Category Archives: Spiritual Gifts – Fit in Ministry

The Spiritual Gift of Helps Defined

to render support or assistance to others in the body so as to free them up for ministry

Examples of How God Gifts People to Come Alongside of Others in Ministry with Valuable Assistance

Servant #1:  He was always there, it seemed, to lend a helping hand.  His primary responsibility was to run the sound system during the worship service but if someone needed an errand to be run, he would do it.  If people needed help carrying in equipment or supplies from their car, he would be the first to help.  He didn’t need to be asked.  It was as though he could sense what needed to be done and did it.  Everyone appreciated him so much.

Servant #2:  She knew God called me to teach and through the years has willingly stepped in to help in various ways.  Back in the days before PowerPoint and before you could print nice transparencies directly from the computer, she would do all the printing for me since she had a nicer handwriting.  She would help with other visuals as well.  Now she volunteers her time to proof read web pages and resources.  On occasion she would accompany me to seminars and sit at the book table so I would be free to mingle with the people.  I have continually thanked God for this servant.

Both of these servants were eager to come to the assistance of others in ministry.  Whether a teacher’s helper, administrative assistant, or someone who lends a hand in other ways to people in ministry, these servants prove to be invaluable.

Lesson to Be Learned:

As leaders or teachers, let’s not feel like we need to do the work on our own.  God has gifted people to come alongside of us to assist in ways that can enhance our ministry, free us up to do other things, and often make us look better.  Let’s guard against taking all the credit and show our gratitude to God by extending appreciation to these servants.

For Help Distinguishing the Gift of Helps from Other Serving Types of Gifts, Go To: Serving Types of Spiritual Gifts

Get this example of the ways the spiritual gift of helps can be used, along with 20 other gifts, in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. In addition, the handbook suggests spiritual gifts most typically used in 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks that may need to be accomplished in most of those areas.

The Spiritual Gift of Teaching Defined

to instruct others in the Bible in a logical, systematic way so as to communicate pertinent information for true understanding and growth

Example of How the Same Gift Can be Used Differently

Servant #1:  He could almost always be found teaching somewhere … in Sunday School, men’s ministry, small groups, and even from the pulpit.  He enjoyed studying the Word to prepare the lessons but came alive when he could share what he learned with others, field their questions, and take them to higher levels in their knowledge of God.

Servant #2:  She rarely taught in Sunday School but she had the gift of teaching.  It came out in other ways.  She led worship in accordance with musical talents she had but didn’t simply lead singing.  She taught people how to worship.  She started homeschooling her children.  She viewed it as a means of discipling them and poured everything into it.  She gave homeschooling a good name.

Servant #3:  She writes curriculum and training materials for others to use.  When she directed children’s ministry, she would often develop the Bible lessons to fit her church’s situation as it was hard to find suitable material.  She carefully designed the material to be teacher friendly and to help students understand truth in ways appropriate with their age level.  When she would teach Sunday School or Bible studies, she most enjoyed when she could develop her own lessons rather than use pre-written curriculum.

Each of these servants had the spiritual gift of teaching but enjoyed using it in different ways.  One thrived in the classroom where he could interact with people, the other in unconventional or less formal settings, and the third more behind the scenes in developing Bible lessons.

Lesson to be learned:

People with the same gift, even in the same measure, can look very different in the way they use that gift.  Personality is a big factor but also heart passions and life experiences.  Spiritual gifts are only one piece of the puzzle in forming our best fit in ministry.

Get this example of the ways the spiritual gift of teaching can be used, along with 20 other gifts, in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. In addition, the handbook suggests spiritual gifts most typically used in 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks that may need to be accomplished in most of those areas.

Do you have the gift of teaching?  Click on the links below for more:

Online Teaching Ministry Training at MinTools.com

Teaching Ministry Resources

The Spiritual Gift of Service Defined

to identify undone tasks in God’s work, however menial, and use available resources to get the job done

Examples of the Importance of Gifting Accomplished Behind the Scenes

Servant #1:  She helped with cleaning the church, even when she wouldn’t get paid to do so.  She showed up at church work days helping to paint, plant flowers, or whatever was still undone.  She offered to set up for or clean up after special events.  Whatever needed to be done, she would pitch in.  And, she enjoyed it!

Servant #2:  When the facilities needed to be renovated for the children’s ministry, he was there with his hammer and saw.  He wasn’t afraid to get dirty and do hard manual labor.  No one knew the countless hours he invested into this project.

What these servants did was usually behind the scenes.  They may or may not have been noticed or recognized.  The work they did was not glamorous and didn’t directly result in souls being saved or people being discipled.  But, if they and others like them did not do these kinds of tasks, it certainly would be noticeable.  That first impression visitors get would not be so good if the facilities were unkempt.  The learning environment would have been less ideal.

Lesson to be learned:

Everyone’s contribution to the Body of Christ is important and needed.  Whether we have speaking gifts or serving gifts, we need to faithfully exercise them with the strength He provides to His glory.  All gifts are distributed on the basis of grace and to be administered as His grace into the lives of others.  People with the spiritual gift of service should not view themselves as any less important or less needed in the Body of Christ.  Watch for comparing yourself with someone else.

