Spiritual leaders empower people to know and live in their areas of spiritual giftedness. When leaders in the church use their spiritual gifts to accomplish God’s call on their ministry, there is a noticeable difference. Joy, creativity, excitement, and humility abound. As members of the body of Christ, God has chosen to give us unique gifts to accomplish His purposes. Helping your people live in their spiritual giftedness is beneficial because you are empowering them to be healthy, effective members of the body. Ultimately, these gifts are about service, not self.
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”
–1 Corinthians 12:4-7
There are various ways to know if someone in your ministry is serving in their area of spiritual giftedness. Using the evaluation chart below, take a minute to evaluate your staff and volunteers as individuals as well as large groups. How can you better equip them to live in the areas they are gifted?
Spiritual Gifts Evaluation Chart
| Living in Spiritual Giftedness | Not Living in Spiritual Giftedness |
| Has joy, excitement, creativity | Is easily stressed, aggravated, or overwhelmed |
| Their work excites them | Their work leaves them feeling unmotivated |
| Offers opinions for improvements in ministry areas | Is apathetic and disinterested in growing |
| Encourages others to serve and live in their giftedness | Focuses on self-promotion |
| ITeachable and willing to put preferences aside | Clings closely to preferences |
Transformation is a continual process, so people in your organization should naturally grow and change. You may have to move a volunteer to another team. You may need to have a difficult conversation with a staff member to see if they are actually in the place that best suits their gifts and abilities. Find out what people are the most excited about, put them in their area of giftedness, and let them run. Watch what God will do.
We can empower our people to live in their spiritual giftedness by:
- Identifying their spiritual gifts through an assessment (share the assessment) and their passions.
- Locate a serving opportunity that would fit those passions.
- Challenging them to step into a leadership role and take ownership of the area.
- Mentoring them 1-on-1 as they discern their calling and gifting (transformation is a continual process).
Conclusion
In ministry, it’s easy to ask the same people over and over to serve or fill in the gaps. When you do this, though, you are limiting your volunteers and likely just avoiding the hard work of development. Development is discipleship. A person shouldn’t be the same in 20 years. You are multiplying disciples when you develop your best people and equip them to train and build up others. Filling in gaps adds volunteers. Creating a mindset to mentor and disciple others multiplies volunteers.
Before you help people find their right fit, ask yourself this question: Are you in your area of giftedness? Do a personal evaluation and take a spiritual gifts assessment. Are you living by the way God has designed you or pursuing personal desires? How can you use your gifts to serve those around you (and how can you help your team do the same)? You can’t ask people to go somewhere you aren’t willing to go yourself.
Luke Bilberry
Executive Director of Be The Church
Luke Bilberry is the Executive Pastor of Multiplication at Chapel Pointe in Hudsonville, Michigan. With a conviction to serve local churches, Luke draws on his 16 years of ministry experience to help churches and church leaders accomplish their vision. Over his time in ministry, Luke has served four local churches in a variety of roles. He has led student and family ministries in rural, urban, and suburban contexts. With a passion for church leadership, Luke holds a Masters in Christian Leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary.