Identifying Potential
Now there are varieties of
gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are
varieties of service, but the same Lord. (1 Cor.12:4,5)
| The first stage of the process is to provide ways for individuals to identify the gifts that God has given them, and to begin to pray through how God may be calling for these to be used in His service. This is based on the use of a gift sheet or self-completion questionnaire. A number of these are widely available, and we recommend you use whichever you feel will be of greatest help to your church membership. (Note: This may or may not be the one which you personally find most helpful!) |
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Enclosed in this module is a "Gifts and Services" sheet which has been designed for use in
situations where the idea of spiritual gifts may be new to people, or where people
currently have little experience of Christian service. Some questionnaires can discourage
potential by merely affirming existing practice. For example, the statement "my
sermons have clearly been blessed with a great response" will not encourage anyone
who may have a calling to preaching, but has not yet had experience. The first four
sections of this questionnaire focus on life experiences. Section five focuses on
experience of ministry and service. The final section identifies the things people would
be most afraid of tackling. The responses to these questions are then used to identify the
one or two strongest areas of gifting and potential from a short list of 6 different
areas. This list is deliberately restricted, as the questionnaire is targeted for use with
those with little experience of ministry. For those with deeper experience in ministry and
greater Christian maturity, it may be more helpful to use a list with a broader range of
gift areas.
This questionnaire has been shown to be helpful in identifying the one or two strongest
areas. It does not "score" potential in each area - those who are very clear
where their strengths lie, will often have very low or even negative scores in one or two
areas. This does not mean that they have no capability in these areas - merely, that their
self-analysis and perception suggests they do not believe these to be their areas of
greatest gifting and potential for service. This needs to be carefully explained.
Whichever questionnaire is used, it is important for the leader to follow up with each
person who has completed an analysis, and to talk through the answers with them. During
that discussion some very useful additional information can emerge. Perhaps that
conversation could end with prayer, thanking God for His generosity in giving these gifts,
and asking Him for insight into how they can be used in His service. (Click here for the "Gifts and Services Sheet")
