing, to God--this is your true act of worship." (vs. 1)
THE BE-ATTITUDES (Rom 12, Matt 5-6)
BLESS even those who curse me
using my whole LIFE
and even my DEATH!
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." (vs. 2)
.
"Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a humble estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith God has given to you." (vs. 3 Ph)
START BLESSINGS OTHERS.
"We have different blessings, according to the grace God has given us...
(vs 6-8)
"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one Body, and each member belongs to all the others." (vs. 4-5)
"These gifts are given to build up the body of Christ"
"Whenever you get together each one exercises their gift" Rom 12
A small group is a perfect place to start blessing people but please feel free to bless members of the body WWW: Whatever, Whenever, Wherever!
The pastoral interview that is part of completing this course will help you activate your blessing.
PERSONAL BLESSING IS EVALUATED USING SEVERAL FACTORS
"There are different kinds of SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS but the same Spirit gives them. There are different WAYS OF SERVICE, but the same Lord is served. There are different NATURAL ABILITIES to perform service, but the same God gives ability to each one for everyone's blessing. The Spirit’s presence is shown IN SOME WAY in each one, for the good of all." 1 Cor. 12:4-7 (GN)
What am I empowered to do?
"SEARCHING OUT MY SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS" or "spiritual gifts" or "supernatural abilities" What are they? Which ones has God given me to bless others?
What do I love to do?
"HEARING MY HEARTBEAT" What do I really love to do? How can this be used to bless others?
What natural abilities do I have?
"APPLYING MY NATURAL ABILITIES" How can I fully use the natural talents and vocational skills that I have to bless others?
Where does my personality best suit me to serve?
"PLUGGING IN MY PERSONALITY" How can my God-given temperament be best used in blessing others?
What experiences have I had ?
"EXAMINING YOUR EXPERIENCES" How have spiritual and life experiences prepared me for a giving unique blessing that only I can give?
Example: HOW PAUL’S BLESSING WAS "S.H.A.P.E.D."
PAUL’S SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS
"And of this gospel I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher." 2 Tim. 1:11
PAUL’S HEART
"My constant ambition has been to preach the gospel where the name of Christ was previously unknown, and to avoid building on another man’s foundation." Rom. 15:20 (Ph)
"For God, who was at work in the blessing of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles." Gal. 2:8
"Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus..." Acts 20:24 (LB)
PAUL’S NATURAL ABILITIES
"...Paul went to see them, and stayed and worked with them, because he earned his living by making tents, just as they did. He debated in the synagogues every Sabbath, trying to convince both Jews and Gentiles." Acts 18:2b-4 (GN)
Paul's natural heritage (Hebrew) and Roman citizenship also enabled him to reach out cross-culturally.
PAUL’S PERSONALITY
"For you have heard of my past...I persecuted the church with fanatical zeal...and did my best to destroy it...I was ahead of most of my contemporaries in the Jewish religion, and had a boundless enthusiasm..." Gal. 1:13-14 (Ph)
PAUL’S EXPERIENCES
HIS SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
HIS PAINFUL EXPERIENCES
"...I have been in prison more times...near death often...been whipped five times with 39 lashes by the Jews and three times by the Romans...once stoned...I’ve been in three shipwrecks
...and once spent 24 hours in the water...In my travels I’ve been in danger from floods ...robbers...enemies...wild animals and false friends...I’ve served long hours without sleep or food or shelter or even clothing.." 2 Cor. 11:23-27
"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these great revelations, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan, to torment me." 2 Cor. 12:7
PAUL’S EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES
"I received my training at the feet of Gamaliel, and I was schooled in the strictest observance of our fathers’ Law." Acts 22:3 (Ph)
PAUL’S BLESSING EXPERIENCES
Read the Book of Acts for all the blessings Paul received and gave!
DISCOVERING MY S.H.A.P.E.
Supernatural Blessings
Heart
Abilities (Natural)
Personality
Experiences
REMEMBER:
1. Have fun! These are not "tests"! There are no right or wrong answers. The purpose is to show how you are a unique blend!
2. Each one is self-evaluating. No one is "rating" you on this. We’re primarily interested in your feelings and thoughts, not others’. However it may be helpful to ask for additional input from those closest to you after you’ve filled in your own responses.
