Life experiences can open doors to dynamic ministry.
—Ron Oertli
During college, I took a physical education course in boxing. The instructor matched each student with someone of approximately the same height, weight, and reach. But my assigned partner kept missing class, so I frequently ended up boxing a fellow twenty pounds heavier. (I had loose teeth the whole quarter!)
Three one-minute rounds seemed to take forever, especially when the opponent danced around the ring and I connected only once every several punches. Fatigue set in quickly.
I learned a lesson that quarter that has stuck with me ever since: You’re drained of more energy by swinging and missing than by landing a solid punch.
Now that I am in church ministry, I see a number of people who are worn out in their ministries while others put in a lot more time yet remain refreshed. I suspect that the differences rest not in their commitment level or energy level as much as how well their ministry job fits. When expended energies “connect,” people last longer.
You may have heard comments similar to those I sometimes hear: “I’m not sure I belong here anymore. I’ve been involved in different things, but I don’t feel like I fit anywhere. Maybe I should move on.”
This kind of comment makes any pastor feel like the spouse who returns home to discover his or her mate has left, leaving a note on the table saying, “We just don’t seem meant for each other anymore.”
Or perhaps a newcomer to the congregation confesses: “I want to do something, but I’m not sure what I have to offer.”
These comments are common in ministry. I recognize them as expressions of a basic Christian need: to be useful and to find a ministry niche.
The church’s traditional pattern of fitting available people into existing ministry job slots doesn’t usually meet this need. Nor have I found spiritual gifts classes, growth institutes, or seminars particularly helpful. Instead, people received a mishmash of often excellent material, but a muddle of messages and no clear direction for where to go next.
In 1986, one of our pastors, Tim Robertson, pioneered spiritual planning at Bear Valley Baptist Church. Over a two-year period, he took more than two hundred men and women through spiritual planning and hammered out many of the concepts and methods we still use. Before I took over the responsibility for spiritual planning, I participated as one of the six members of Tim’s “think tank.” Over the months we brainstormed, dreamed, and worked together to define strategies more clearly.
We worked from two assumptions: (1) God has entrusted to each believer the necessary resources to do what he has called that person to, and (2) God has given each church the people necessary to do what he has called that church to do.
We brainstormed about how to discover the untapped resources already within our congregation. We looked for ways to draw out of individuals how God had especially prepared them for ministry.
We have used three analogies to help clarify what a spiritual planner does. He or she is like:
1. A financial planner, who helps people take inventory of resources in order to maximize their financial effectiveness.
2. A human resource manager, who helps people select appropriate training and get into the right job.
3. A career guidance counselor, who helps people develop a strategy for personal growth and pursue a suitable career.
Three phases make up the spiritual planning process.
First, we ask people to take an inventory of the resources God has entrusted to them (such as spiritual gifts, natural talents, and acquired skills).
Then, based on the church’s needs and available opportunities, we propose possible ministries they might pursue.
Finally, we help the individual write a specific plan of action for the next twelve months. This plan includes measurable, attainable goals for growth and ministry as well as a system of accountability.
No doubt other churches might do it differently, but here’s what these steps look like for us.
Taking Inventory
Karen had been a Christian for several years but not serious about her faith. One day, she explained, “I’m not sure I have anything to offer the church. I have no idea what special gifts or talents I have. In fact, I’m not sure God even gave me any.”
Rather than immediately finding Karen a program to work in, we decided to help her discover the spiritual resources God had provided her. We found that she had organizational and verbal skills. Also, Karen had given birth to a child before she was married and was feeling useless to Christ as a result. We pointed out to her that God could change this difficult life experience into a positive resource. Karen soon became an effective participant in a ministry to young women. So life experiences can open doors to dynamic ministry.
Spiritual gifts also play a role. Helen has a master’s degree in education and an excellent reputation in public school classroom teaching, but she has never done well as a Sunday school teacher. During spiritual planning, she concluded that she has the gift of administration. She now helps manage a ministry for women.
We’ve found that one’s secular expertise may not coincide with one’s spiritual gift. Scott, an executive-level administrator in a large corporation, has never felt comfortable managing people and activities in the context of ministry. During spiritual planning he decided that, instead, he has the gifts of mercy and teaching. He now works with a support group where people are coming out of difficult life experiences. In addition, he teaches in that context.
We also inquire about what people feel God is calling them to do. People frequently have God-cultivated concerns about particular needs. A certain need may intrigue them or keep them awake at night. We ask individuals if they can identify this type of recurring concern. Stan had a burden for the inner city and now teaches at Denver Street School, helping street people complete their high school education. Dennis serves on the board of the Inner City Health Clinic, but during spiritual planning he recognized his recurring burden for evangelistic outreach to businessmen like himself. He continues as an effective member of the clinic board but has increased his involvement with business contacts.
We call the various ingredients of experience, talents, skills, gifts, education, and burden the “resource mix.” People express excitement as they discover strengths they can use more purposefully.
