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Charles Stone > How Pastors Can Help Others Discover Their Spiritual Gifts
The more we pastors help people discover, develop, and deploy their spiritual gifts, the healthier our churches become.
In this post I suggest 6 tips that can help others discover their gifts.
1. Ask, “What do I enjoy doing/what do I do well?”
A good indicator of where a person’s giftedness lies may be found in activities that give him or her joy and satisfaction and interests them. Encourage others to get in touch with spheres of service that produce a flow of inner joy, excitement and energy. Helping others find what God made them for produces great joy.
2. Ask, “If I could I would…”
If I could do ______ and time and money were no issue, what would I do? If I knew I couldn’t fail what would I do to make a difference? If I could I would address what concerns, area of peoples’ lives, or areas in the church to make things better or improve things?
3. Pray.
What do you sense in your heart is your gift? Where do you get a sense of peace?
4. Take a test drive.
Help others jump in and commit for 6 months in a potential ministry to discover if it is a fit.
5. Look for results.
When you exercise your gifts and you are fitted in the right place in your ministry, you will see effectiveness. God will bring about spiritual results in the lives of people because when when we use our gifts, we become a channel through which God’s Spirit flows.
6. Seek the advice of wise people.
Seek out gifted people in the area where you think your gifts may lie. Place yourself under their tutelage. The affirmation of others often can indicate giftedness.
How have you helped others discover their gifts?
This post originally appeared on Charles’ blog.
About Charles Stone Charles Stone pastors West Park Church in London, ON. In his 33 years in ministry in the U.S. he’s been a church planter, an associate pastor, a teaching pastor, and a lead pastor. He has authored four books including People Pleasing Pastors: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Approval Motivated Leadership (InterVarsity Press, 2014) and Brain-Savvy Leaders: The Science of Significant Ministry (coming April, 2015, Abingdon Press). His articles have been featured in several magazines including Leadership Journal. His education includes an engineering degree, a masters of divinity, a doctor of ministry, and he’s currently completing a masters in the neuroscience of leadership. He loves popcorn, going to action movies with his wife Sherryl, and living in Canada. He blogs at www.charlesstone.com
