Lay Speakers. Advanced Course. William J. Carter

Transcription

1 Lay Speakers Advanced Course William J. Carter

2 A Wo rd of We l c o m e Welcome to this advanced course for Lay Speaking Ministries. Lay speakers are faithful United Methodist Christians whom God calls to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Through this course, you will be guided in a process for discovering, developing, and deploying God s gifts for ministry in and through the body of Christ. By seeking to develop and use your own gifts and skills for leadership in your community, you will help people know the love God has for them. Lay speakers do more than talk. Lay speakers in The United Methodist Church initiate and participate in ministries of caring; provide leadership for study and service; and speak in settings as varied as Sunday morning worship services and evening meetings of community or civic groups. Lay speakers are leaders. As you prepare for this important task, consider how you will take the initiative in looking for opportunities to use your skills in service with others. Talk with other lay speakers and find out how they are involved in leading, caring, and communicating. Ask your pastor, local director of Lay Speaking Ministries, and district superintendent for ideas you can put into action. Do not be discouraged if specific steps in the process do not become clear quickly and easily. Part of your responsibility as a trained and recognized leader is to apply persistence and skill in forging the paths you will walk and in creating opportunities for your own learning and serving. Lay speakers pre p a re themselves through study and p r a c- tice. This guide provides a course of study for part of your preparation, but knowledge and skills are not enough. As a lay speaker, you will want to practice the disciplines of daily prayer and Bible study as you grow in discerning G o d s presence in your life and as you increase in patience and in devotion to your witness and service. Remember that as a lay speaker, you relate to the district or conference committee on Lay Speaking Ministries. Check with the committee for the procedures you are to follow in applying for recognition as a certified lay speaker. (Basic requirements are listed in The Book of D i s c i p l i n e , ) Talk with the committee about your needs for further development and support. We want to help you. We hear from many lay speakers; and although each situation is diff e rent, we may have sugg e s t i o n s and resources that you will find useful. Address your inquiries to: Director, Lay Leadership Development, General Board of Discipleship, PO Box , Nashville, TN Lay speakers are gifted people with a unique task. Our prayer is that through your study and service, you will experience the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2

3 To the Part i c i p a n t OUR TIME TOGETHER This course will introduce you to a biblical understanding of the gifts for ministry originated by Paul, under the guidance of God, in his letters to the churches. Through this course you will find ways to help yourself and others to use a process that may be called gifts administration. Through this process, people will find their gifts (discovery); make practical preparation (development); and use the gifts as a part of the Christian experience in the community of believers and in the world of today (deployment). While most of us have heard of the gifts, and some have spent time exploring them, there is still some confusion among us regarding the meaning and use of these gifts in daily life. The text for this course, Each One a Minister: Using God s Gifts for Ministry, revised edition, by Wi l l i a m J. Carter (Discipleship Resources, 2002), will be an import a n t tool in guiding you through the exploration and implementation of the principles of gifts administration. Obtain a copy of the book immediately, and begin re a d- ing and experimenting with its content in preparation for the class sessions. You will begin by reexamining the biblical text. Many of the interpretations of the gifts we hear in popular pre a c h- i n g and teaching come from the practices of groups in recent centuries rather than from the actual scriptural foundation in the New Testament. Paul was specific in his explanation of the place of the gifts. He felt that they were n u m e rous, were distributed among all the people of God, individually had equal value, and included a multitude of qualities and abilities that contributed to the richness and effectiveness of the Christian life, fellowship, and ministry. In many ways Paul maintained that spiritual gifts are the most important ingredient of Christian service and actually become the foundation of the local congregation and, perhaps, the church at large. He called the result the body of Christ. By body he meant the total of the qualities and ministries of the congregation of believers. It is important for Christians to discover, develop, and employ their gifts, for in doing so they are actually creating the body of Christ in their own community and contributing to the body of Christ around the world. We hope that you will bring to this study a desire to enlarge your own spiritual life and ministry and that of the other members of your fellowship. This educational pursuit is designed to do more than simply improve your 3 skills in the perf o rmance of a specific task. It also encoura g e s you to enlist and assist others in discovering and utilizing the qualities and skills given them by the spirit of God, in the edification (upbuilding) of the church. This work is not without difficulty. It may require the expenditure of much time and effort, but it may immeasurably enrich and enlarge your personal spiritual life and the ministry of your local congregation. This course will be only a beginning. You will discuss various techniques for discovering your own gifts and the gifts of others. You should know at the onset, though, that gifts discovery and administration may be a lifelong endeavor. Some fortunate people quickly recognize ways their lives may be used effectively on behalf of the ministry of Jesus Christ (including the choice of vocation or career), while others may not discern what God has prepared them to do until circumstances enlighten their minds and engage their spirits. We will explore inventories used to help persons focus on gifts discovery, but keep in mind that some individuals may not find such inventories conclusive. We will need to learn how to reassure people that the failure to identify gifts immediately is a sign of neither spiritual deficiency nor the absence of God from our lives. Instead, it may mere l y be an indication that the fullness of time has not arrived. We must not forget that the gifts and the call are d e p e n- dent on each other. God distributes the gifts not to pro v i d e us with personal superiority or public distinction, but for the building of the body of Christ and fulfillment of its ministry. We will remind ourselves that the discovery process may also involve us in understanding what the church is, what it is called to do, and how our gifts fit within the context of the intention of God for that body. Some people feel that the call from God supersedes the mission of the church, and indeed, there may be times when God calls us to new fields of service and new ways of serving. However, the Greek word charis actually means grace, so we must remember that the grace-full life is always a part of the whole Christian community. You are undertaking a sacred task. Your prayer, involvement in the group, and time in individual study and the application of your learning in your local body of Christ may change not only your own spiritual depth and perc e p- t i o n but also the effectiveness of the whole community. God has called you to be a part of God s plan for your church. May God bless you in this endeavor.

