CHRISTIAN GROWTH CYCLE: 2.3

SERVING
ONE ANOTHER

Colin Holtum

CHAPTER 1:
All Working, Together, in Gifted Ministry.

Background
•	Ministry is part of the discipleship growth cycle that we are committed to here at All Saints Church, Allesley. The discipleship to which ALL followers of Jesus are called involves “the redirection of the Christian’s life towards obedience, so that we might become like Jesus”. On this exciting leg of our journey of faith we aim to fulfil practically the commandments of love by serving those around us. In being good stewards of the resources we have each been given we please God, help others, and are ourselves fulfilled. We find ourselves living that abundant life that Jesus promises us in John 10:10.
   
•	

Our aim as a church is to encourage and equip everyone to be ministering wherever their life circumstances place him or her. As Christians develop in service, community is built up and the church is built up experiencing growth, in both quantity and quality of life. If something is alive and vibrant, growth is natural, but where there is no signs of productive growth then wise gardeners remove plants to make room for more and prevent disease affecting those that are developing. (cf  John 15:1-8, Lk. 13:6-9).  We should all be growing, and producing fruit, but we cannot cause growth to happen by our own strength alone. Who or what then makes growth happen?	
Firstly, we must acknowledge God is the instigator of all life. He has placed the capacity for growth in every living thing and is committed to seeing His creation experience every good thing planned for it. This is especially true of humankind, but for us to grow to full potential He requires our willingness. If fed and watered, babies will grow in size, but unless they are encouraged to stand up, explore and react to their environment, gradually taking on responsibility for their own lives, then they will only grow up to be twelve stone babies. Any parent would be appalled if that happened to one of their kids, and God cares no less for each one of us. 
Other agents for growth require things to be in the right environment and to be experiencing the right nurturing. At All Saints we have set up the Cell Group system to provide these elements. As cell members we are mutually responsible to one another to help ensure we are all growing and healthy. This is an important part of our ministry to each other.

•	Those who have researched those churches all over the world who have experienced growth and increased vitality identify all-member ministry as one of the key areas needing careful attention. (c.f. “Natural Church Development”, “Growing Healthy Churches”, “The Purpose Driven Church”, and Cell Church material.)

1.	Unity through Ministry
The church is often described in the Bible as a body, but unless we all perform to our potential the body is dysfunctional to some degree or another. Have you ever seen gymnasts at the Olympics performing on the floor exercise? They flow so effortlessly across the mat, demonstrating such co-ordination and beauty of movement that I’m full of admiration, (and envy!). It causes me to realise just what can be accomplished when all parts work together in harmony. On a couple of occasions our cell has been bold enough to do some door-to-door work, once with the ‘Love Coventry ‘ newspaper, and then with the ‘Jesus Video’.  Each time we have experienced a sense of unity in doing the work together and were amazed at how God worked out the details of each doorstep encounter. 
There are three classic passages in the New Testament concerning spiritual gifts - Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 -14, and Ephesians 3- 4. (If you are unfamiliar with them why don’t you spend fifteen minutes or so reading through them now and then carry on reading this.) One of the difficulties has been that we have focussed strongly on the gifts and their specific applications and miss out on Paul’s other two key themes in these chapters. In each of the three passages, as well as gifts, Paul teaches also about Christians together being like a body and that all gifts need to be administered “in love”. For the relationship between the three themes see the chart2 at the back of these notes. 
Conclusion:- From the passages we can see that because we are members of “one body” we need to be exercising all our gifts in unity and harmony with other believers, otherwise we will be dysfunctional. Do our attempts to move smoothly across the exercise mat of life as a unified Christian body resemble the gymnast, or do we present more the picture of an amoeba on a trampoline? Formless and frantic!

2.   Every believer is a minister.
Not every believer is called to be a vicar, but every believer is called into ministry. There are no distinctions in the New Testament between ‘clergy’ and ’laity’; the Holy Spirit is in all and works through all. Every believer, as a functioning member of the body, is a minister. Leaders in the church are “servants of the servants of God”3 and their role is to help people find and exercise their individual ministry in order that the whole body may grow, (cf Eph. 4: 11-12.)  The purpose of the maturing church is then to minister the love of God to a needy world, demonstrating His justice, love and salvation through words and actions. Because God calls all believers to minister to the world and the church, then service in the body is not optional. In God’s army there are no volunteers- all are drafted into service. Our example of an obedient and willing soldier is Jesus, and we are called “in all things to grow up into Him that is the Head”.  Service and giving are the defining characteristics of the Christ-like lifestyle and are expected of every believer.

We need to recognise that every Christian is:
•	Created for ministry (Eph 2 :10. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.)
•	Saved for ministry (2 Tim 1:9  ….God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,)
•	Gifted for ministry (1 Peter 4:10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms.)
•	Authorised for ministry (Matt. 28: 18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.")
•	Commanded to minister (Matt 20: 26-28 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave -just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.)
•	Is to be prepared for ministry (Eph 4: 11-12 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith)
•	Needed for ministry (1 Cor. 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.)
•	Accountable for, and will be rewarded according to, their ministry  (Col. 3:23-24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.) 4
Conclusion:- Because the body grows by means of “every supporting ligament”, then all of us need to accept our identity as a minister within the body.

3.	All are gifted.
Bible passages like 1 Peter 4:10, Romans 12:5-6, and many other make it clear that everyone is given a spiritual gift, and that we are to discover that gift and use it for the good of others. God has a strategy for the world and a plan for each of our lives that enables that strategy to be worked out. What a privilege to be involved in the plans of God! That’s a truly fulfilled life! Many people have the false idea that only a few people are gifted and they’re not one of them. This is because they have probably seen the way churches normally work, and see no place made for what they may have to offer. The cell church structure is helping to break down this stereotype. Perhaps during your life you’ve been told that you’re too old, too young, or no good at things and have nothing of value to give. That’s a lie, and you need to seek healing and discover just how precious you are to God, and how important you are to the body. When it comes to spiritual gifts it seems that some are weary and many are wary. Usually the weary ones are doing too much in life, often doing necessary tasks that are really outside their giftedness, but no -one else is volunteering. They are like square pegs in round holes. In order to fit properly they have to be worn down, no wonder they’re tired. The wary ones don’t usually understand what spiritual gifts are or what they’re for. Maybe you’ve seen someone operating badly in a gift and that puts you off. These gifts, or ‘charismata’, are given to us freely by God, and it is up to us to use them properly. When Spear & Jackson make garden tools, it’s recognised there is a skill needed to use them properly. Spades can cut through heavy soil and just as easily chop off toes, but it would make the job of digging difficult and ineffective if we were to give up using spades to do the work. Instead we acquire the skills we need to do the job correctly.  Unfortunately, there are also some people who deny having any gifts because they’re not fully committed disciples, or are just lazy. 
Conclusion:- Because we believe in God’s good plan for our lives we should see every talent and ability as a gift from the Holy Spirit and be encouraged to use them in the service of God for the benefit of others. We also recognise that He will give us everything we need to fulfil our role, including super-natural abilities, as appropriate.

