Phil on Aristotle

The post below was written by my friend Phil Richardson. He shared it with me during a phone conversation. It was so good I asked him to repeat it and explain it to make sure I understood. Then I asked him to send it to me an email. I wanted his thoughts in writing so I could think about it. I have thought about it - I carried a printed copy in my pocket for a week and read it many times. It has many implications for the church and personal relationships. It's something to remember. Something we can use. Below is what Phil wrote ... _________________________________________

Aristotle taught that one must have these three things in order for people to listen to what we say. Ethos - refers to an ethical nature. We must have credibility in order for people to take seriously our message. We must "practice what we preach" and "walk the walk." Pathos - refers to a caring nature. It's an appeal based upon emotion. "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." Logia (or logos) - refers to the logical appeal or message itself. If we have both Ethos and Pathos, people will be more apt to listen carefully and be persuaded by our message. In my opinion, one failure of the church is to demonstrate both Ethos and Pathos to the world. Many see the hypocrisy and failures of prominent leaders, or even people they know in their own world who act one way when they are being religious, but it never permeates into the rest of their lives. The failure to show Pathos has also put up obstacles to belief. Many have been hurt by the church and feel condemned by it, rather than drawn to it for healing. The church is viewed by some as very stern, but uncaring. We preach nice sermons and have nice church services. But we don't really extend ourselves to people in the world. And if we do, there are strings attached for our own benefit."

NACC Praise Team - You are Awesome! We love you!

Matt and the Praise Team are outstanding worship leaders. During the past few years they have added instruments including accoustic and electric guitars, a base guitar and electric drums. The transition from Acapella only to a full band was smooth. I think our background as an a ccapplla has actually improved the quality of our praise and worship. Think about it. Most churches start with a full band (or key board - depending on tradition) and tend to sing the melody without a lot of harmony. But the NACC Praise Team has tight harmonies - it is absolutely beautiful. Five or six amazing singers blending their voices - they are awesome! Four years ago we had no instrumentsand sang only vocal music. Our long tradition of vocal music had several disadvantages (e.g. God likes instrumentation, invites their use, etc) which are a few of the reason we made the transition. But, what many people over look, are the advantages - tight harmonies has enhanced the quality of music. We have a great band and we also have great vocals - it's really unique! The following was written by a one of our praise team members who just got back from Nashville. I am not sure who wrote it. Jeanie put it in the bulletin and sent it to me so I could post it on my blog. We are so thankful to God for our Praise Team and Band. We are proud of them. Read the following paragraphs which describe their recent trip to Nashville to record. ____________________________________ This past week, our praise team..Matt, Kevin, Keri and Teresa traveledto Nashville, TN and recorded at Lipscomb University. This was byinvitation only. CD auditions were sent in from all over the UnitedStates. There were a total of 156 people invited (39 quartets fromacross the US) and only 11 quartets received an "A" rating. Our PraiseTeam was the only one from WV and was one of the "A" ratings. WE ARESO PROUD OF THEM AND WANT TO SEND OUT OUR CONGRATULATIONS.I asked Keri to write a description of the weekend. Please read aboutthis exciting two day event. We were one of less than a 1/4th of that number who were given an"A" rating and invited to participate anytime in the future with otherprojects (no audition necessary). In the past, they have not heldauditions and have recorded with many more participants, but thedecided to change things this year and the feedback from thoseorganizing the event was that they will never go back, since it wassuch a success to work with fewer (and perhaps more prepared) people. In total, we recorded 25 songs over two days and spent 8 hours in the"studio". We ended up recording each song at least 3 times (and somemore!) As you can imagine, this was ALOT of singing to do in a shortperiod of time. We sang all the songs in the Collins Auditorium atDavid Lipscomb University, on our feet so we could get our lungs fullof air! We were not individually mic'd like in the CD we made here, sothe CD itself will have a choral group sound to it. On a side note, wespent the night enjoying the lovely accommodations at Elam Hall atLipscomb and I think Matt and I should get 'extra credit', since wedrew the short straws and ended up on the top bunks!! :-) All the songs we sang (except maybe 2 or 3) were songs we knew andsongs we have been singing for the last 6 or 7 years, but when I spoketo many of the other participants, I was surprised to learn that thesewere not songs they sang at their churches - they were too "new" forlack of better explanation. It seemed like we were in the minority forhaving a praise team at our church. We met people from all over thecountry, but I remember meeting people from Oklahoma, Arizona,California, Ohio and Tennessee. We were the only WV gr oup there! The CD that we created is part of a series of recordings publishedby Acapella Ministries. The working title is current "Victorious God",although, they might change it to "Only God". Our song leader wasKeith Lancaster, former member and later producer for AVB (AcapellaVocal Band) and John Bynum was the project coordinator. The purpose ofthe project was to create a 'workshop in a box' for churches andworship leaders to improve and continue to develop their acapellaworship ministries. The CD, I imagine, will be for sale on it's own,but it will also be part of a set that will include sheet music and atraining tape (a very raw 4-part CD that can be used to teach peoplewho don't know how to read music how to pick out and hear their part). It was a full two days for us and I know we came back a littletired, but it was a very enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Our onlycomplaint was that we didn't get to hear ourselves singing, since wehad earphones in the whole time. When we were done on Wednesday, wetook off the ear phones and we sang 2 or 3 impromptu songs just forthe fun of it, and the experience of being surrounded by so manypeople using th eir talents to glorify God was both humbling andamazing. We were exhausted by this point, but I think we would havekept on singing if the opportunity had been there! I also think I speak for all of us when I say that we appreciatedthe support that we received from everyone, and also some of thefinancial support to make the trip more cost effective for uspersonally. This speaks volumes about how much everyone appreciates the music ministry at Norway, and although we get out and do thesethings, we know they would not be possible without God's guidance andthe support we receive from the congregation.