Brian Hathaway, a pastor of the Atatu Bible Chapel in New Zealand, once observed that King David used his natural talent (music) to soothe a troubled king, his acquired skill (with a sling) to slay a ferocious enemy, and his spiritual gift (leadership) to produce a triumphant period in Israel’s history. Likewise, we believe God provides each person a unique resource mix.
At Bear Valley, people attend four sessions with one of our trained spiritual planners. The first three sessions focus on the resource mix. Before the first session, we give each person a questionnaire. It must be completed prior to the first session and covers a number of key areas.
The questionnaire also screens out the merely semi-interested people because it requires considerable thought to complete. After looking it over, some people cancel their first appointment. On the other hand, those ready to serve find the questionnaire stimulating.
The Survey
The ten items on the questionnaire explore personal background and interests from several angles. We strongly encourage people to write their answers, although they can simply think through the questions and come prepared to discuss their answers.
1. Describe your personal, spiritual pilgrimage. What led to your conversion to Christ? What formal and informal training has contributed to your growth? What crises have you weathered? What have been your experiences in ministry? What individuals have influenced you significantly?
2. Is God “cultivating a concern” in you for ministry? What specific needs, issues, or situations particularly touch your heart? What concerns make you want to roll up your sleeves and go to work?
3. Up to now, what concrete steps have you taken to address these needs or get involved in these issues?
4. What do you believe is the general purpose of this spiritual-planning process?
5. Specifically identify several things you expect to accomplish through this process.
6. Set aside these expectations for the moment and dream. Assume you had all the resources you wanted and needed, and that God would guarantee your success in anything you wanted to do. Describe what your life would look like ten years from now. Who would you be? What would you be doing?
7. Identify several resources God has entrusted to you (spiritual gifts, natural talents, acquired skills, experiences).
8. What is your greatest strength?
9. Are there any present barriers keeping you from living up to your God-given potential? If so, identify them.
10. Where do you need to grow the most?
The Sessions
During the first spiritual-planning session, we go over the answers to the questionnaire. We ask permission to take notes and then move through the questions. We ask people to clarify or expand answers we don’t fully understand.
Then, typically, the leader will ask people if the process, so far, is meeting their needs. We give them an opportunity to drop out at this point if they wish. But we encourage each person to continue, and we promise to work with those who do. We remind them of the exciting discoveries that lie ahead.
By giving people permission to back out, we provide a graceful exit to those who are not yet ready. We also increase the commitment of those who stay. By the fourth session, those who remain will nearly always be open and ready to be involved in ministry.
At the end of session one, we hand out the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, explaining that it will give insight into their personality. We hand them a question booklet, an answer sheet, and an envelope with postage on it. People complete the MBTI and mail it back before the second session.
In session two we discuss the results of the MBTI and explain the implications. This exercise helps reveal basic personal preferences. Myers-Briggs functions as a descriptive rather than a prescriptive tool. It tells how people tend to like to operate in life. A person falls into one of sixteen personality types. Each personality type is identified by four letters. For example, I come out ENTJ.
The EI scale (extroversion/introversion) shows whether an individual focuses attention more on the outer world of people and things or on their inner world of thoughts and understanding.
The SN scale (sensing/intuition) indicates how a person acquires information: empirically through the senses or by intuition.
The TF scale (thinking/feeling) reveals how people make decisions: through objective reasoning or based on personal values.
The JP scale (judging/perceiving) shows the kind of lifestyle a person tends to prefer: orderly and controlled or open-ended and spontaneous.
Often, people find the MBTI segment the most helpful part of all four sessions.
At the end of session two, we provide information on spiritual gifts based on Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, and 1 Peter 4. People have two weeks to work through the spiritual gifts exercises we assign. They talk to other Christians who know them. They think through what things they have enjoyed doing or have done well. All these activities move them closer to identifying their spiritual gifts.
During the third session we discuss the homework they have done on spiritual gifts. Our experience indicates that most people have more than one spiritual gift—often three or four. We call this their “gift mix.” At the end of our third session, we provide printed descriptions of all Bear Valley ministries. In addition, we encourage people to imagine ministries they might like to be involved in that do not yet exist.
Participants leave session three with two assignments. First, based on what they have learned, they pick three or four ministries they might try. Second, they prepare a written action plan.
Development Blueprint
The action plan is a specific, written blueprint for spiritual growth and ministry. It lists goals for the next twelve months in seven areas: worship, instruction, fellowship, ministry, stewardship, family and friends, and personal development. We discuss the action plan at session four.
Action plans reflect individual differences. One artistic woman presented her written plan in the form of a beautiful collage, while an engineer came in with a four-page computerized printout. I recall one person who scribbled out an action plan on a paper napkin.
Whatever the form, we help people list attainable and measurable goals. Here are examples of the types of goals people set.
Worship
This includes both corporate and personal worship. One person may plan to attend Sunday worship more regularly even when traveling on business or on vacation. Several decided to have personal devotions ten to fifteen minutes a day, five days a week. Again, we are not looking for extravagant goals but ones that are simple and attainable.