4.	Every ministry is important.   
Paul instructed the Corinthian church, (1Cor 12: 14-26), about the significance of every part of the body. Even those parts that we may consider weak or less important are indispensable. If there were no intestines as part of our digestive system, then the body would not receive any nutrients from our food, but, necessary as they are, they rarely feature in normal after-dinner conversation! Their job is unseen and, generally, unheard! In Christian service there should be no elevation of one ministry over another. Many things get done in life that are unseen by most people, and yet without them we would soon grind to a halt. We can no longer support a model of the omni-competent, one-man ministry. There is no room for super-stars, only for lots of individual lights that shine in the world and together make it a brighter place.
Conclusion:- We should look on all gifts as being from God and of equal importance, and be seeking to bring out the gifts of others. As individuals, we should feel neither proud nor inferior about what ministries we have. God has distributed them in order to meet His purposes and it’s futile to question His judgement. 
“But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, `Why did you make me like this? Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? "  (Rom. 9:20,21)

5.	We are dependent upon each other. (1 Cor. 12:14-21)
Having seen that all of us in the body of Christ are called to participate in its life, and serve the world, we have to realise that we mustn’t function independently, but as the organs in a physical body are related, so must we be interdependent. In this passage Paul shows clearly that the eye needs the ear, the ear the nose, and the arms need the legs and so on. When one part of our physical body malfunctions, the other parts don’t function as well. Like a jigsaw each of us is needed to complete the whole picture. If one piece of the picture is missing then it stands out a mile. Society today emphasises individualism and ‘standing on our own two feet’ and we have to fight hard to change this thinking to one of lives intertwined together and responsible to one another. When we discover our spiritual gifts it mustn’t mean we go off by ourselves to form another cell or pastor our own congregation. Our gifts need to be seen as being dependent on each other for completeness. Only when we work together in teams do we start to experience the unity there should be in the body. 
Conclusion: When each disciple contributes their own distinctive gifts, service, and effort, then the whole body grows towards maturity and is equipped to accomplish its purpose of bringing the Kingdom and love of God into our communities.

6.	We need to widen our view of where ministry takes place.
In the past the church has often fallen into the mistake recognising people’s skills and then sucking them into the busyness of our church based programmes. Teachers are steered towards Sunday Club, accountants towards the church finances, plumbers or builders towards maintenance, and musicians towards the worship group. Now, we are not saying that these essential abilities are not valued or needed to serve others in the church and to glorify God, but this should not be our first and only thought. We need to discover ways to resource one another in our twenty-four hour, seven days a week ministries. With our family, our work mates, our pals at school, and amongst our neighbours. 
Conclusion: When we have discovered our gifts, we need to pray and ask others to help in finding where God would have us use them.

7.	God has SHAPED us for a particular ministry. 

Rick Warren, in his book “The Purpose Driven Church”, points out that “when God created animals, He gave each of them a specific area of expertise. Some animals run, some hop, some swim, some burrow, and some fly. Each animal has a particular role to play based on the way they were shaped by God. The same is true with humans. Each of us was uniquely designed, or shaped, by God to do certain things”.5 
The Living Bible translates Psalm 139: 16 thus, “You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe”. If that is the case and because I know I have free choice whether I follow God’s plan or not, then the big question is, “How can I discover what God has planned and equipped me for”? The good news is that there is a way to help us, and that’s the subject of the next two parts of our programme.

EMPHASES IN GIFT/BODY PASSAGES
	    
	1 Corinthians 12 –14       	Ephesians 3-4		Romans 12
Body
unity		“is a unit”  (12:12)	“there is one body” (4:4)		“many form one body” (12:5)
		“all….form one body” (12:12)	
   
diversity		“made up of many parts	“He gave some to be….”		“members do not have the same 			(12:12; cf. 14,27)	(4:11)			 function”  (12:4)
		each indispensable  (12:12)
    
every one a part	“all baptised… into one body”	“as each part does its work		“each member belongs”  (12:5)
		(12:13: cf. 26)		(4:16)
Gifts
God the source	“manifestation of the Spirit”	“given as Christ apportioned it”
		(12:7; cf. 8-11)	(4:7)			
     
all possess		“to each [one] is given…(12:7)				“we [all] have different gifts” (12:6)
    
purpose		“for the common good2 (12:7)	“that the body of Christ may		“to all the others” (12:5)
					 be built up”  (4:12)
		“for the strengthening of	“whole body … grows and
		  the church”  (14:26)	 builds itself up”  (4:16)
		“build up the church”  (14:12)
Love
essential		“if I …have not love, 	“rooted and established in love”	“Love must be sincere” (12:9)
		 I am nothing”  (13:2)	 (3:7)
					“live a life worthy of….” (5:1)
    
practical		12:26,   13:4-7	4:25-32		12:9-17

CHAPTER 2:   Shaped for Ministry 1.
I Cor. 12:1 – 14:39

We considered last week how all Christian disciples are called to service. Not all of us are called to be vicars but each is called to ministry. Now when God appoints someone to work for Him and with Him, then He equips that person with the skills to make the task possible. This passage from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians relates specifically to ‘charismata’ or spiritual gifts. These are the resources from God that really help ministry to flow and that are available to us all. However we need to realise that God has had a consistent, and good, plan for our lives right from birth. To that end He has also given us inborn abilities, temperaments, and talents to be used in our ministry. What God made you to be determines what He intends you to do.  Rick Warren, in his book ‘The Purpose Driven Church’ 1 has developed the acronym SHAPE to include five elements that contribute towards determining a persons ministry ~ Spiritual Gifts, Heart (or passion for certain things), Abilities, Personality, and Experience. If you don’t understand your shape, you end up doing things God never intended you to do. We’re like square pegs in round holes, and that’s not comfortable for anybody! In the next two sessions we’ll look at some of the principles involved and think about the implications.  Let’s start with the first two elements. Spiritual Gifts and Heart.

Spiritual Gifts. 
In recent years there has been increased
interest amongst believers in discovering 
their spiritual gifts. Could it be that God 
has placed this theme on the agenda of 
churches across the world at this time because He wants us to be aware of the gifts He has already given, and the purpose for which He has gifted us? Despite this heightened awareness, a recent survey amongst 1,200 Christians showed that only 20% knew what their spiritual gifts were and where they should be using them. We saw in the previous session that the Bible clearly teaches everyone is gifted, and so the research indicates that there are huge resource still yet to be tapped for bringing about God’s purpose for the church here on 

earth. Unless we can release this abundant provision then the church could continue to decline; many people will not hear the Good News of salvation; many hurting folk will continue to suffer needlessly, and many Christians will remain unfulfilled.

We perhaps first need to define what we mean by spiritual gifts. A good working definition is:
A spiritual gift is the special ability that God gives, according to His grace, to each member of the body of Christ to be used for the development of the church and for ministry to the world. 2
	There are many such gifts mentioned in scripture, and a lot of them seem indistinguishable from ‘natural’ abilities. Many non-Christians exhibit gifts of generosity, hospitality, wisdom, good leadership, etc., so what’s the difference? Part of our problem is that we forget that “everything comes from God” and that God created everyone, so we should not be surprised to see good people doing good things. We also suffer from a philosophical heritage that seeks to draw hard lines between spiritual and secular matters. This is called dualism, and is not where Christianity places its focus. The everyday things of life can be holy, and its part of our task to take the holy into the ordinary. Sometimes it is hard to differentiate when a natural talent is being given an extra halo effect to achieve some extra-ordinary work of God. In reality there is far more opportunity for this to happen than we currently expect, and that’s probably because we are not operating one of the important gifts that all of us are expected to have, i.e. the gift of faith.
	In our definition the phrase ‘special ability’ seeks to emphasise the uniqueness of each individual’s ministry rather than the exceptional nature of the various gifts. We note that all are given to us by God and we need to acknowledge that our personal view of Him can colour the way in which we see things.  Some people’s experience causes them to be more sceptical about the work of the Holy Spirit and they find it hard to accept gifts that work outside the rules of nature. They may concentrate instead on those gifts that encourage people to live together harmoniously in a just society, or they may pay extra attention to those gifts that assist the proclamation of the gospel, or the worship of God. None of these views is wrong, it’s just that sometimes our 

limited experience and narrow viewpoint limit all that God wants to do. When we are willing to accept that we all need each other, different people exercising different gifts in different ways, then the whole body will start to mature and exhibit the mighty works of God  ‘for the common good’. (1 Corinthians 12;7)	 Our definition also says that these gifts are given to us ‘by God’s grace’. They are not a reward for our steadfast character or spiritual maturity. In fact many new Christians exhibit gifts immediately at conversion, although sometimes they can use them immaturely because of lack of training. Neither should gifts be seen as a sign of faithfulness; they are just distributed according to God’s plan.  
	There are a number of lists of gifts found in scripture. (See notes at end of article for some of the gifts and their definitions) These lists are not intended to be exhaustive, nor are the gifts ranked in order of importance. The very fact that no list is exactly identical indicates there is no set pattern. It perhaps also means we should not be closed to new sorts of gifts being given by God, providing we test that they align with His nature and His word. For instance, the New Testament makes no explicit reference to the gift of intercession, and yet today we recognise the immense value of people whose ministry this undoubtedly is, and who enthusiastically devote long periods of time with God in prayer.
	Nobody will have all the gifts but everybody has some. Sometimes supernatural gifts are given to meet one-off situations, and we should continually be open to receiving these from God. We may desire to exercise spectacular gifts or perhaps we hope that we aren’t asked to use some of them. I admit some are challenging. Take the gift of martyrdom, there’s a gift few of us crave! Paul exhorts us to eagerly desire spiritual gifts and not to despise those more lowly ones like hospitality and generosity. The bottom line is that all gifts are for serving others and glorifying God.
	How can we discover what we have been given? There are quite a number of gift survey tests available today and we are going to be using one in this church to help us realise what gifts we may have. However this survey is part of a whole range of questionnaires aimed at building up a fuller picture of the uniquely shaped ministry God intends for us. The surveys will be distributed and worked on through 
A List of Spiritual Gifts.

Each of the following gifts is given by God to certain members of the Body of Christ to build up the church and serve the world.
1)	Prophecy: The special ability to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance.
2)	Service: The special ability to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God’s work, and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired goals.
3)	Teaching: The special ability to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body and its members in such a way that others will learn.
4)	Exhortation: The special to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to other members of the Body in such a way that they feel helped and healed. 
5)	Giving: The special ability to contribute material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness.	
6)	Leadership: The special to set goals in accordance with God’s purpose for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God.
7)	Mercy: The special ability to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals, both Christian and non-Christian, who suffer distressing physical, mental or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds that reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering.
8)	Wisdom: The special ability to know the mind of the Holy Spirit in such a way as to receive insight into how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the Body of Christ.
9)	Knowledge: The special ability to discover, accumulate, analyze and clarify information and ideas that are pertinent to the growth and well-being of the Body. Some people also see this as a special gift given at times in the form of knowledge about something that the person would not ordinarily know and which results in someone else knowing of God’s involvement in the situation. (cf. Acts 5:3) This is very like the gift of prophecy on these occasions.
10)	Faith: The special ability to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for the future of His work. 
11)	Healing: The special to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to cure illness and restore health apart from the use of natural means.
12)	Miracles: The special to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to perform powerful acts that are perceived by observers to have altered the ordinary course of nature.
13)	Discerning of spirits: The special ability to know with assurance whether certain behavior purported to be of God is in reality divine, human or satanic.
14)	Tongues: The special ability:
(a) to speak to God in a language they have never learned and/or 
(b) to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely-anointed utterance in a language they have never learned.
15)	Interpretation: The special ability to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues.
16)	postle: The special to assume and exercise general leadership over a number of churches with an extraordinary authority in spiritual matters that is spontaneously recognized and appreciated by those churches.
17)	Helps: The special ability to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling the person helped to increase the effectiveness of his or her spiritual gifts.
18)	Administration: The special ability to understand clearly the immediate and long range goals of a particular unit of the Body of Christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals. 	
19)	Evangelist: The special ability to share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ.
20)	Pastor: The special ability to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers.
21)	elibacy: The special ability to remain single and enjoy it; to be unmarried and not suffer undue sexual temptations.
22)	Voluntary poverty: The special to renounce material comfort and luxury and adopt a personal life-style equivalent to those living at the poverty level in a given society in order to serve God more effectively.
23)	Martyrdom: The special ability to undergo suffering for the faith even to death while consistently displaying a joyous and victorious attitude that brings glory to God.
24)	Hospitality: The special ability to provide open house and a warm welcome for those in need of food and lodging.
25)	Missionary: The special ability to minister whatever other spiritual gifts they have in a second culture.
26)	Intercession: The special ability to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian.
27)	Exorcism: The special ability to cast out demons and evil spirits.
28)	Etc:….