4 A Wo rd to the Leader In every teaching situation, care must be taken to involve the group in an actual process of discovery, with the expect a t i o n of learning together. Nowhere is that more true than in this course. Teaching about the gifts is not so much an exercise in constructing class plans as it is in providing an environment in which participants can interactively come to grips with their own relationship to God and their place in God s plan for ministry to the world. Take particular care during these sessions to ensure that your class members experience this atmosphere, both for their own growth and as a model for them in their extension of this process to their fellow seekers. Use small groups and interpersonal process throughout the sessions. The textbooks for this course are Each One a Minister: Using God s Gifts for Ministry, revised edition, by Wi l l i a m J. Carter (Discipleship Resources, 2002), and Your Spiritual Gifts Inventory, by Charles V. Bryant (Upper Room, 1997). Review both re s o u rces thoroughly and be pre p a re d to interpret them to those who attend. (See the resource list for ordering information.) The basic text, Each One a Minister, is designed to be used either privately or in learning groups. In our study the material from this book will form the basis for the sessions, and items from it will be suggested as part of the interactive process of class learning. Your Spiritual Gifts Inventory will provide an important tool for those participants who want to examine and interpret their own spiritual gifts as well as provide a tool they can use when working with others. The standard for lay-speaker training is a minimum of ten hours of class time. Your available time may be more or less, depending on the circumstances. However, the materials in these five sessions will provide more than enough content for the ten hours required. If you have more time please feel free to expand the sessions to fit that time. (In fact, these sessions can easily be adapted to become ten 1-hour sessions if that fits your schedule.) If you have less time, make homework assignments that will enable the participants to cover all of the material by the end of the course. These units are arranged in three major areas: 1. Biblical Foundations: a study of Ephesians, with re f e r- ences to 1 Corinthians and Romans 12 (Sessions 1 and 2). 2. Gifts and Spirituality: the gifts as an expression of spirituality and practical ministry formation; the context of gifts discovery and development; procedures, inventories, and personal growth (Sessions 3 and 4). 3. Turning Gifts Into Ministries: identifying ministries and creating opportunities for service (Session 5). Since the major emphasis is on the actions of the participants after they have completed the sessions, make constant plans for continuation and implementation in every unit. GENERAL GOALS 1. By the end of the course each participant will possess a working knowledge of relevant biblical material. 2. During the sessions, participants will grow more accustomed to working cooperatively with others. 3. Participants will practice developing mutual goals and the procedures for accomplishing them. 4. Each person will emerge with a better understanding of the church and its ministry needs. 5. Each person will learn what it means to be a minister and to do the work of Christ in the church and in the world. 6. Members of the class will feel better equipped to lead others in exploring and using their gifts. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS 1. Become familiar with both the main text of and the Spiritual Exercise segments in Each One a Minister, which will be a primary source for both ideas and process for the class sessions. 2. Choose a setting that encourages interactive learning: easy access, comfortable seating, and flexibility of space. 3. Arrange for nametags as well as marking pens, pads, easels, and/or chalkboard, if these are needed. Make photocopies of any handouts to be used in the class sessions. 4. Create charts, overhead transparencies, PowerPoint material, and so forth as needed to match your teaching style. 5. Send a letter to each participant with a warm invitation and general information. 6. Be in prayer and personal preparation throughout the time before the class begins. 4

