Are You Serving in Ministry?
Are You Serving in the Right Position? [Ep. 5]
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If you are a leader in ministry, you are probably serving in multiple capacities and wearing different hats. But does each hat fit you?
Today, we are going to be thinking about – if you are serving in the right place and how to find the place that fits your gifts and talents best.
Are You Serving?
We are going to cover three aspects:
- You are already serving in the wrong place – and you know it
- You want to get involved but you’re not serving yet
- Evaluating your gifts and where you fit
There are many times we take on a role that doesn’t fit our gifts, talents, or personality. If you’re like me, I have struggled to say no when asked to help in an area of need. Even though I knew it wasn’t something I was called to do I would say yes and help anyway. Anybody else guilty of this?
Now don’t get me wrong, it’s great to help out when there is a need. But helping out does not equal serving in a long-term capacity. It’s absolutely OK to help until the right person comes along. Now one way to structure your answer, when asked to help out, would be – to be time specific. For example, I will help fill in this position for four weeks (not until you find someone else). If you commit to helping for an indefinite amount of time the person called to that position may never step up because somebody else is already doing it.
I recently was at a meeting where we discussed this very thing. One of the ladies said her husband had been doing ALL the things. He finally stepped out of some of the places and guess what? Others stepped up to help!
How do you step out of the wrong place?
Serving in the wrong place is no fun but sometimes it is really hard to stop once you’re committed to helping. First, you have to be confident you’re in the wrong place. That starts with prayer. I would challenge you to commit to 30 days of seeking the Lord over this issue. And to ask a prayer partner to be praying with you.
There was a time in my life that I didn’t know if I was where I was supposed to be. I was praying and truly seeking the Lord’s will. I ended up doing a study called Discovering God’s Unique Purpose for You: A 31-Day Experiment. My sole purpose was to discern if I was to continue where I was or if the Lord had something different for me. By the end of that study, I had my answer. The Lord used the pages of that book, along with confirmation of my husband to lead me in the right direction.
It’s important to make sure you’re not just burnt out. There are times we pour out so much that we just get tired. We don’t have any fresh ideas and our heart just isn’t in it anymore. In that circumstance – you may just need to take a short break and get yourself refreshed.
If you come to the conclusion that you are not a good fit and you need to step out of a position, talk to your pastor or supervisor if you are on a team. Share with them your discernment process and that you have not come to this decision lightly. It is honorable to give them a notice. Don’t just walk in and quit. It would be respectful to give a month’s notice so they have time to fill the spot and ministry can continue.
If you are in this situation and would like some coaching to help you through this process, I offer 1 on 1 coaching. You can schedule a free discovery call here: Schedule a Call
How do you step-up to serve?
If you are not serving in any way and you just come to church on Sunday morning and leave, then I challenge you to find where you fit in. First you may want to assess your own gifts and talents and what you’re passionate about. Next, I would encourage you to talk to your pastoral staff and let them know you’re interested in finding a place to serve. Then whatever opportunity arise – take time to pray about it before committing,
If you are not committed to serving in a long-term position such as Sunday school teacher or committee chairperson or other ministry leader, then think about some short-term ways you can help. For example, vacation Bible school or helping in the kitchen with events or funeral dinners. Maybe you could help in the nursery once a month or volunteer to help be a helper in another area of ministry. This will help you get your feet wet so to speak and see if you are a good fit.
I would dare say that almost every church for ministry could use some extra help in some way or another. Your church might be struggling financially and will be blessed to have you help clean the building once a week. There are so many opportunities within the church to serve. From greeting people at the door and showing them where to go to preparing the newsletter or bulletins to mowing the grass to teaching a class or serving on a committee to leading a small group or a Bible study to teaching the children or being a sponsor on east trips to organizing a missions project or craft group.
Evaluating your gifts and where you fit…
If you are not sure what you’re gifted or talented in, one way to get a better picture is to take an inventory or assessment. I have personally used this assessment from churchgrowth.org You can find others by doing a Google search. This assessment focuses on your physical gifts and talents, not so much your supernatural gifts. (We’ll talk about that in a later episode.) This will help you match your talents and abilities to a need in the ministry or church.