(This list was based on that compiled from Scripture by C Peter Wagner in his book ‘Your Spiritual Gifts can help your Church Grow’, published by MARC, 1985.)

haped for Ministry 1.
I Cor. 12:1 – 14:39
We considered last week how all Christian disciples are called to service. Not all of us are called to be vicars but each is called to ministry. Now when God appoints someone to work for Him and with Him, then He equips that person with the skills to make the task possible. This passage from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians relates specifically to ‘charismata’ or spiritual gifts. These are the resources from God that really help ministry to flow and that are available to us all. However we need to realise that God has had a consistent, and good, plan for our lives right from birth. To that end He has also given us inborn abilities, temperaments, and talents to be used in our ministry. What God made you to be determines what He intends you to do.  Rick Warren, in his book ‘The Purpose Driven Church’ 1 has developed the acronym SHAPE to include five elements that contribute towards determining a persons ministry ~ Spiritual Gifts, Heart (or passion for certain things), Abilities, Personality, and Experience. If you don’t understand your shape, you end up doing things God never intended you to do. We’re like square pegs in round holes, and that’s not comfortable for anybody! In the next two sessions we’ll look at some of the principles involved and think about the implications.  Let’s start with the first two elements. Spiritual Gifts and Heart.

Spiritual Gifts. 
In recent years there has been increased
 interest amongst believers in discovering 
their spiritual gifts. Could it be that God 
has placed this theme on the agenda of 
churches across the world at this time because He wants us to be aware of the gifts He has already given, and the purpose for which He has gifted us? Despite this heightened awareness, a recent survey amongst 1,200 Christians showed that only 20% knew what their spiritual gifts were and where they should be using them. We saw in the previous session that the Bible clearly teaches everyone is gifted, and so the research indicates that there are huge resource still yet to be tapped for bringing about God’s purpose for the church here on earth. Unless we can release this abundant provision then the church ould continue to decline; many people will not hear the Good News of salvation; many hurting folk will continue to suffer needlessly, and many Christians will remain unfulfilled.

We perhaps first need to define what we mean by spiritual gifts. A good working definition is:
A spiritual gift is the special ability that God gives, according to His grace, to each member of the body of Christ to be used for the development of the church and for ministry to the world. 2
	There are many such gifts mentioned in scripture, and a lot of them seem indistinguishable from ‘natural’ abilities. Many non-Christians exhibit gifts of generosity, hospitality, wisdom, good leadership, etc., so what’s the difference? Part of our problem is that we forget that “everything comes from God” and that God created everyone, so we should not be surprised to see good people doing good things. We also suffer from a philosophical heritage that seeks to draw hard lines between spiritual and secular matters. This is called dualism, and is not where Christianity places its focus. The everyday things of life can be holy, and its part of our task to take the holy into the ordinary. Sometimes it is hard to differentiate when a natural talent is being given an extra halo effect to achieve some extra-ordinary work of God. In reality there is far more opportunity for this to happen than we currently expect, and that’s probably because we are not operating one of the important gifts that all of us are expected to have, i.e. the gift of faith.
	In our definition the phrase ‘special ability’ seeks to emphasise the uniqueness of each individual’s ministry rather than the exceptional nature of the various gifts. We note that all are given to us by God and we need to acknowledge that our personal view of Him can colour the way in which we see things.  Some people’s experience causes them to be more sceptical about the work of the Holy Spirit and they find it hard to accept gifts that work outside the rules of nature. They may concentrate instead on those gifts that encourage people to live together harmoniously in a just society, or they may pay extra attention to those gifts that assist the proclamation of the gospel, or the worship of God. None of these views is wrong, it’s just that sometimes our limited experience and narrow viewpoint limit all that God wants to do. When we are willing to accept that we all need each other, different people exercising different gifts in different ways, then the whole body will start to mature and exhibit the mighty works of God  ‘for the common good’. (1 Corinthians 12;7)
	 Our definition also says that these gifts are given to us ‘by God’s grace’. They are not a reward for our steadfast character or spiritual maturity. In fact many new Christians exhibit gifts immediately at conversion, although sometimes they can use them immaturely because of lack of training. Neither should gifts be seen as a sign of faithfulness; they are just distributed according to God’s plan.  
	There are a number of lists of gifts found in scripture. (See notes at end of article for some of the gifts and their definitions) These lists are not intended to be exhaustive, nor are the gifts ranked in order of importance. The very fact that no list is exactly identical indicates there is no set pattern. It perhaps also means we should not be closed to new sorts of gifts being given by God, providing we test that they align with His nature and His word. For instance, the New Testament makes no explicit reference to the gift of intercession, and yet today we recognise the immense value of people whose ministry this undoubtedly is, and who enthusiastically devote long periods of time with God in prayer.
	Nobody will have all the gifts but everybody has some. Sometimes supernatural gifts are given to meet one-off situations, and we should continually be open to receiving these from God. We may desire to exercise spectacular gifts or perhaps we hope that we aren’t asked to use some of them. I admit some are challenging. Take the gift of martyrdom, there’s a gift few of us crave! Paul exhorts us to eagerly desire spiritual gifts and not to despise those more lowly ones like hospitality and generosity. The bottom line is that all gifts are for serving others and glorifying God.
	How can we discover what we have been given? There are quite a number of gift survey tests available today and we are going to be using one in this church to help us realise what gifts we may have. However this survey is part of a whole range of questionnaires aimed at building up a fuller picture of the uniquely shaped ministry God intends for us. The surveys will be distributed and worked on through our cell groups.  This is because of the mutual support we can give each other in interpreting the results and enabling them to be put into practice. Rick Warren points out that many churches say “Discover your spiritual gift and then you’ll know what ministry you are supposed to have” 3. He believes the exact opposite. We need to experiment in various ministries and then we’ll discover our gifts. Cells are the ideal place to carry out that experimentation. The survey we‘ll use assumes that each of us has, at some time, tried to serve in various simple ways and as a result can answer the questions with some idea of how things worked out in those situations. Most of us are developing our gifts, and therefore it will be right to re-visit the survey in the future and check out how things are changing. As our ministry matures we need to know that mistakes will happen and are all part of the process. There will be times when lack of experience, lack of thought, stress, impatience, and a thousand other human traits will affect what we’re doing. Exercising our spiritual gift is not a guarantee that everything will turn out perfectly, but, with God’s grace, everything can turn out for good.
	Another point to make is that people with the same gifts may work them out in entirely different ways. This can be seen with the gift of evangelism. Some people may use that gift in skilful sermons, others may apply it in personal conversation, and yet someone else may write effective tracts, or be able to make the gospel understood by children. All are different variations of the same gift. As well as different variations there can also be different degrees of giftedness.  Thousands of Christians exercise their gift of mercy, coming alongside friends and neighbours bringing practical help and empathy at times of sickness, bereavement, and mental or emotional stress.  Many of them are so fixed on the pattern set by people like Mother Theresa that they fail to recognise their own divine gifting, or the value of it. God is infinitely creative so let’s not fall into the trap of comparing ministry styles or apparent effectiveness; all are of equal importance.
	Before we leave this area of spiritual gifting we need to say a few words about these special gifts and the responsibilities that belong to every Christian. Christian Schwartz, in his book “The 3 Colours of Ministry” writes this:
“Not every Christian has the gift of evangelism, but all Christians have the responsibility to share their faith……..Not every Christian has the gift of giving, but putting a portion of one’s income at the Lord’s disposal does apply to every Christian. You certainly don’t need the gift of giving in order to tithe. Not every Christian has the gift of faith, yet every Christian does have the universal Christian responsibility of trusting Christ in all life’s dilemmas.” 4
 Discovery of our gifting does not excuse us from other normal Christian responsibilities. Neither should the recognition of other people’s gifting allow us to relax from exercising our own. We are all interdependent.                                                                                                                