3. The value of each of these tools will vary depending on your age, how long you’ve been a Christian, your background, your honesty, and how much time and serious thinking you’re willing to invest in them!
4. As you complete each tool, transfer your results to the form called "my blessing profile." You will bring this profile with you to your interview with a pastor.
SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS: God's Supernatural Powers and Abilities given by the Holy Spirit to every believer at their conversion, to be used to bless, serve, and build up the Body of Christ.
SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS
"Now about spiritual gifts, I do not want you to be ignorant." 1 Cor. 12:1
A. NOT FOR MY BENEFIT, BUT ________________.
"Each one of you, as a good manager of God’s different blessings, must use them to bless others, using all the supernatural blessings you have received from God." 1 Peter 4:10
"The Holy Spirit displays God’s power through each of us as a means of helping the entire church. " 1 Cor. 12:7 (LB)
B. TO PRODUCE _______________________ AND __________________ IN OUR CHURCH FAMILY.
"It was He who ‘gave gifts to men’...to build up the Body of Christ so we shall all come together to that oneness in our faith...and become mature...Then we shall no longer be children, carried by the waves and blown about by every shifting wind... Eph. 4:11, 13-14 (GN)
C. RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE BOTH PRIMARY AND A SECONDARY MINISTRIES IN THE CHURCH:
1. Every Christian has _____________________Supernatural Blessings given by God. 1 Cor. 7:7
2. These abilities are from __________ not ourselves. Either He has placed them within us or we are His channel. He can use anyone to bring forth any gift if needed in a situation.
3. These abilities are to serve __________ not myself.
4. These abilities are necessary to build up the __________. All are needed.
5. It’s a sin to __________ or __________ the gifts God gave me. 1 Cor. 12:1-2 and Mt. 25:14-30
6. Instead those abilities that help serve the body most should be sought out, activated, and developed. There are different levels of gifting and different arenas of serving. 1 Tim 4:14
7. __________ is the greatest gift. Without it all the other gifts are useless. 1 Cor 1:13
8. Using Supernatural Blessings glorifies God (not myself) and helps me to be __________. John 15:8
9. Supernatural Blessings are given by __________. They are not a sign of holiness nor maturity. The honor should go more to the giver of the gifts (God), not the person through whom they flow.
All God's powers are available to Bless people!
This is just a short list of abilities with what we currently think they mean. It would be impossible to list all God's powers. Also people define each of these slightly differently. THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST but helpful suggestions to help spark personal recognition.
1. PROPHECY / PREACHING 1 Cor. 14:3
The ability to publicly communicate God’s Word in an inspired way that convinces pre-believers and both challenges and comforts believers. The ability to persuasively declare God’s will.
2. EVANGELISM Acts 8:26-40
The ability to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ to pre-believers in a positive, non-threatening way.
The ability to sense opportunities to share Christ and lead people to respond with faith.
3. DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS 1 John 4:1 Acts 16:16-22
The ability to distinguish between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
The ability to discern evil spirits and their activities.
4. APOSTLE Rom 15:20
The ability to start new churches and oversee their development.
5. TEACHING Eph. 4:12-13
The ability to educate God’s people by clearly explaining and applying the Bible in a way that causes them to learn.
The ability to equip and train other believers for blessing.
6. ENCOURAGEMENT Act 14:22 (sometimes called "Exhortation")
The ability to motivate God’s people to apply and act on biblical principles, especially when they are discouraged or wavering in their faith. The ability to bring out the best in others and challenge them to develop their potential.
7. WISDOM 1 Cor. 2:1, 6-16
The ability to understand God’s perspective on life situations and share those insights in a simple, understandable way. The ability to explain what to do and how to do it.
8. MISSIONS 1 Cor. 9:19-23, Acts 13:2-3
The ability to adapt to a different culture in order to reach pre-believers and help believers from that culture.
9. SERVICE Acts 6:1-7 1 Cor. 12:28
The ability to recognize unmet needs in the church family, and take the initiative to provide practical assistance quickly, cheerfully, and without a need for recognition.
10. PASTORING 1 Peter 5:2-4 (This is sometimes called "Shepherding")
The ability to care for the spiritual needs of a group of believers and equip them for blessing others. The ability to nurture a small group in spiritual growth and assume responsibility for their welfare.