Instruction
This may include participation in a Sunday school class and/ or small-group Bible study. A person may commit to reading two books a month. Another may decide to listen to tapes featuring a Christian speaker. One young man chose to attend a seminar on leading small groups, a skill he wanted to nurture.
Fellowship
A Sunday school class or Bible study group may provide fellowship as well as instruction. A church softball league may also suffice. Believers need one another and sometimes must deliberately schedule time for fellowship with others.
Ministry
After people have chosen three or four ministry options from our opportunity list, they choose one in which they will likely participate. We want them to be specific: when and where they’ll get involved. We encourage people to try a particular ministry for enough time—generally at least six weeks—to see if the fit is right.
We also encourage each person for the next twelve months to cultivate, with God’s help, a close personal relationship with an unbeliever and then, in the context of this friendship, to share the gospel clearly. We want them to experience the adventure and rewards of personal evangelism.
Stewardship
This includes the use of both money and time. Most who come to us want to tithe. We sometimes discover that people are deeply in debt, which has strapped their giving. We then recommend they immediately pursue help from a financial counselor.
We also ask people to be good stewards of their time. One person’s goal involved cutting down the amount of overtime he worked to give more time to ministry.
Others feel called to cut back church involvement for the sake of family. Ken was miraculously converted out of a drug culture. He was so excited about his faith that he jumped from one ministry group to another, and he wasn’t staying with one thing long enough to truly benefit. In addition, he was not spending enough time at home. During spiritual planning Ken said, “I need some fine tuning. What do you think?” Because of the spiritual planning process, one of our pastors (Ken’s spiritual planner) was free to say, “You need to withdraw from your small-group Bible study. You are getting plenty of instruction in your classes at the seminary. Regular time with your wife is more important right now.”
Balancing family, career, church, and community remains difficult. At times we simply encourage a commitment to ongoing evaluation. The person may commit, for instance, to sit down each month with his family to discuss their schedules.
Family and friends
We ask each person to list particular goals in regard to their family and friends. Some couples decide to have a date one night each week. One man felt compelled to travel to see both of his adult sons. He hadn’t been a Christian when they lived at home. He wanted them to see his new life-style and hear the gospel.
One single woman who earnestly wanted to be married decided to change her hairstyle and to lose weight. She wanted to look as attractive as God made her to be.
Personal development
These goals thrust people beyond their old horizons and boundaries. Their goals may be fun or serious. One man decided to take banjo lessons. Another is now in the process of climbing a number of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountain peaks. A housewife is attending typing classes. Another is learning to play the flute. Several people have pursued fitness goals. These adventures can make a person more capable and more refreshing to be around.
Workable Accountability
The action plan works, of course, only if effective accountability is built into the process. We learned not to have pastoral staff and spiritual planners be the ones maintaining accountability. Why? On Sunday some folks scooted around corners when they saw us. Despite our efforts not to make accountability a guilt inducer, they felt guilty and avoided us.
So instead, we have built an accountability system between peers of the same gender. A couple might choose another couple, but usually the wife and husband each choose a separate individual. In any case, each person asks a peer or mentor to serve as an “accountability partner” for a minimum of four meetings during the following twelve months.
The first accountability meeting takes place in thirty days, the second sixty days later. The remaining accountability meetings are quarterly. The church office mails out a gentle reminder before each of the accountability meetings and encloses a postcard to be returned after each meeting.
The accountability people act as mirrors, not judges. They review progress on the action plan. They help people look objectively at their goals and analyze how well they are fulfilling them. If an individual is not meeting her goals, the accountability persons simply ask, “Why?” They do not criticize; they discuss reasons. They suggest possibilities: “Do you think you should redefine your goal?” or “Do you think this goal stretches you enough?”
Does It Work?
As spiritual planning succeeds, we see (1) people living more dedicated and distinctively Christian life-styles and (2) people enjoying effective ministry involvement.
Beth illustrates how this happens.
Beth’s ministry experience revolved around Christian education. She had taken seminary courses and taught Sunday school classes. But this ministry gave her little fulfillment. In session one I learned that she had computer expertise; she could write programs in four languages. In addition, she was concerned about, among other things, people withdrawing from cults.
Bear Valley has a ministry called Shield of Faith, which targets people coming out of cults and aberrant Christian groups. And at the time, Shield of Faith desperately needed someone to work with their computers. It was a perfect match! During the spiritual-planning process, Beth was also helped with her devotional life. Later, when Beth’s career led her to another city, she wrote us that the spiritual-planning process was one of her most beneficial experiences in Denver.
Many people, of course, are involved in Sunday school classes and other normal church activities when they begin the planning process. And many don’t change their ministry involvements. But afterward, they are engaged with greater purpose. Many say, “Now I know why I am doing what I am doing.”
And that not only strengthens them, but it solidifies the church, which, as Paul observed, “grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (Ephesians 4:16).
Copyright © 1997