Heart . 
“Heart. All you really need is heart.
When the odds are saying you cannot win,
Don’t get in a spin, 
That’s when the fun begins to start. 
All you really need is heart”.
So ran the words of a popular song, and its true that the things we care passionately about will always energise us to see things through, whatever the difficulties. Personally, I ‘m thrilled when I find ways of explaining principles of Christian growth to people so that they develop in their discipleship. I can spend hours reading up information and exploring new and relevant ways of putting the message across so that Christians can benefit. Ask me to spend an equivalent amount of time in the equally important tasks of prayer, or administration, and I groan inwardly. Ministries that people enjoy are often viewed with suspicion. We seem to believe that any real ministry we do should involve suffering, sacrifice and hard work. Only then can it be validated. Any ministry is likely to involve those three things at one time or another, but there should also be an over-riding sense of fulfilment and joy as we exercise the gifts God has given us.  Those with the gift of service enjoy doing practical jobs that release others to get on with their ministry, even if their efforts are largely unseen and often go unappreciated. Evangelists are thrilled at any opportunity to meet strangers in an encounter that might enable a person to come to faith. Those gifted with hospitality can’t wait to take guests into their homes and spoil them. People rarely excel at things from which they don’t get enjoyment, so expect to have fun doing what God is shaping you for.
The Bible uses the word heart to represent the motivating force behind our desires, interests and inclinations. It determines why you say the things you do (Matt 12:34), why you feel the way you do (Ps 37:4), and why you act the way you do (Prov. 4:23). God-given passion brings satisfaction and fulfilment. There are some things that instinctively we feel deeply about and others about which we care little. Those that fire us up and keep us talking endlessly into the night are what we are passionate about, and we shouldn’t be surprised that God has placed that enthusiasm deep in our being. He always knew we would work best in the things that interest us. 

our cell groups.  This is because of the mutual support we can give each other in interpreting the results and enabling them to be put into practice. Rick Warren points out that many churches say “Discover your spiritual gift and then you’ll know what ministry you are supposed to have” 3. He believes the exact opposite. We need to experiment in various ministries and then we’ll discover our gifts. Cells are the ideal place to carry out that experimentation. The survey we‘ll use assumes that each of us has, at some time, tried to serve in various simple ways and as a result can answer the questions with some idea of how things worked out in those situations. Most of us are developing our gifts, and therefore it will be right to re-visit the survey in the future and check out how things are changing. As our ministry matures we need to know that mistakes will happen and are all part of the process. There will be times when lack of experience, lack of thought, stress, impatience, and a thousand other human traits will affect what we’re doing. Exercising our spiritual gift is not a guarantee that everything will turn out perfectly, but, with God’s grace, everything can turn out for good.
	Another point to make is that people with the same gifts may work them out in entirely different ways. This can be seen with the gift of evangelism. Some people may use that gift in skilful sermons, others may apply it in personal conversation, and yet someone else may write effective tracts, or be able to make the gospel understood by children. All are different variations of the same gift. As well as different variations there can also be different degrees of giftedness.  Thousands of Christians exercise their gift of mercy, coming alongside friends and neighbours bringing practical help and empathy at times of sickness, bereavement, and mental or emotional stress.  Many of them are so fixed on the pattern set by people like Mother Theresa that they fail to recognise their own divine gifting, or the value of it. God is infinitely creative so let’s not fall into the trap of comparing ministry styles or apparent effectiveness; all are of equal importance.
	Before we leave this area of spiritual gifting we need to say a few words about these special gifts and the responsibilities that belong to every Christian. Christian Schwartz, in his book “The 3 Colours of Ministry” writes this:
“Not every Christian has the gift of evangelism, but all Christians have the responsibility to share their faith……..Not every Christian has the

gift of giving, but putting a portion of one’s income at the Lord’s disposal does apply to every Christian. You certainly don’t need the gift of giving in order to tithe. Not every Christian has the gift of faith, yet every Christian does have the universal Christian responsibility of trusting Christ in all life’s dilemmas.” 4
 Discovery of our gifting does not excuse us from other normal Christian responsibilities. Neither should the recognition of other people’s gifting allow us to relax from exercising our own. We are all interdependent.                                                                                                                