11. GIVING 2 Cor. 8:1-7
The ability to generously contribute material resources and/or money beyond the 10% tithe so that the Body may grow and be strengthened. The ability to earn and manage money so it may be given to support the blessing of others.
12. INTERCESSION Col. 1:9-12
The ability to pray for the needs of others over extended periods of time on a regular basis. The ability to persist in prayer and not be discouraged until the answer arrives. (P.U.S.H.)
13. MUSIC Psalm 150
The ability to celebrate God’s presence through music, Either vocal or instrumental, and to lead the church family in worship.
14. ARTS & CRAFTS Exodus 31:3-11
The ability to build, maintain, or beautify the place of worship for God’s glory.
15 . HEALING James 5:14-16
The ability to pray in faith specifically for people who need physical, emotional, or spiritual healing and see God answer.
16. MIRACLES Mark 11:23-24
The ability to pray in faith specifically for God’s supernatural intervention into an impossible situation and see God answer. The ability to sense when God is prompting you to pray this kind of prayer.
17. PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT 1 Cor. 14:13-15
(This is sometimes called Tongues/Interpretation")
The ability to pray in a language understood only by God or one who is given the gift of interpretation.
18. MERCY Romans 12:8
The ability to manifest practical, compassionate, cheerful love toward suffering members of the Body of Christ.
19. HOSPITALITY 1 Peter 4:9-10
The ability to make others, especially strangers, feel warmly welcomed, accepted, and comfortable in the church family. The ability to coordinate factors that promote fellowship.
20. LEADERSHIP Heb. 13:7+17
The ability to clarify and communicate the purpose and direction ("vision") of a ministry in a way that attracts others to get involved. The ability to motivate others by example to work together in accomplishing a ministry goal.
21. ADMINISTRATION 1 Cor. 14:40 (sometimes called "Organization")
The ability to recognize the gifts of others and recruit them to a ministry or the ability to organize and manage people, resources, and time for effective ministry and blessing.
22. FAITH Rom. 4:18-21
The ability to trust God for what cannot be seen and to act on God’s promise, regardless of what the circumstances indicate. The willingness to risk failure in pursuit of a God-given vision, expecting God to handle the obstacles.
Again:
This is by no means an exhaustive nor definitive list!
1. Don’t confuse Supernatural Blessings with natural talents.
2. Don’t confuse Supernatural Blessings with the Fruit of the Spirit.
Gal. 5:22-23
3. Don’t confuse Supernatural Blessings with Christian roles.
4. Be aware of the "gift projection" tendency. (Expecting others to serve and bless the same way you do and have similar results.)
5. Don’t feel my Supernatural Blessings make me superior to others. 1 Cor. 12:21
6. Realize that using my gifts without love is worthless!
"I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels...I may have the gift of inspired preaching...I may have all knowledge ...and all the faith to move mountains - but if I have not love, I am nothing...it does no good." 1 Cor. 13:1-3 (GN)
7. Supernatural Blessings can be counterfeited by the enemy. They need to be tested by their fruit.
Get S.T.A.R.T.ed!
S TUDY
(Suggested book list)
19 Gifts of the Spirit
by Leslie Flynn
Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow
by C. Peter Wagner
T RIAL AND ERROR
Experiment with different areas of service.
"SUPERNATURAL BLESSINGS `SURFACE THROUGH SERVICE'"
As we move out in service to others God supernaturally
empowers us to meet needs beyond our abilities.
A NALYZE
Use the "S.H.A.P.E" Tool.
R EQUEST INPUT FROM OTHERS
Ask others what gifts they see in me.
T AKE EXTRA TRAINING
Take advantage of Church-WideTraining courses
Three Ways God Wants You To Use Your Gifts
DISCOVERING MY S.H.A.P.E.
Supernatural Blessings - Heart - Abilities - Personality - Experiences
1. My heart is the __________ me!
Physiologically, each of us has a unique heartbeat. Each person has a slightly different pattern. Likewise, God has given each of us a unique emotional "heartbeat" that races when we encounter activities, subjects, or circumstances that interest us. We instinctively feel deeply about some things and not about others.
2. The Bible defines the "Heart" as:
a. "The organ that pumps your blood"
b. "Your emotional constitution or disposition"
c. "The vital force or driving impulse"
The Bible uses the term "heart" to represent the center of your motivation, desires, and inclinations.