How to Be a Dad Your Children Will Love

This Sunday is Fathers Day. We are going to be talking about how to be a dad your children will love. I love these pictures of Ryan, Will and Matt with their children. These pictures capture what I want to say this Sunday. The love between dads and children is wonderful. God the Father is our model. Fathers want to be for their children what their Heavenly Father is to us. 1 John 1:3 1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. I like the way Eugene Peterson translates this passage in the Message - "What marvelous love the Father has extended to us! Just look at it—we're called children of God! That's who we really are. But that's also why the world doesn't recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who he is or what he's up to. But friends, that's exactly who we are: children of God. And that's only the beginning. Who knows how we'll end up! What we know is that when Christ is openly revealed, we'll see him—and in seeing him, become like him. All of us who look forward to his Coming stay ready, with the glistening purity of Jesus' life as a model for our own."

Shayna Won the Camper of the Week Award

Shayna went to church camp this week at Howes Mills. She goes every year. But this year she went to the middle school week of camp and she did not know anyone. Many people would shy away from going to a camp where they didn't know anybody. Not Shayna. She was excited about going. A few days before camp while riding in my truck she said "I can't wait! I am going to get to meet a whole new group of people. I am going to make friends with people I've never met - it's so exciting. It's like a fresh start!" She was smiling so big when she said that. Shayna always smiles and her smile is absolutely beautiful. So Shayna went to church camp last Sunday and she came home today. But before she came home she was awarded camper of the week. How about that! She did know a soul on the first day but she knew everybody before she left - and everybody knew her. They nicknamed her "Africa" because the t-shirt she wore the first day of camp had "Africa" on it. That's my Shayna! She shines like a star, has a warm outgoing personality, she has a great sense of humor and she makes you laugh. She is fun to be with. She's great in sports, in school, she's a great friend - she is outstanding and awesome and best of all, Shayna is full of Jesus. That's right, Shayna loves the Lord with all her heart and that is the reason Shayna shines. Shayna shines because Jesus shines in her. I'm so proud of Shayna - not only for winning camper of the week - she is a wonderful daughter and she is growing up to be a beautiful young woman inside and out. I love her so much.

Easy and Effective Evangelism - Tell your story

My favorite style of evangelism is story telling. Jesus loved to tell stories called parables. It was Jesus' favorite style of teaching. Matthew said that "Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable" (Matthew 13:34). Now story telling is not the only style of evangelism. There are many different styles - Rick Warren identified six styles of evangelism. What follows is Warren's six styles with examples and theme verses. 1. Confrontational style (strong, stern preaching with warnings and rebuke) - Example – Peter’s sermon in Acts 2: 40With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." Theme verse - 2 Tim. 4:2 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. I believe John MacAuthur (http://www.gty.org/) fits this style because he frequently warns and rebukes people with careful instruction. 2. Itellectual style (Apologetics) - Example - Paul with the philosophers in Athens - Acts 17: 18A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. … 19Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,… - Theme verse - 2 Cor. 10:5 5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. Paul's sermon on Mars Hill is a classic example of the intellectual style. I also think of Ravi Zacharias (http://www.rzim.org/). I have heard his lectures and debates via podcasts at prestigious universities - he is brillant and God is using him to reach thousands of unbelievers. 3. Missional style (“go and do” evangelism) -Example – Dorcas - Acts 9: 36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. Theme verse - Matt 5: 16In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Do you know who writes and promotes this style? My friend Fred Peatros (http://fredpeatross.blogspot.com/). Last spring I went to the Innovation3 a conference in Dallas and heard several presentations on being missional i.e. an externally focused "go-and-do-church". 4. Invitational style (“come and see” evangelism) - Example – Philip invited Nathanael - John 1: 46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. Theme verse - Luke 14: 23"Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. 5. Relational style (friendship evangelism) - Example – Matthew’s party - Luke 5: 29Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. Theme verse - Luke 15: 1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." 6. Testimonial style (story telling evangelism) - Example – The blind man Jesus healed - The blind man said in John 9:25 "One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" Theme verse - 1 John 1:3a 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us ... Now, all of these styles are important and needed. It is a mistake to promote one style and argue that it is the best and only way. God wants you to adopt the style that fits you. For me, I love the sixth style - testimonial. When testimonial is combined with missional (servant-evangelism) and relational (friendship styles). It fits who God made me to be and I love to use it. I think God wired me that way. I like to build friendships with unbelievers, and then, when the time is right I'll share my story. Waiting for the right time is essential. The Holy Spirit will prompt you when the time is right. When you feel His inner nudge share your story. Keep it short and sweet and by all means smile. Then change the subject. Don't pressure, don't condemn, just plant a little seed and wait to see God work. Focus on friendship and service before and after. If you visit Steve Sjogren's website (http://www.servantevangelism.com/main.cfm) or Jim Henderson's website (http://doableevangelism.com/) you will find great ideas on how to build friendships with people who don't know Christ. The best way to make friends is to be their servant. Then, after you build a high level of trust in your relationship - tell your story. Stop thinking that you can't share Christ. You can tell others what Jesus has done for you. It's simple. It's scriptural. And it's sucessfully (btw - those are the first three points to my sermon this Sunday). Jesus told his disciples to tell their story. After Jesus healed the man possessed by a legion of demons do you remember what happened? Mark 5: 18As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." 20So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. I have told my story to thousands of people across the country and God has used it to give people hope. I get a little nervous before I tell them. I worry about what they will think of me when I tell them I am are recovering alcoholic. Will the reject me? Will they think I am bad? Will they stop being friends? So I have to fight through all those fears in order to get the courage to tell it. I don't know why I worry like that because I have never had anyone reject me when I tell my story. My story doesn't drive people away it draws people closer to Christ. My story was published in Wineskines Magazine a few years ago and this week it is posted on our churches website (http://www.norwayave.org/). This Sunday I am going to encourage our church to tell their story. There are so many stories that need to be told. Stories about how God helps people recover from grief and loss and divorce and physical illness and emotional problems. Your story demonstrates the love of God - don't keep it a secret. It's easy and effective evangelism. Share your story and watch God work.

From San Antonio

I am writing from San Antonio. I was today's keynote speaker for the Texas Association of Health Care Volunteers. There were over a 1,000 people in the audience and boy did they respond. I pack these presentations with the best principles, stories and jokes that I have collected over the past 25 years and mix it all with music as I play my guitar and sing. I also us media clips from movies and and such. Today I used Team Hoyt. I like speaking to different audiences. Today I spoke to hospital volunteers, Sunday I will preach the gospel of Jesus at church, Monday I teach Stress Management to my students at Marshall, Tuesday I will provide training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for counselors at the Pike County Recovery Council in Waverly Ohio. I like the variety. I especially loved today because - well, I can't decribe how it felt - sort of electric, alive, connected - you know what I mean? I could feel it man. They smiled, cried, clapped several times during my talk and they laughed really loud. When people laugh or cry it opens them up and then, just at the right time, I stick a little truth in them. You know what I mean? Well, anyway - they bought my music CDs and hugged me - I thought they were going to kiss me! I wish it was like that all the time - it's not. Some times I'm on and sometimes I'm off. One of the reasons people responded today is that I told them about my fall (which was not to topic I was speaking on but it fit perfectly and it was at that point that God started moving in a way that I could feel and see - I think the Christians in the crowd could feel God moving too. So I gave a little three minute summary of my fall and how God was helping as am a recovering alcoholic. Afterward people waited in line to tell me their pain - stories dad or mom or husband or son or daughter - how they were struggling with alcohol and drugs or other vices. I just listened and express concern for them. Well, anyway, God did it up good today and I give God the glory for it all. I hope he does it again soon.