Heart . 
“Heart. All you really need is heart.
When the odds are saying you cannot win,
Don’t get in a spin, 
That’s when the fun begins to start. 
All you really need is heart”.
So ran the words of a popular song, and its true that the things we care passionately about will always energise us to see things through, whatever the difficulties. Personally, I ‘m thrilled when I find ways of explaining principles of Christian growth to people so that they develop in their discipleship. I can spend hours reading up information and exploring new and relevant ways of putting the message across so that Christians can benefit. Ask me to spend an equivalent amount of time in the equally important tasks of prayer, or administration, and I groan inwardly. Ministries that people enjoy are often viewed with suspicion. We seem to believe that any real ministry we do should involve suffering, sacrifice and hard work. Only then can it be validated. Any ministry is likely to involve those three things at one time or another, but there should also be an over-riding sense of fulfilment and joy as we exercise the gifts God has given us.  Those with the gift of service enjoy doing practical jobs that release others to get on with their ministry, even if their efforts are largely unseen and often go unappreciated. Evangelists are thrilled at any opportunity to meet strangers in an encounter that might enable a person to come to faith. Those gifted with hospitality can’t wait to take guests into their homes and spoil them. People rarely excel at things from which they don’t get enjoyment, so expect to have fun doing what God is shaping you for.

The Bible uses the word heart to represent the motivating force behind our desires, interests and inclinations. It determines why you say the things you do (Matt 12:34), why you feel the way you do (Ps 37:4), and why you act the way you do (Prov. 4:23). God-given passion brings satisfaction and fulfilment. There are some things that instinctively we feel deeply about and others about which we care little. Those that fire us up and keep us talking endlessly into the night are what we are passionate about, and we shouldn’t be surprised that God has placed that enthusiasm deep in our being. He always knew we would work best in the things that interest us. 

Notes:-
6)	“The Purpose Driven Church”, Rick Warren, 1995, 
Zondervan Publishing.
7)	p42, “The 3 Colours of Ministry”, Christian A Schwarz, 2001, ChurchSmart Resources.
8)	p371, “The Purpose Driven Church”, ibid.
9)	p48, “The 3 Colours of Ministry”, ibid.

A List of Spiritual Gifts.

Each of the following gifts is given by God to certain members of the Body of Christ to build up the church and serve the world.
1)	Prophecy: The special ability to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely anointed utterance.
2)	Service: The special ability to identify the unmet needs involved in a task related to God’s work, and to make use of available resources to meet those needs and help accomplish the desired goals.
3)	Teaching: The special ability to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body and its members in such a way that others will learn.
4)	Exhortation: The special to minister words of comfort, consolation, encouragement and counsel to other members of the Body in such a way that they feel helped and healed. 
5)	
Giving: The special ability to contribute material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness.	
6)	Leadership: The special to set goals in accordance with God’s purpose for the future and to communicate these goals to others in such a way that they voluntarily and harmoniously work together to accomplish those goals for the glory of God.
7)	Mercy: The special ability to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals, both Christian and non-Christian, who suffer distressing physical, mental or emotional problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds that reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering.
8)	Wisdom: The special ability to know the mind of the Holy Spirit in such a way as to receive insight into how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising in the Body of Christ.
9)	Knowledge: The special ability to discover, accumulate, analyze and clarify information and ideas that are pertinent to the growth and well-being of the Body. Some people also see this as a special gift given at times in the form of knowledge about something that the person would not ordinarily know and which results in someone else knowing of God’s involvement in the situation. (cf. Acts 5:3) This is very like the gift of prophecy on these occasions.
10)	Faith: The special ability to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for the future of His work. 
11)	Healing: The special to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to cure illness and restore health apart from the use of natural means.
12)	Miracles: The special to serve as human intermediaries through whom it pleases God to perform powerful acts that are perceived by observers to have altered the ordinary course of nature.
13)	Discerning of spirits: The special ability to know with assurance whether certain behavior purported to be of God is in reality divine, human or satanic.
14)	Tongues: The special ability:
(a) to speak to God in a language they have never learned and/or 
(b) to receive and communicate an immediate message of God to His people through a divinely-anointed utterance in a language they have never learned.
15)	Interpretation: The special ability to make known in the vernacular the message of one who speaks in tongues.
16)	
Apostle: The special to assume and exercise general leadership over a number of churches with an extraordinary authority in spiritual matters that is spontaneously recognized and appreciated by those churches.
17)	Helps: The special ability to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling the person helped to increase the effectiveness of his or her spiritual gifts.
18)	Administration: The special ability to understand clearly the immediate and long range goals of a particular unit of the Body of Christ and to devise and execute effective plans for the accomplishment of those goals. 	
19)	Evangelist: The special ability to share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ.
20)	Pastor: The special ability to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers.
21)	Celibacy: The special ability to remain single and enjoy it; to be unmarried and not suffer undue sexual temptations.
22)	Voluntary poverty: The special to renounce material comfort and luxury and adopt a personal life-style equivalent to those living at the poverty level in a given society in order to serve God more effectively.
23)	Martyrdom: The special ability to undergo suffering for the faith even to death while consistently displaying a joyous and victorious attitude that brings glory to God.
24)	Hospitality: The special ability to provide open house and a warm welcome for those in need of food and lodging.
25)	Missionary: The special ability to minister whatever other spiritual gifts they have in a second culture.
26)	Intercession: The special ability to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers to a degree much greater than that which is expected of the average Christian.
27)	Exorcism: The special ability to cast out demons and evil spirits.
28)	Etc:….

