Ministry Focus & Equipping | Christian Ministry Training Blog

Insightful Types of Spiritual Gifts

Posted on December 16, 2015 by Ministry Tools Resource Center

At times we need a little more depth or insight when it comes to truth. Suggesting that the following gifts provide spiritual insight is not meant in the mystical sense but rather providing that which is based upon or filtered through the Word of God. Click on the gifts to learn where these gifts are listed in Scripture and possible definitions. (Use the browser’s back button to return to this post.)

discernment
knowledge
wisdom

While each of these gifts provides insight based on the Truth of God’s Word, the way they handle truth differs.

You’ll find the distinction between how these different gifts handle truth in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. That resource also looks at other gifts listed in the Bible as well as suggesting gifting best suited for 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks.

These insightful types of spiritual gifts help to keep the Body of Christ on track and could help make the Apostle Paul’s prayer for the Colossians a reality for any church. —

We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God … (Col. 1:9-10)

Outreach Types of Spiritual Gifts

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

God has given spiritual gifts for the equipping, health, and inner growth of the Church but also for the growth of the Body through reaching out to those who do not know Him. Spiritual Gifts that are most commonly used for outreach include the following. Click on the gifts to learn where these gifts are listed in Scripture and possible definitions. (Use the browser’s back button to return to this post.)

apostle
evangelist
missionary
tongues

Each of these spiritual gifts can be used to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ and bring conversion growth to the Church. Often the setting is that which sets the gifts apart from one another.

The Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use will help you understand the distinction between these gifts. It also looks at other types of spiritual gifts listed in the Bible and provides suggestions for where these gifts may best fit into ministry.

All believers are to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5) in sharing the Gospel with others and all are to “always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks” (1 Pet. 3:15). But, people with outreach types of gifts will tend to be more active in looking for these opportunities, especially in setting most suited for the gift they have been given.

For Help Using Outreach Types of Spiritual Gifts:

Leading Types of Spiritual Gifts

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 2 Comments ↓

God has gifted some to communicate His Word, some to do acts of service, and others to lead them. Here we will look at the leading types of spiritual gifts which include the following. Click on the gifts to learn where these gifts are listed in Scripture and possible definitions. (Use the browser’s back button to return to this post.)

administration
leadership
pastor

Each of these leading types of spiritual gifts have a different orientation and therefore provide a different kind of leadership.

The Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use will help you understand these leadership types of gifts better. It will give insight into other gifts as well and will help you know who to recruit for various ministries based on gifting.

For a look at the practical outworking of these different kinds of leaders based on spiritual gifting, check out these articles:

Leaders & Change Management
Leaders & Church Discipline
Leaders & Church Growth

God’s instruction for those with leading types of gifts:

Regardless of a leader’s spiritual gifting, all must yield to God’s power and guidance. None are exempt from the instructions for elders in 1 Peter 5:1-4 to be “shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them –

not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; — joy in serving, not complaining
not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; — selfless, not self-serving
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. — leading by example, not control

For Help Using Leading Types of Spiritual Gifts:

Resources for Church Ministry Leadership

Serving Types of Spiritual Gifts

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Ministry Tools Resource Center — 1 Comment ↓

In a previous post we noted which spiritual gifts are exercised using some form of verbal or written communication. Here we want to consider the gifts that are exercised using some form of action or hands-on serving. Click on the gifts listed below to learn where these serving types of gifts are listed in Scripture and possible definitions. (Use the browser’s back button to return to this post.)

giving
helps
hospitality
mercy
service

Some of these gifts may seem similar but if we look at the original Greek word, we find that each is unique with a distinct orientation and different targets or objectives.

The Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use explains some of the differences between these serving types of gifts, along with other types of gifts. The handbook could be particularly useful for those desiring to recruit based on spiritual gifting to determine which gifts are best suited to various kinds of ministry.

God’s instruction for those with serving types of gifts:

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. … If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides (1 Pet. 4:10-11)

1) Use your spiritual gift(s).
2) Be faithful in using your gift(s).
3) Be propelled and sustained by God in all you do, not your own strength.

The third point above is particularly important for people with serving types of gifts as there is always more work to be done and more needs to meet. If you simply “do” without pulling on God’s power, you could eventually burn yourself out and not have more to give. Serving according to the strength God provides, however, enables you to not only “do” but go the extra mile cheerfully, without complaint.

For Help Using Serving Types of Spiritual Gifts:

Speaking Types of Spiritual Gifts

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Ministry Tools Resource Center

The following spiritual gifts are similar in that they all involve some form of speaking or communication. Click on the gifts to learn where these gifts are listed in Scripture and possible definitions. (Use the browser’s back button to return to this post.)

Speaking Types of Spiritual Gifts exhortation
prophecy
teaching

People with these spiritual gifts could find themselves in similar positions to one another such as preachers or Bible teachers. They could all also communicate through writing, singing, counseling, or other forms of communication.

Get understanding of what makes these communication types of spiritual gifts distinct from each other in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. This resource looks at the various types of gifts and suggest ministries that are a good fit.

God’s instruction for those with speaking types of spiritual gifts:

1) Use your spiritual gift(s).
2) Be faithful in using your gift(s).
3) Represent God well and accurately in the use of your gift(s).

For Help Using Speaking / Communication Types of Spiritual Gifts:

Categorizing Spiritual Gifts

Posted on November 4, 2015 by Ministry Tools Resource Center

I’m not a big one for categorizing spiritual gifts.

1) Scripture does not categorize them.
2) Categorizing could merely be based on one’s beliefs about spiritual gifts.
3) Categorizing them could put spiritual gifts into neat little boxes whereas God might use them in a much more diverse way.

1 Peter 4:10-11 comes the closest to categorizing spiritual gifts but even then I would be careful because all the gifts do not fit neatly into these two categories — that of speaking and that of serving.

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

The essence of this passage isn’t so much to categorize gifts but to say that whether your gifts have you speaking or doing something, you are to make it all about God … His word … His strength … for His glory.

Consequently, I can see the possibility of grouping spiritual gifts together into categories based on the function of spiritual gifts, or the practical side of how the gifts help the Church be and do what God wants. But, even in doing this, we must still remember that these are man-made categories that we must hold loosely.

Click on the links below to learn more about those types of spiritual gifts.

communication/speaking types of gifts: exhortation, prophecy, teaching (due to how much communication is used)

serving types of gifts: giving, helps, hospitality, mercy, service (due to how much hands-on ministry is involved)

leading types of gifts: administration, leadership, pastor (due to how much oversight they provide)

outreach types of gifts: apostle, evangelism, tongues, missionary (due to how much they advance the Gospel)

spiritual insight types of gifts: discernment, knowledge, wisdom (due to how much they help prevent or deal with issues or problems)

intercessory types of gifts: faith, healings, miracles (due to how much prayer is involved)

In this type of grouping we are merely acknowledging that God provides the spiritual gifts needed to accomplish different types of ministry.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Cor. 12:4-7)

Get more help understanding how the various spiritual gifts might be used in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use so you can recruit for different ministries based on gifting. This resource includes the above content.