For example, one of my top gifts is administration. Well, it just so happens I am a district administrator for a nonprofit organization. Now this isn’t in my home church, but it is still away I can serve the Lord. I get to help over 60 churches instead of just one. In fact, being in that role is part of what sparked this whole podcast. I love being able to help others find ways to be more effective in their ministry so they can spend more time doing the things that really matter to the kingdom. Another of my top gifts is serving which goes right along with what I am currently doing.
In this particular survey it talks about 9 gifts. It will rank them in order, and you will also be able to see that the gifts at the bottom of the list are places where you are weaker. Now this is not a bad thing, and you don’t need to take that as a challenge to do better in those places. It’s just a good assessment of yourself. It allows you to see your natural skills and abilities and where they lie. These are the top 3 to 5 results. You may have some tie for the first or second position so you can look a little further down in the list to see other places and other talents that you have.
I’m going to give you some examples of gifts or talents that would be on this assessment and share some ways or areas that you might be a good fit to serve in. I’m just going to share a few here but if you complete the online survey, you can get a comprehensive list.
Shepherding – Though a good pastor must have the gift of shepherding, everyone who has the gift of shepherding is not called to be pastor. As a gifted shepherd, you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by overseeing, training, and caring for the needs of a group of Christians. You are usually very patient, people-centered, and willing to spend time in prayer for others.
How can you use this gift? Serve as a Sunday school teacher, small group leader, pastor or assistant pastor, bus captain, special ministry leader (such as youth, children, men, etc.), nursery worker or as a half-way house or other type shelter volunteer. You may consider serving as a dormitory leader in a college, orphanage, or church camp.
Mercy-Showing – As a mercy-shower you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by identifying with and comforting those who are in distress. You enter into the grief or happiness of others and have the ability to show empathy, which is to feel WITH others, not just for others. As a mercy-shower you are willing to deal with and minister to people who have needs that most people feel very uncomfortable working with
How can you use this gift? With a counseling course, you could become a good counselor. You may serve as a hospital, nursing home, or funeral coordinator. You would do well as an usher or greeter and welcome center worker or hospitality person. You would make people feel welcome on a newcomer visitation team. Other appropriate ministry areas include missions, committee member or working with the elderly or people with physical disabilities.
Serving – The gift of serving combines helps and ministering. As a server you have the Spirit-given capacity and desire to serve God by rendering practical help in both physical and spiritual matters. You enjoy meeting the practical needs of your fellow Christians and the church. The gift of serving is not the gift God gives you when you cannot do anything else. It is spiritual in nature and as important as any gift in the church. Never think it is anything less; it only becomes less if you do not use it as God intended. As a server you are the person who is willing to do a million and one necessary tasks in the church.
How can you use this gift? You may serve as manager of maintenance and grounds. You can do many tasks such as paint the walls, pick up trash, sort hymnals, clean the baptistry, keep the nursery or launder nursery bedding, cook meals, paint signs, drive the bus, help with the choir, run errands, serve as an audio-video worker, help with recordkeeping, be the church librarian, act as a greeter or hospitality worker. You may also enjoy beautifying the church ground with flower gardens and landscaping.
So, how many hats are YOU wearing and do they ALL fit you?
I challenge you to take the gift assessment to see if your talents agree with the areas you are serving. If they don’t match up or if you aren’t in a position of service, I invite you to begin to pray about where you should be serving and maybe what you should be saying “no” to so that the correctly called person can step into that role.
Really analyze your gifts and the suggested ways you can serve. You may just realize God is calling you into a “new thing”.
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Hi, I’m your host, Jacklin Drake. I am a wife, mom, Gigi, speaker, author, business administrator for a non-profit ministry, and founder of Effective Ministry Solutions LLC where we strive to Equip, Engage, and Energize leaders in Ministry.
I am passionate about helping you strategically prepare for the work the Lord is leading you to do in your ministry. I want you and your church TO BE PREPARED FOR THE HARVEST.