(This list was based on that compiled from Scripture by C Peter Wagner in his book ‘Your Spiritual Gifts can help your Church Grow’, published by MARC, 1985.)

CHAPTER 3:   Shaped for Ministry 2.
Ephesians 4

In this last chapter on giftedness we look at the last three of the five elements that serve to SHAPE us for ministry. The first two have considered the passion that motivates us towards particular issues, and the extra-special capabilities that God provides through His Holy Spirit to make our service have that special and eternally significant Kingdom quality. These final components recognise other key factors that have influenced our lives and shaped our characters. Exploring all the elements together can help our understanding of what ministry God is preparing us for. In order to do this here at Allesley we’ve taken some gift survey material used by other churches and developed it further to help individuals pull together the various threads that make up their SHAPE. This is in the form of a personal profile pack entitled “Hearts to Serve” and we believe the best place to work on this is within the framework of our cell groups. The main reasons for this are:
1.	The material is designed for individual use and can be completed privately, but there are aspects of the survey where we can ask friends to contribute additional insight by answering some the questions about how they see us. The atmosphere of mutual encouragement that exists within each group will provide a secure environment to explore these insights. 
2.	Cell groups aim to help us grow in discipleship by giving practical support whilst encouraging personal accountability. This means that others can help us follow up any directions for ministry that we may feel challenged to investigate.
3.	Cells provide an appropriate place for people to experiment with different gifts, try out their developing ministries and find ways that best suit them in the exercising of their talents.
4.	Cell group leaders are willing to assist with the survey, or to put you in touch with others who can help you work through the implications of the results.

Hearts to
Serve

If you are not a member of a cell group and would like to participate in “Hearts to Serve” please contact the Rector or Colin and they’ll ensure that you get any help and encouragement you require with the material.

Abilities are those natural talents that we are born with, or skills we find no difficulty in acquiring, which empower our service and affirm our choice of ministry areas. Some people are physically well co-ordinated and excel at sport. Others are naturally inquisitive and just love taking things to bits to find out how they work. Usually, they can even put them back together again! Yet still others have no trouble dealing with numbers and formulas. They can’t understand why we other mortals don’t enjoy calculus. We’ve all met people who seem able to play any musical instrument they lay hands on, or can capture a scene on paper with a dozen quick lines with a pencil. God gives all of these natural talents for His purposes. In the Bible, in Exodus 31:3, we read how God gifted people with “skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts” in order that the tabernacle could be built according to God’s design and purpose.
 ‘Then the LORD said to Moses, "See I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts - to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, :to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony with the atonement cover on it, and all the other furnishings of the tent. The table and its articles, the pure gold lampstand and all its accessories, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, the basin with its stand. And, also the woven garments; both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when they serve as priests, and the anointing oil and fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make them just as I commanded you."  
Similarly, when Solomon built the first Temple, he found Huram, the son of a craftsman in bronze, who was himself “highly skilled and experienced in all kinds of bronze work” (1 Kings 7:14).  The skill to complete the work described in the passage would be almost impossible to find today. The sizes of some of the pieces defy belief that they could be made using the casting processes that we think were available. Pillars nearly six feet in diameter and twenty-seven feet high and a bronze bowl 15 feet across and over 7 feet high!

There are accounts throughout scripture of people with natural talents in music, writing, speaking, perfume making, embroidery, jewellery, and building, all being used by God to help worship.
Some people seem to have a natural talent in making money. Is this godly and can it be utilised for doing God’s work? Deuteronomy 8:17-18 say, “You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth…” There are many rich Christian business men down the centuries who have used their skill at making profits to provide work, benefit just causes and fund Christian mission activity.
	Many people feel they can’t get involved in ministry because they have no abilities. This is far from true; national surveys have shown that the average person has between 500 and 700 skills. To overcome peoples perceived lack of skills they need help to identify them and guidance as to how they can best match their talents to a ministry.  “Hearts to Serve” can start that process.  Amongst us there are dozens of people whose skills are not yet employed for the Gospel. Their contributions mustn’t be wasted. If people still lack some necessary abilities to fulfil their calling there is always training available. 

Personal Style. There is a plethora of studies that have been completed which seek to identify the ways in which different people do different tasks and how they react to different situations. No modern management training is complete without the involvement of psychological profiling. Myers-Briggs, Belbin, and Maslow have all developed systems to define peoples temperament, preferred working styles, motivation, and roles within a team. There is a danger that labelling people can put them into pigeonholes and we have to emphasise that these are only preferred styles.  None is right or wrong and most people have frequently to adapt to alternative styles to enable tasks to be successfully completed. However, the surveys confirm that everyone has a preferred style in which they feel more comfortable, and through which they can often contribute better to the overall work of a group. When we recognise our own preferences we also need to appreciate the different ways that others may work. Understanding can also help explain why

people don’t always see things in the same way, and can be a pointer to how to reconcile those little niggles that often come up when working with, and relating, to others. It would have been an interesting exercise to carry out some of these tests on Jesus’ management team, the disciples. Fiery Peter, doubting Thomas, ambitious James and John, (Sons of Thunder!), zealous Simon, financially astute Matthew, culturally prejudiced Nathaniel, inclusive Phillip and Andrew, and turncoat Judas. Who could work with such a team? And yet, with the exception of Judas, this team was given the responsibility for the birth of the church. 
God’s creation reflects infinite variety. He never tired of new ideas. As the culmination of His creation He invested equal care in the diverse make-up of His children. Introverts and extroverts. Some ‘thinkers’ and others ‘feelers’. Some are pessimistic, others optimistic. Some loving routine, others preferring variety. There are those who prefer to work alone, and others who need a team. God gave each one of us our temperament (Ps. 139:14-16) and although knowing Jesus can help change bad character traits, in the main, He redeems and uses our natural passions and preferences to accomplish His plans.
Personal Style then is to do with how we tend to tackle any kind of work. Knowing your personal style helps focus on what kind of service you would find fulfilling. Every carpenter, like Jesus, knows when using wood it is easier to work with the grain rather than against it. Similarly, people coerced into serving in ways that don’t suit their character can end up uncomfortable and tense, use up more energy than necessary, and usually producing inferior results. Ministering in a manner that is in harmony with our temperament will bring satisfaction and fruitfulness. The simple survey we will be using in the “Hearts to Serve” packs helps reveal our preferred style. You may be Task-Orientated and focus on achieving goals, preferring to do things for people, or People-Orientated and focus more on relationships and doing things with people. If you organise yourself in an Unstructured way, your relationships with people will be less formal, and you should undertake service that is flexible. If you are Structured then you work better with more formal links and clearly defined objectives. Different styles can be at different intensities, but all lend themselves to innumerable opportunities.