"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." Ps. 37:4
3. My heart determines....
"The mouth speaks what the heart is full of " Matt. 12:34 (GN)
"The Word of God...examines the thoughts and motives of the heart." Heb. 4:12 (Ph)
"Guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Pr. 4:23
4. Why has God given each person a _____________________"heartbeat?"
God had a purpose in giving you your inborn interests. In fact, your emotional heartbeat reveals a very important key to understanding God’s design and intention for your life.
"God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose..." Rev. 17:17
The Bible makes very clear that your heart was designed by God, but you make the choice to use it for good or evil, for selfish purposes or for service.
You may have.."selfish ambition in your heart..." James 3:14
Or You may ...
"Serve the Lord with all your heart." 1 Sam.12:20
"Do the will of God from your heart." Eph. 6:6
5. You can do God’s will and serve God’s purpose by letting your heartbeat ___________________ you for blessing!
"It is quite true to say that a man who sets his heart on becoming a church leader has a laudable ambition." 1 Tim. 3:1 (PB)
If you are like most people, you have never taken time to sort out and identify the things you are good at and motivated to accomplish. As a result, it is unlikely that you use these talents as completely or effectively as you could. The key to understanding your heartbeat is to look at your past accomplishments.
This exercise is adapted from the book "Finding A Job You can Love" by Ralph Mattson & Arthur Miller (Nelson, 1982).
STEP 1: LIST AND DESCRIBE THOSE THINGS YOU HAVE DONE WELL AND ENJOYED SINCE CHILDHOOD.
What to Include:
A. Remember, you’re recalling things you enjoyed doing and did well (accomplishments), not simply pleasant experiences.
BAD EXAMPLE: Had a great vacation in the U.S.
GOOD: Took some stunning photos during my vacation.
B. You do not have to cover every year of your life. Just focus on what you feel are the highlights of things you’ve done.
EXAMPLES:
HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS I DID WELL AND ENJOYED
Consider Your Achievements;
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
STEP 2: DISCOVER THE MOTIVATED DIRECTION OF YOUR HEART
Examine your achievements for a common motivational thread. You might find a key phrase repeated. See if you can match one of the "heartbeats" listed below as samples:
A. Remember these are ALL God-given motivations. They are only sinful when used selfishly. Every one of these can be used in effective blessing. Don’t be embarrassed to identify a basic heartbeat that doesn’t seem spiritual! Almost every one of these can be identified in the ministry of one of the twelve Apostles!
I LOVE TO...
best price.
B. You should be able to support your choice with examples from your achievements.
EXAMPLE:
I feel the basic motivation God put in my heart is to "ACQUIRE/POSSESS":
My history demonstrates this:
STEP 3: LIST THE BASIC MOTIVATIONS OF YOUR HEART ON YOUR PERSONAL PROFILE.
DISCOVERING MY S.H.A.P.E.
Spiritual Gifts - Heart - Abilities - Personality - Experiences
One of the most common reasons people give for not getting involved in blessing is "I just don’t have any abilities to offer."
Nothing could be further from the truth. The key is matching your abilities with the right service!
"There are different abilities to perform service." 1 Cor. 12:6
" (God)...have given him skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts...." Exodus 31:3
SIX MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT NATURAL ABILITIES
2. MYTH: People aren’t born with skills. All skills must be learned by experience. This simply is not true. There are a number of talents which seem to be inborn, or are developed very early in infancy. When people say "He just seems to have a natural talent for it" it’s probably true!
3. MYTH: If you have certain abilities, you will be very aware that you have them. Again, this is not true. You are probably using a number of talents or skills that you are not even aware of! You need some experimental process of skill identification.
4. MYTH: You must have natural talent to develop skills. The truth is we can learn to do a number of things well without possessing natural talent. Need or desire motivates most of our learning.
5. MYTH: Those skills which must be learned, are learned primarily in the classroom. Actually, some of your most basic skills were learned at home, "in the street", or somewhere else outside the classroom.
6. MYTH: Skills that I use at work are only usable in that environment. I couldn’t use them in blessing. Hopefully, by the end if this class, you’ll see the fallacy of this idea. Be creative!
HOW TO DISCOVER MY ABILITIES
1. Look over your list of accomplishments again. Circle all verbs that denote actions performed while you were doing each achievement.