If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.  And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.  (1 Cor. 12:15-18)

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.  If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it 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.  (1 Pet. 4:10-11)

Get this example of the ways the spiritual gift of service can be used, along with 20 other gifts, in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. In addition, the handbook suggests spiritual gifts most typically used in 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks that may need to be accomplished in most of those areas.

The Spiritual Gift of Prophecy Defined

to speak forth the message of God to His people

     Greek word: prophetes (‘pro’=forth; ‘phemi’=to speak)

Example of How Gifting Must Be Used According to God’s Purposes and Ways

Servant #1:  He was a retired pastor who no longer did much preaching, but often would lead in the pastoral prayer.  You could still hear the pronouncements toward sin and righteousness as he prayed about the social woes and problems in the church.  Often your own heart would be brought under conviction as you listened to his prayers filled with Scripture about God’s desires for His people.

Servant #2:  He worked with young people in his church.  His lessons tended to focus on what he saw wrong in their lives.  His heart was for them to grow in the Lord and to live holy lives.  Though well-intentioned, his persistent and strong emphasis on the sin in their lives caused students to feel put down.

Both of these servants had the gift of prophecy.  They couldn’t help but see the contrast between what should be and what was in people’s lives and speak up.  They felt compelled to speak forth the Word of truth into a situation.  Yet, you see a different outcome in the lives of those to whom they spoke truth.

Lesson to be learned:

Let’s remember that spiritual gifts must be used through God’s power and line up with His purpose and principles.  The ultimate purpose of any gift is for the common good and building up of God’s people.  Gifts can be misused which was happening in the church of Corinth.  1 Corinthians 14 specifically states that the use of the gift of prophecy is to be done for the purpose of edification, exhortation, and consolation.  It is not simply about saying what you believe needs to be said or bringing people under condemnation.  It must be coupled with grace for people to get beyond simply feeling condemned.  Jesus, who left us an example, was full of grace AND truth (Jn. 1:14).  We are to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).

Get this example of the spiritual gift of prophecy in use, along with 20 other gifts, in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. In addition, the handbook suggests spiritual gifts most typically used in 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks that may need to be accomplished in most of those areas.

The Spiritual Gift of Leadership Defined

to stand before the people in such a way as to attend to the direction of the body with such care and diligence so as to motivate others to get involved in the accomplishment of these goals

Examples of the Gift of Leadership Being Used to Take the Church to New Heights

Servant #1:  He was a pastor on the cutting edge.  He consistently wanted to try new ways of accomplishing ministry. He knew the church could go so much further in making an impact in the world and their community. So, he wanted to take them there. He was also a great motivator and builder of potential leaders. Members of the congregation struggled with the little time he invested into pastoral care such as visitation and counseling.

Servant #2:  He was a a church planter.  He consistently wanted to see new churches developed.  Not long after a church got off the ground, he would find himself feeling hemmed in.  Members of the congregation struggled with his desire to move on and begin a new church.  They wanted him to stay even though he became increasingly frustrated.

Servant #3:  She regularly found herself in leadership positions throughout her years of ministry.  She enjoyed doing administrative work but became most impassioned when working on new ideas.  She enjoyed people but felt most fulfilled when she could work on goals to provide people with a path to becoming better equipped and more Christ-like.  Sometimes she served with ministry leaders who didn’t care if the ministry got beyond status quo and therefore they didn’t always understand some of the stands she would take on issues.

All of these servants had a God-given drive to take the church to new heights.  And, all of these servants were at times misunderstood or stifled in their pursuits by the expectations of others.

Lesson to be learned:

Let’s make sure we understand the difference between the gifts and not box people in to our ideas of what someone in a ministry position should look like.   If we want certain characteristics, let’s make sure we recruit the right person with the spiritual gift(s) most suitable for our priorities.  For example:

Unless accompanied by other gifts or a certain personality, don’t expect someone with the gift of leadership to delve into the details of administrating his/her ideas or to focus in on the on-going needs of people.  Likewise, unless accompanied by other gifts or a certain personality type, don’t expect someone with the gift of administration to have the enterprising qualities of someone with the gift of leadership.

Unless accompanied by other gifts or a certain personality, don’t expect someone with the gift of leadership to get involved in the nitty-gritties of people’s lives.  Likewise, unless accompanied by other gifts or a certain personality type, don’t expect someone with the gift of pastor to take a more global approach to ministry.

Leaders develop ideas.  Administrators develop strategies to accomplish ideas.  Pastors develop people to benefit from the ideas and strategies.

Get this example of the ways the spiritual gift of leadership can be used, along with 20 other gifts, in the Ministry Handbook: Spiritual Gifts in Use. In addition, the handbook suggests spiritual gifts most typically used in 16 broad ministry areas and 27 specific tasks that may need to be accomplished in most of those areas.

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