As I continue to research the Spiritual Gifts, I realize one cannot all of a sudden pop up and profess that they have a gift. Granted you may have a rudimentary possibility of a gift but it must be developed with guidance from your pastors and group leaders far more versed in the gifts for them to be fully utilized or recognized. Mentoring here is the key. Of course if that is not a viable option, naturally research in books may be an alternative but not the best way.
The evaluation test I offered in part two will get you going but it is only a suggestion of where your gifts may be. I took the Wagner test and the one from the enclosed web site. This way You will know where to place your energy and time. Chances are , You may have scored high in several areas of gifts or only 1 or 2. That is fine as it means you can concentrate more of your time in those 1 or 2 areas. Here is one that might interest you.
This is Kari Jobe a worship leader that has become nationally known. Certainly has the worship gift don't you think?
Well, all know that the pastor of the church is gifted as a pastor for most churches. If they are not good at it they don't last. Then you have the gift of healing. Sorry but I have yet to see any one heal any one in modern times unless they are a Doctor. One of the lost miracles in time. However, there are many gifts that we as lay people can certainly become proficient in. Service comes to mind. This covers a large spectrum of services you can be a part of in any church. A position of a greeter and usher is the first person a new attendee sees as they enter the church. How well you welcome them and make them feel important is not an easy task. It takes some one with a deep feeling for their fellow persons. Naturally a person with a bad attitude and mad is not the first one you want to see as you enter the church. What really turns me of in a greeter is they stand there in a stoic pose and hand out fliers with out even a smile. Boy am I in a toxic church!
If the church has a snack bar or coffee shop you may serve snacks or coffee to the attendees. It is always great to see a smiling face brewing up some sweet smelling coffee or handing out snacks as well as a good conversation and welcoming you. Actually there are several areas in the service you can learn to be very proficient. Just depends on the size of the church. Me personally I love to meet new faces as a greeter. It is the best time to find new attendees before and after the services or celebrations.
One gift that probably might be upsetting to some believers is speaking in tongues and interpreting the tongues. For this to be valid one must be present to interpret what is being said. Usually it is in Latin or old Hebrew and influenced by the Holy Spirit, but I have experienced a few which only can be discerned as bable by most. However, we can only discern that they are speaking in a language that only they or the Holy Spirit can understand. Prayer leaders and discerning of the spirit. I have seen some that are quite perceptive of a persons coming forward for prayers and can give them a great deal of relief and peace. One or two have (that I studied) been able to perceive a crisis and bring it out that the one in distress has hidden for years in their sub conscious. Now that is some heavy stuff for a layperson. Certainly a real spiritual gift.
One gift is administration that is found in most that are highly organized and has a lot of attention to detail in running an operation. This is a behind the scenes type of person that keeps the church running like clockwork. My favorite is Evangelist. This can be a lay person or one in a high position in the church with a high degree of passion in spreading the word of God. One is driven with a high amount of energy and purpose in winning souls to Christ. Often gives a sermon in the absence of the pastor or leads a revival. A revival is some thing I miss as it is not found much in the churches any more that I visited. I can remember the Southern Baptist churches from years past this was a yearly staple at least twice a year and I dearly miss them.
There are more that I will cover at a later time. Believe me. There is so much more and it is an exciting journey to learn of these wonderful gifts that can help you in service to the Lord God almighty.
6 comments:
photogr, as I read your blog today, my mind kept going back to the church that I grew up in. Got married in and until 2002 was a regular attendee. I had the same pastor for over 35 years until he retired in 1999. He unfortunately was killed in a car accident. He was a man of God. And the church grew and became very prosperous because of his dedication to God. He lead his flock with kindness and gentleness. Oh he had a temper and when he felt he was right, and you had a different opinion. Sometimes, he could become very angry. But he would listen to your opinion. Talk/fuss it out. In the end both he and the person he disagreed with would got to the altar and pray until they both prayed through the anger.
But the new pastor there, he has been there 10 years, he doesn't have the compassion that the elder pastor had. The new pastor only wanted things done his way. Right or wrong. And many of those who helped grow the church have moved on to new churches. And those new churches are growing and prospering. While the old church is has become stagnet.
It is sad that the church world has become like this church. Stagnet. But thank God, there are still a few small churches who still believe in the True God and the True Word.
Tsfan:
I am glad you stopped by. As far as your prior church, I would think the deacons or elders should have spoken up to the pastor in him loosing members of the congregation to other churches.
Pators are naturally the leaders of a particular church and have to follow that denomination's Mission. But when his pride gets in the way of clear thinking and the pastor becomes dictatorial in his office, he is not serving God but himself.
This brings to mind the actions of the high priest about Jesus in Mathew. They were so obsessed in pride of their selves they failed to see the Son of God in His glory. Instead they saw Him as a threat to their positions of power.
I have traveled to many cities and churches over the years and have found quite a few that were toxic. However I did find many that were following Gods grace and commission. You could find the Holy Spirit easily in those churches and they were growing exponentially.
There are three things that I look for in a good church. Serving others, worshiping, and fellowship.
Thanks for sharing the video clip of Kari Jobe. She has an awesome gift. I can't believe I never heard of her before.
You gave some good ideas for people to explore their gifts by trying something out.
I would venture to say that a person will have a desire to do what their gift involves.
Someone with the gift of hospitality will like to entertain in their home. They will enjoy being around people.
I don't think God will give us a gift we would not like using.
And then again, we don't have to limit ourselves. If our gift happens to be prophecy we can still help mow our neighbor's lawn or help out in a soup kitchen.
Blessings on you as you venture out in this area.
Thanks Carol.
Kari does have the gift. She has several songs on You Tube. Most are very good worship songs production wise.
As far as the gifts, I have found over 27 that can be called that. Yes you can possess more than one and I would veture to say you could be blessed even with ones you may not like doing due to being fearful of the gift ( like someone I know).
I am looking forward to hearing of your success after your surgery.
photogr the ones that did speak out against him, he forced them out too. He did not want any one to go against anything he was doing.
The ones who did stay and fight were finally voted out and they simply picked up and left the church to go to other churches. Where today they are serving those churches and those churches are growing.
And the problem is the new pastor was hand picked by the elder pastor to take over. Because the new pastor seemed like he had the best interest of the flock in mind. But little did we know that he was just waiting on his time to be in full power so that he could turn the church upside down.
TSfan:
He is over abundant in the pride department.He has failed to see the forest for the trees. The pastor leads in a democratic posture and follows the dictates of the elders and members.
When he feels he knows best is when he is a fool. When He does not follow the words in scriptures and puts his own slant on them he is a sinner and toxic.
Best to leave the toxicity and seek a new home as your others have done.
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