Often on Fridays, I say, "T.G.I.F., Thank God I'm Forgiven and It's Friday!" I teach Spiritual Gifts at church, and often in class, I will use, or my teachers will us, the acronym "TGIF" as an icebreaker by asking members to unscramble it to form new words, phrases, and sentences, sort of like they use to do on Soul Train. This exercise helps each person to understand that they have at least one "GIFT," and they "FIT IT," because they are "GIFT-IT" of God to do the work that He has called them to do (Ephesians 4:7-8).
What type of church worker are you? Do you like working out front leading in worship, teaching Sunday school or preaching the gospel, or behind the scenes in the kitchen, in children's ministry, or driving the church van? One thing is for sure. God has given you at least one spiritual gift, and He doesn't want you to sit on it.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would not have preached so many powerful sermons, lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott, nor the Marched On Washington, had he drove the church van. Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie would not have become the first female bishop of the AME church had she sang in the choir. Mahalia Jackson would not have become one of the nation's first nationally recognized gospel artists, nor would she have sang for hundreds of thousands of civil rights supporters at the March on Washington had she simply remained on her pew Sunday after Sunday. There are some things that are not going to happen until you get busy, and not only that, but find your proper place in ministry.
If you are not sure where you fit in, Take a Spiritual Gifts Test at MinTools.com. This assessment measures for the seven spiritual gifts found in Romans 12: 6-8, prophecy, service, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership, and mercy. It is 35 questions. Let me quickly say, that there are longer assessments measuring more gifts, and there is a longer one measuring more gifts on the MinTools.com website, so just use this particular assessment as a starting point to discovering your spiritual gifts. For example, if your strongest gifts are service, giving, or mercy, you could be a behind the scenes worker. If your strongest gifts are teaching, leadership, and exhortation, more than likely you are not a behind the scenes worker. You are probably a take-charge person who loves to teach and encourage. Again, just use this as a starting point for exploring your gifts.
I have used the MinTools.com website previously in teaching spiritual gifts. It is a great resource. Be sure to check out the links on the left of the page, especially the FAQ.
If you live in the Louisville area, you are welcome to join us at St. Stephen Church on Saturdays from 12 Noon-2:30 p.m. for our Spiritual Gifts class. We provide an brief overview to the subject, measure 20 spiritual gifts, and help you make ministry choices.
Related Posts:
To Forgive Or Not To Forgive? That Is The Question
Are You Sitting On the Premises Or Standing On the Promises?
Clean On the Inside, Clean On the Outside
Turn Your Bad Friday Into Good Friday
Get In Where You Fit In!
Source: African-American Religious Leaders, by Nathan Aaseng
Jesus Saves Ministries, celebrating Black History Month, and five years of lifting up Jesus Christ! Join our social network, start a discussion or comment on any post and you will automatically be included in our weekly drawings for books by and about people of color and gospel music CD's by your favorite artists. "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" James 1:17.
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