Experiences are by definition something that every one has got, albeit they will again be very varied. God never wastes an experience, and those completed milestones in life, whether educational, spiritual, or born out of pain, are what bring maturity to a ministry. Yesterday’s experiences have equipped us to serve effectively today. Even the hard times are used by God to make us into the person He plans us to be, (cf, Romans 8:28). Moses was raised as a leader in Pharaoh’s court but had to give up being a Prince of Egypt and flee into the desert to avoid being caught as a murderer. He had to learn how to look after sheep and survive in that harsh environment (Exodus 2). All this was preparation for leading the Israelites through the wilderness. Saul’s Jewish upbringing in the school of Gamaliel gave him such zeal for seeing that people obeyed the laws that he persecuted the early church, (Acts 22:3). This brought him into a life-changing encounter with the Lord. As Paul, he was able to use his training and experience to spread the gospel, highlighting from first hand knowledge the new freedom that belongs to those in Christ and no longer under law. 
In this section of  the “Hearts to Serve” packs we help people look at five areas which may have helped shaped the way they work. Educational, (not academic results but what subjects were enjoyed!), vocational, (what jobs you’ve enjoyed and achieved success in), spiritual, (the meaningful encounters with God), experiences of ministry, (fulfilling ways serving God in the past), and lastly, the painful experiences that have taught us important truths. 

Because God has given our ministry to us for His purpose, and because He has allowed us to be shaped by our life experiences, we should not resent or reject His plan for us.
‘ What right have you, a human being, to cross-examine God? The pot has no right to say to the potter: “Why did you make me this shape?” Surely a potter can do what he likes with the clay? 
(Romans 9:20-21 JB)
We know that God is a God of love and that His purposes for us are good. We do not have to be held back because of hurt or rejection by others in the past, nor should we fear what role God is shaping us for. When we fulfil His plans we are fulfilled ourselves.

The “Hearts to Serve” material will help you explore those five areas that help SHAPE ministry. When you have completed your personal profile it’s for your information and development. If you feel that you would benefit talking through the findings that you’ve recorded, or if you want help in exploring possible ministry opportunities, help is available through cell or from the Rector. If you give permission, then your name and skills can be added to a list of ministry gifts being compiled to help the church fulfil its service to the community. Our main aim however is to be a resource that enables you to find the ministry to which God has called you, and to provide encouragement to enable you to fulfil that role wherever He calls you to perform it. In this way we know that you will be fulfilled yourself.

What next?
At the end of this series, as we each seek to implement the lessons we have learnt about our unity, giftedness, and serving in love, it is only right to consider what the implications are for us all, both as individuals and as a church. This course was never intended to be just transference of knowledge or good ideas, but has sought to give people the basis for taking some positive steps towards maturity as they progress on their journey of discipleship. We all need to encourage one another in our commitment to Jesus, and we have to begin acting as though we believe that together we can make a difference to our communities. 

Implications for Individuals.
1.	Read again the material that has been produced for the series, and pray that God will confirm the teaching to your heart.
2.	Undertake the “Hearts to Serve” personal profile.
3.	Explore the findings with a friend to gain extra insight as to the shape of your personal ministry. 
4.	Be open with God about how you feel about the direction for ministry that is being revealed/confirmed to you.
5.	Commit yourself, allowing for the circumstances you are now in, to pursue any steps you need to take, including training, that will enable you to begin to undertake your special ministry.

Implications for the church. 
1.	We need to maximise ministry and minimise maintenance. In applying these principles to his own church Rick Warren stresses the radical changes that need to go alongside personal commitment if people are not going to end up frustrated in their ministry. One reason that people are not engaged in ministry is that a lot of us are so busy attending meetings that we never find time for ministry. We need to discern the difference between ‘maintenance’ and ‘ministry’. The former is church work like budgets, buildings, and policy meetings and is not to be confused with the latter which is the real work of the church. We need to carry on streamlining our organisational structures whilst ensuring that they are still functional. In most churches the members carry out the administration whilst all ministry is expected from the pastor.  The vicar becomes the bottleneck limiting growth. 
2.	We need to build up the networks than can resource members for ministry and that provide opportunities for people to serve. On-the-job training is by far the best kind.  We need to recognise that in the past identifying gifts has often led to frustration when people were given no outlet for their offering.
3.	We need to be prepared to allow people to exercise their ministry in areas outside of our influence. This may be in their place of work, leisure, family, or in some cases, in support of ministries not connected with our church. 
4.	We need to begin to trust people in the exercise of their ministry, delegating authority with responsibility. 
5.	We must encourage a climate that allows people to withdraw from or change ministries gracefully.
6.	We need to ensure that any new ministry not only has sufficient helpers, but that good leadership is also available to support the workers. Leaders must be encouraged to find and train successors.
7.	People need ongoing support and encouragement. This is most easily done through cell groups, but shouldn’t exclude anybody.
8.	Vision for any ministry needs continually to be reviewed and renewed.

Notes:-
For more information read:
1)	 ‘The Purpose Driven Church’, Rick Warren, 1995, Zondervan Publishing.
2)	‘Lay Ministry, Empowering the People of God’  Richards and Martin, 1981, The Zondervan Corporation.
3)	‘Your Spiritual Gifts can help your Church Grow’, C P Wagner, 1985, MARC.
4)	‘Network’  Bugbee, Cousins, and Hybels, 1994, Willow Creek Resources.
5)	‘The 3 Colours of Ministry’, Christian A Schwarz, 2001, ChurchSmart Resources.

Thanks are due:
To the authors of the books used to resource the material. 
To the people of Westwood Church, Coventry, especially Revd. Peter Finlay, who gave us permission to use and further develop their “Hearts to Serve” course.
To the cell leaders and members of cell who have given encouragement and acted as ‘guinea pigs’ in the development of the material.