After I spoke I went to the riverwalk. O', by the way, the convention where I spoke was at the largest hotel in San Antonio and it was right on the river walk. So after I spoke I found a good deal on t-shirts for the girls. I always bring back tee-shirts for my girls and I also bought a nice shirt for Kim. Then I went to the Alamo which was near the Marriott. I walked back to the river walk and heard a good band - the music was really different - fusion/Latin/Native America - I don't know what to call it but it was good music and a lot of people on listening on both sides of the river. I was hungry so I ate a great big delicious New York Strip with a bake potatoe and a salad at a nice resturant right on the riverwalk.

I am ready to go home. I miss Kim and the girls. They are coming home from the beach tomorrow as I travel home from Texas. Kim and her parents to the girls and their cousins to Myrtle Beach. I'm going to take them again this summer. OK. I have got to stop blogging and get back to my sermon - been studing worship all week and hope to finish it tonight so I will have it for the flight. I decided too extend my "Grow" series with one more sermon - it would not be complete without it. I am calling it "Evangelism for Dummies - an easy and effective way to witness to friends." I am excited about it. But now I am going to finish this week's sermon on worship. Later.

Discover Your Spiritual Gifts

What is a spiritual gift? A spiritual gift is a God-given skill or ability that enables Christians to be fruitful and fulfilled as they edify the body of Christ. Some people confuse the gifts of the Spirit with the gift of the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit. These three are not synonymous. The gift of the Spirit (Acts 2:38) is the Holy Spirit himself, who indwells every Christian. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) are the Christ-like qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in us such as love, joy, peace, patience, etc. But the gifts of the Spirit are God-given skills or abilities that enable every Christian to be fruitful and fulfilled as they edify the body of Christ. ........................................................................................... Don’t wait on some church program to use your spiritual gifts. Ask God to help you use your spiritual gifts every day as you go about your normal routine. Use your gifts at home, work, school, and community. If you want to volunteer for a ministry a church that’s great, but don’t wait for the church to organize something for you. Think, pray, experiment, and fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you (2 Timothy 1:6). Listen for feedback. Consider the results. When you use your gifts asked simple questions like: Did it help someone or something? Did it glorify Jesus Christ? Was it fruitful? Was it fulfilling? If you answer yes to one or more of these questions you may be on track. It’s really exciting and I hope you will share with me what you learn about yourself and your spiritual gifts. But it’s really up to you. It’s a special, on-going conversation between you and Jesus. You’re not relying on the church to organize a program. You have a dynamic relationship with Jesus Christ and you are eager to learn what he wants you to do and how he has gifted you to serve. So, I encourage you to take risks, stretch, grow, and begin to discover and use your spiritual gifts. Click on this link and you will find 101 ways to use your spiritual gifts http://www.servantevangelism.com/matrix/matrix.htm - - Below are brief descriptions of some of the spiritual gifts are discussed in Scripture. ........................................................................................... Administration: 1 Corinthians 1.28 The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ 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. This gift is a leadership gift and is often characterized by people who lead the body by steering others to remain on task. These people generally are concerned with the details of how to accomplish tasks, and tend to be masters at delegating specific tasks to other people according to their gifts and talents. Scriptures: Luke 14:28-30; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Titus 1:5. ........................................................................................... Craftsmanship: Exodus 31.1-5 The special ability that God gives to certain members of the body of Christ who practice a craft with great skill. Although this gift is not mentioned in the New Testament, the Lord said of Bezalel in Exodus 31.1-5 “I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship.” ........................................................................................... Evangelism: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to readily share the gospel with unbelievers in such a way that men and women often become Jesus’ disciples and responsible members of the Body of Christ. This gift is a practical gift. While the task of evangelism is an important spiritual exercise that all Christians should be involved with, God gifts certain members with an ability to have unusual sensitivity to someone who is ready to accept Christ, and will generally have greater success in leading people to Christ than other Christians. People with this gift should be active in training others to share their faith. Scriptures: Acts 8:5-6, 26-40; Ephesians 4:11-14; 2 Timothy 4:5. ........................................................................................... Encouragement: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ 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." This gift is a communication gift. Those who use this gift within a teaching or ministry situation are often driven to give practical application to their