Spiritual Gifts - PorterblePeople

So, I had to do this survey for my ministry formations class. I’m believe its a tool to see what types of ministry we should consider being involved in, although we haven’t yet talked about the application of it (that’s for next week).

I’m not exactly sure who reads this blog, so here’s your chance to make yourselves known. I’m wondering what you think about this analysis of my spiritual gifts – do you think it’s right or wrong and why?

This is what I got:

I suspect it probably also reflects that I have the spiritual gift of picking the middle option in multiple choice questions, but the analysis says that showing mercy and teaching are my strengths. This is what the feedback recommends for the practical application of each of these:

[For Showing Mercy] Your gift is used best in times of sorrow and in times of great joy. It fits well with another gift of service such as deacon, youth worker or hospital visitation. With a counseling course, you could become a good counselor. You may serve as a hospital, nursing home, or shut-in worker; a funeral coordinator and provider of sympathy and support; or a poverty center worker. You would do well as an usher or greeter and welcome center worker or hospitality person. You may want to work in a telephone ministry. You would make people feel welcome on a newcomer visitation team. Other appropriate ministry areas include missions, committee member, furlough assistance, and correspondence helper. You would work well with the elderly and with people who have mental and physical disabilities, in nursing, and with special ministries to migrants, released offenders or abused children and women.

[For Teaching] You do not necessarily have to teach the Bible to be a help to the church ministry. Although you can help with interpretation or teaching teachers and others, you may teach in areas such as education, business, finance, or computers. You may enjoy writing and developing curriculum. You would probably serve well as a Bible institute teacher or a correspondence course instructor. Your gift also lends itself to the mission field where you could serve as a missionary/teacher. You may want to teach a basic doctrine course to newcomers or new Christians or host quarterly small group studies on different topics. You may enjoy doing research for the pastor or others who teach.

I did notice that the only job in common between these two is missionary. I suppose lots of gifts can be used in mission work 🙂

So, what do you think? On the right track or completely out of left field?

About Gillian

Merilyn Clark

It seems to me you could also teach about health and caring for our bodies which is also really important. Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. In fact I think those with a sense of mercy (as you described it)are really good teachers and are important encouragers throughout our spiritual journeys. Life is rarely easy and we need encouragers and enablers at times in order to move throughout what life dishes out to us. Did you ever read Helen Rosevere’s story. If not I would be ever so glad to send you a copy of it. I do not find your outcomes clash with what I know of you. In fact given your work I am not surprised it has come up this way. I feel real joy to see how strong that sense of mercy is. So often we are concerned with judgement. But judgement in God’s hands is tempered by mercy. I think mercy is bigger than just sorrow and joy. I think mercy is a powerful discerning gift. Look at the story of Jonah. The mercy God held out to the Ninevites was so unbelievable for Jonah in the face of Nineveh’s shocking history of treatment of subject peoples and for Jonah, their treatment of the northern kingdom in particular. God’s judgment he could understand and condone. God’s willingness to suspend judgment and hold out the possibility of mercy (pity and compassion sit within the Hebrew word) and in effect salvation was what he could neither comprehend or condone. I think mercy in that bigger sense is truly a very hard gift to wield and you will need much prayer, discernment and courage to allow the Holy Spirit to work through you to give this gift full expression. Bless you on your journey Gillian. Thank you for sharing this.
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