2. Now compare those verbs to the list below and check those abilities you feel you have.
28 SPECIALIZED ABILITIES
3. List your specialized abilities on your PERSONAL PROFILE.
4. Consider what additional abilities you could develop to improve your blessing.
DISCOVERING MY S.H.A.P.E.
Spiritual Gifts - Heart - Abilities - Personality - Experiences
Try to do something that is not natural to you...
below, write your name:
Now write your name with your opposite hand:
WHAT HAPPENED?
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
The same things are true when we try to minister in areas that are not suited to our personality. God has wired your temperament in a unique way. This factor is very important in matching you to the right blessing.
MY PERSONALITY
(How do I see myself?)
It’s obvious that God has not used a cookie cutter to stamp out people in a process of uniformity. He loves variety - just look around. And there is not "right" or "wrong" temperament. We need opposites to balance the church.
1. Although there are many fine (and extremely detailed!) personality assessments available, for the purpose of your BLESSING PROFILE,
we want you to consider just five aspects:
Extroverted Introverted
3 2 1 1 2 3
extreme mild mild extreme
Thinker Feeler
3 2 1 1 2 3
extreme mild mild extreme
Routine Variety
3 2 1 1 2 3
extreme mild mild extreme
Self-Controlled Self-Expressive
3 2 1 1 2 3
extreme mild mild extreme
Cooperative Competitive
3 2 1 1 2 3
extreme mild mild extreme
2. Record your responses on your personal profile.
DISCOVERING MY S.H.A.P.E.
Spiritual Gifts - Heart - Abilities - Personality - Experiences
"And we know that in ALL things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Rom. 8:28
"Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel." Phil. 1:12
One of the most overlooked factors in determining the blessing God has for me is my past experience, particularly my hurts and problems I’ve overcome with God’s help. Since our greatest life messages come out of our weaknesses, not our strengths, we should pay close attention to what we’ve learned in the "school of hard knocks."
1. WE DEVELOP AS PEOPLE THROUGH EXPERIENCE
A. WHAT _______________ EXPERIENCES ?
"There has been enough time for you to be teachers - BUT you still need to be taught...(you are) without any experience in the matter of right and wrong." Heb. 5:12-13
B. WHAT _______________ EXPERIENCES?
"Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways." Prov. 20:30 (GN)
"God helps us in our troubles, so we are able to help others who have all kinds of troubles, using the same help that we ourselves have received from God."
2 Cor 1:4 (GN)
C. WHAT _______________ EXPERIENCES?
"Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life - guard it well!" Prov. 4:13 (GN)
D. WHAT _______________ EXPERIENCES?
As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will
make you fishers of men." Mark 1:16-17
E. WHAT ___________ ___ EXPERIENCES?
"Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel..." 2 Cor. 9:13
2. WE SHOULD USE OUR EXPERIENCES TO HELP OTHERS.
"(God)...wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trails. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement,
we can pass on to them the same help and comfort God has given us!" 2 Cor. 1:3-4 (LB)
3. RECORD THESE EXPERIENCES ON YOUR BLESSING PROFILE:
Meaningful decisions/times with God.
Problems, hurts, trials-that have taught you.
What were your favorite subjects in school?
What jobs have you performed well?
How have you served in the past?
SERVE THROUGH THE CHURCH
(A Philosophy of Blessing)
1. What We Believe...ABOUT BLESSING
A. Salvation in Jesus Christ automatically includes a call to blessing others. Every believer is created, saved, called, gifted, authorized, and commanded to serve/minister/bless others.
B. Blessing is the heart of the Christian life. (Mat. 20:28)
C. Function follows form in blessing. How God made me determines what He intends for me to do. God has uniquely shaped me and every individual for a unique blessing.
D. God has given all his children gifts that can be developed and used in blessing. Everyone is a "10" in some area. Everyone has something to offer. Developing and using my gifts is an act of good stewardship and of service.
E. We discover our blessings through serving others, more than we discover our ministry by identifying our blessings.
F. The evidence of the right match between my "shape" and my blessing is fulfillment and results.
G. Membership and maturity are prerequisites to blessing. Therefore we require course attendance and commitment to these two areas before allowing full freedom to serve through the Church.
2. What We Believe...ABOUT THE BODY OF CHRIST
A. God intends for blessing to be performed through the context of the local church. Membership includes a commitment to blessing.