insights. Often, those gifted in this gift desire step-by-step plans of action to help others mature in Christ. Encouragers often find it natural to discover insights from personal experience when validated and amplified in Scripture. Scripture: Luke 3:16-18; Acts 11:23; 14:22; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 4:12; 5:1; Hebrews 10:25. ........................................................................................... Faith: 1 Cor 12.8-10 The special ability that God gives certain members of the Body of Christ to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God for His work. Those with this gift often scare other people with their confidence. People with this gift are often very irritated by criticism, as they consider it to be criticism against God and His will. Probably the biggest danger for those with this gift is that they often try to project their gift onto other people. Scriptures: Acts 11:22-24; 27:21-25; Romans 4:18-21; 1 Corinthians 12:9; Hebrews 11. ........................................................................................... Giving: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to contribute their material resources to the work of the Lord with liberality and cheerfulness. While all Christians should practice the discipline of giving, God gifts certain members of the body to give remarkably greater amounts of their income with liberality and great joy. You don’t have to be wealthy to have this gift. People with this gift have an acute awareness that all they have belongs to the Lord and they are merely stewards, therefore they know that God will supply their needs and richly bless them in their giving. Scriptures: Matt 6:2-4; Mark 12:41-44;Luke 21:1-4, Rom 12:8; 1 Cor 13:3; 2 Cor 8:1-7; 9:2-8; Phi 4:14-19. ........................................................................................... Helps: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to invest the talents they have in the life and ministry of other members of the Body, thus enabling those others to increase the effectiveness of their own spiritual gifts. People with this gift often enjoy doing routine tasks in order to free others to do the ministry God has called them to do. People with this gift are often not looking for recognition for the work they do. Scriptures: Mark 15:40-41; Luke 8:2-3; Acts 9:36; Romans 16:1-2; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 2 Timothy 1:16-18. Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion. ........................................................................................... Hospitality: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to provide an open house and a warm welcome to those in need of food and lodging." Those with this gift have an acute awareness of visitors and have a desire to make all people feel welcome. People with this gift enjoy visitors in their home, and are usually not bothered if someone stops by and their home is not spotless. Scriptures: Acts 16:14-15; Romans 12:9-13; 16:23; Hebrews 13:1-2; 1 Peter 4:9. ........................................................................................... Intercession: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to pray for extended periods of time on a regular basis and see frequent and specific answers to their prayers. Those with this gift often feel compelled to pray for specific requests when they are made known. Gifted intercessors have a greater occurrence of specific answers to prayer than most Christians. Many intercessors experience times when God moves them to pray for situations when they are not entirely sure what they are praying for. Scriptures: Luke 22:41-44; Acts 12:12; Rom 8:26-27; Col 1:9-12; 4:12-13; 1 Tim 2:1-2; James 5:14-16. ........................................................................................... Knowledge: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas which are pertinent to the well-being of the Body." Those with the gift of knowledge love to be at home in a book or studying. Those with this gift will often spend countless hours researching information. These people are interested in ideas and problem solving through gathering information and studying. The primary method of learning with this gift is reading and studying books and other written materials. Scriptures: Luke 1:1-4; Acts 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 12:8; 2 Corinthians 11:6; Colossians 1:10; 2:2-3; 1 Tim 2:15. ........................................................................................... Leadership: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ 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." People with this gift are often focused on the greater goal of the group and are not overly concerned with the details. Leaders delegate tasks and details to others to accomplish the greater goal. Leaders are visionaries. Leaders have followers-a visionary without followers is not a leader. Scriptures: Romans 12.8 Luke 9:51; Acts 6:1-7; 15:7-11; Romans 12:8; 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17. ........................................................................................... Mercy: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to feel genuine empathy and compassion for individuals (both Christian and non-Christian) who suffer from distressing problems, and to translate that compassion into cheerfully done deeds which reflect Christ’s love and alleviate the suffering.” Scriptures: Matthew 20:29-34; 25:24-40; Mark 9:41; Luke 10:33-35; Acts 11:28-30; 16:33-34; Romans 12:8; Jude 22-23. Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion. ........................................................................................... Missionary: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to minister whatever other spiritual gifts they have in a culture other than their own. Those with this gift find it easy or exciting to adjust to a different culture or community. Missionaries find great joy working with minorities, people of other countries, or those with other distinct cultural differences. Those with this gift have a strong desire to be a part of the fulfillment of the Great Commission around the world. Scriptures: Eph 3.6-8, Acts 8:4; 13:1-4; 22:21; Romans 10:15; 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 ........................................................................................... Singing/Music - The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to present personal witness and inspiration to others through singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs and/or playing instruments. Scripture: Eph 5.19, Col 3.16, Psalm 96:1-9, Psalm 100:1-2, Psalm 149:1-2. Psalm 33:1-5, Psalm 150. ........................................................................................... Pastor: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to assume a long-term personal responsibility for the welfare of a group of believers." Those with the gift of pastoring have a great need for long-term relationships. Shepherds will sacrificially give themselves to other people in such a way that they are built-up in their faith. Shepherds take personal responsibility for the successes and failures of those in the group that they invest themselves in. You do not have to be an elder to have this gift. Scriptures: John 10:1-18; Ephesians 4:11-14; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Peter 5:1-4. ........................................................................................... Prophecy: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to communicate a message of God to His people with authority and urgency. Those with the gift of prophecy will often feel as though they have a word from God that will guide, warn, or rebuke the Body of Christ. Prophets are concerned about evangelism and will have a desire speak strongly against evil in society or in the church. Prophets have a great sense of urgency to their message. Unless paired with the gifts of exhortation or teaching, prophets will often not feel the need to explain their message, but will expect immediate response. Scripture: Luke 7:26; Acts 15:32; 21:9-11; Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28; 14:3, 24-25, 29, 36-38; Ephesians 4:11-14. ........................................................................................... Service: "The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ 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 results." Those with the gift of service enjoy doing routine tasks. Those with this gift enjoy menial tasks and do them cheerfully. Service-oriented people would rather take orders than give them. Scripture: John 12:26; Acts 6:1-7; Romans 12:6-7; Galatians 6:2, 9-10; 2 Timothy 1:16-18; Titus 3:14. Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion. ........................................................................................... Teaching: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to communicate information relevant to the health and ministry of the Body and its members in such a way that others will learn. People with the gift of teaching enjoy studying the Bible and related materials in order to communicate what they have learned to other Christians. Those with this gift find it easy to organize vast amounts of information in such a way as to make it easy to communicate, understand, and remember. Scriptures: Mat 7:28-29; 28:19-20; Acts 15:32; Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:10, 28; Eph 4:11-14 ........................................................................................... Wisdom: The special ability that God gives to certain members of the Body of Christ to know how given knowledge may best be applied to specific needs arising inside and outside the Body of Christ. Those with this gift have an excellent ability to apply spiritual truth to everyday life. Often, people in the church naturally seek out people with this gift when they are facing complicated spiritual problems. When a person with this gift considers past experience, they realize that they often make good and correct decisions and judgments. Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 12.8; Proverbs 4:5-8; Acts 6:3, 10; 15 ........................................................................................... Note: Encouragement or Exhortation, Prophecy, and Teaching are considered the communication gifts. The distinctions for each gift are often confused. Often, gifted communicators have a mix of these gifts. Encouragement or Exhortation focuses on personal and practical application of the message or truth being communicated. Prophecy focuses purely on the message or truth to be communicated. Teaching focuses on bringing thorough or adequate understanding of the message or truth being communicated. Note: The gifts of Helps, Mercy, and Service are often confused. Helps focuses on Christian works and freeing others to accomplish their God-given ministries. Mercy focuses on people in distress and reflects God’s love and compassion. Service focuses on accomplishing little tasks that may otherwise go undone in order to move the greater goal of the ministry or church toward completion. ........................................................................................... References Discover Your Spiritual Gifts (1995). Peter Wagner .......... He Gave Gifts: Bible Study Guide (1992). Charles Swindol .......... Purpose Drive Church (1997) Rick Warren .......... Spiritual Gifts Discovery Tool (2004). www.cforc.com .......... Team Ministry: A Guide to Spiritual Gifts and Lay Involvement (1990) Larry Gilbert