B. The Holy Spirit has provided our church body with all the spiritually-gifted people needed to do everything He wants done. Leadership’s task is to discover, enlist, train, and support people in blessing.
C. The church is to operate on the basis of spiritual gifts, rather than elected office. We do not elect people to ministries. "A man’s gift makes room for him..." Prov. 18:16 (NAS)
D. The church is a family , not a business; an organism, not an organization. Therefore we streamline the structure in order to maximize blessing opportunities and minimize maintenance. We do not bury blessings under a bunch of procedures or red tape.
E. The mobilization of every member as a minister is the key to balanced growth of the church. Every member is vital and needed. We need your gift!
F. The greater good of the whole Body must always take priority over the needs of any single blessing opportunity. There is no place for " turfism" in God’s Family.
3. What We Believe...ABOUT THE ROLE OF PASTORS
A. The equipping of the members for blessing is the number one priority of the pastoral staff. The people are the ministers and the pastors are the
administrators. (Eph. 4:11-12)
B. My objective as Equipping Pastor is to mobilize and equip a whole army of ministers who are maximizing their unique blessings, gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences in a meaningful place of service in and through the church.
C. Every member deserves personal assistance in discovering a meaningful place of blessing. We value the individual more than the blessing.
D. Those involved in blessing are entitled to competent leadership from the staff. Therefore every blessing is assigned a staff supervisor who is committed to the success of that blessing.
E. Each ministry supervisor is to provide training, encouragement, guidance, feedback and resources to the ministers under his or her care.
4. What We Believe...ABOUT TRAINING
A. Every minister is a learner . The moment you stop learning, you stop leading.
B. We emphasize on-the-job training more than pre-service training. We learn best by doing. We delegate jobs to help develop people.
5. What We Believe...ABOUT PERFORMANCE
A. We expect excellence in blessing, not perfection. Excellence is doing your best. God deserves our best.
B. We encourage creativity and innovation in blessing, which assumes mistakes will be made. "No mistakes" means you’re not growing or trying anything new. We have no "failures" in blessing here, only "experiments that didn’t work!" It’s a growth process.
C. A failed project does not mean a failed person. There are no "wrong" people...only "right" people in the wrong blessing!
6. What We Believe...ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY
A. We become what we are committed to. Therefore we encourage growth in commitment to Christ and his Church.
B. Everything rises or falls on leadership. No blessing can exceed the commitment of those using it.
C. The leadership of ministries is to be shared.
D. One mark of a maturing church is that the standards for leadership are raised every year.
E. There must be periodic reviews of all ministries. We do what is inspected, not just expected. Best intentions are not enough.
What We Believe...ON DIVERSITY OF BLESSING
A. We have unity without uniformity. We believe diversity in ministries simply illustrates the unique giftedness of individuals.
B. Any member who has completed this course may start a new ministry with the assistance of the Pastors.
C. Every blessing must fulfill one or more of the basic purposes of the church or we don’t do it.
D. Ministries have seasons. If a blessing isn’t meeting a need anymore, we will give it a decent burial. There are no sacred cows!
E. Most ministries require a one year commitment but we allow people to change ministries gracefully, without guilt. We don’t lock people in permanently.
F. Only official ministries of the church, under staff supervision are given publicity space in the bulletin.
G. Your primary blessing commitment should be in the area where you are gifted. Your secondary blessing includes serving in any other area of the Body where you are needed.
H. You are not ready for blessing until you are willing to serve WWW: whatever, wherever, whenever.
A FOUR STAGE PROCESS:
1. Complete "
this course!2. Complete Self Assessment Tools and Personal Profile:
HOW GOD HAS S.H.A.P.E.D. ME FOR BLESSING
Spiritual Gifts - Heart - Abilities - Personality - Experiences
3.Commit to the Blessing Covenant
Making a commitment with witnesses help you follow through on your goals!
4. INTERVIEW with a pastor
Identify 3 or 4 ministry possibilities with the help of a pastor.
Meet with the staff who supervise ministries you’re considering.
Get plugged in!
BEFORE YOU LEAVE:
-Please fill out and leave the evaluation/exit survey and your signed Blessing Covenant Card. (I'll give back your card after I have signed it.)
THANKS FOR COMING!
HAVING now completed Who Am I?,
I NOW COMMIT MYSELF:
Name _____________________________
Date _____________________________
Witness ______________________________