5 Session 1: Biblical Foundations Part 1 TO THE PA RT I C I PA N T The purposes of this session are to establish an environment for learning about gifts and ministry; to clarify the place of gifts in a Christian s life and work. Preparation for Session 1: Read the introduction ( The Church, Ministry, and Gifts ) on pages 5 7 in Each One a Minister. After you have read the introduction, note that this session is divided into two parts. To prepare for the first part of this session, read Ephesians 1: Then read God s Intention for Us on pages 9 14 in the text. You do not need to complete the exercises as you are reading. Some of the exercises will be part of the class session. To pre p a re for the second part of this first session, re a d Ephesians 2:8-10, 3:9-10; and Galatians 3: Then read Prepared for Good Deeds on pages in Each One a Minister and Sharing the Secret on pages This session and the second session of this course focus on biblical material related to spiritual gifts. Each One a Minster uses quotations from Today s English Version of the New Testament, distributed by the American Bible Society. However, you are urged to bring and use the Bible that you use regularly. Spend time both in and out of class studying the New Testament passages that refer to the gifts, as well as other passages that may be pertinent. Only those who are familiar with all the scriptural resources can participate fully in the exploration of the concepts addressed in the course. TO THE LEADER Before the Session: Make certain that each participant has a copy of Each One a Minister, revised edition, the basic text for this course. Note that each of the sessions in this course will be divided into two parts with a break time between the parts. These sessions have been grouped to create five two-hour sessions, but the sessions and the parts of each session are flexible and can be organized to meet the specific needs of your group. Note that the material is grouped into three overall segments: Biblical Foundations (Sessions 1 and 2); Gifts and Spirituality (Sessions 3 and 4); Turning Gifts Into Ministries (Session 5). Before the participants arrive, check the room where you will be meeting to make sure that it is comfortably arranged and that all of your supplies are in place. You will need a chalkboard and chalk or newsprint and marke r s; sheets of plain paper; pencils; nametags; your Bible; your copy of Each One a Minister; a list of the participants; and information regarding break times and the location of restrooms, public phones, and refreshments. SESSION PLAN God s Intention for Us 1. Begin the Session (5 minutes) Welcome the participants to the session and encourage each person to make a nametag. When everyone has g a t h e red, briefly introduce yourself and let the part i c i p a n t s introduce themselves. Make certain that everyone has a copy of the text. Go over the schedule for the sessions, making sure that everyone has the same information. Present the general plans for the sessions. Allow time to answer questions and to make adjustments to the schedule if they are needed. 2. Participate in a Spiritual Exercise (20 minutes) Throughout these sessions you will want to plan time for devotional moments and prayer to heighten spiritual awareness. Be aware, too, that some of the spiritual exercises included in the session plans are themselves devotional. Begin with A Spiritual Exercise: The P-Square, on page 9 in the text. No copying is necessary for this exercise. Simply give each person a sheet of plain paper and a pencil. Ask everyone to draw a square with four sections. Then follow the instructions with the exercise on page 9 in the text. Explain that the purpose of this exercise is to give people a method for sharing spiritual experiences comfortably. We used to call this a testimony meeting in my home church at Slant, Virginia. We often found that a few people took up most of the time, though, so this P-Square design is available to give everybody a chance to speak. When you have completed the exercise, ask the participants to brainstorm possibilities of other methods they 5

6 might be able to use when they need to help people talk about their spiritual experiences. Make a list of their ideas on a chalkboard or on newsprint. 3. An Affirmation Exercise (15 minutes) Have someone read aloud Ephesians 1:15-16, which affirms the people of Ephesus. Then ask each person to write a letter to his or her own congregation, affirming the ministry of his or her church. They may write their letters in the space provided on page 10 of Each One a Minister, or they may prefer to use sheets of plain paper. Allow time for some of the group to read their letters aloud if they wish. Then talk about the value of affirmation as a medium for opening dialogue with others. 4. Insiders and Outsiders (10 minutes) Discuss the relationship between insiders and outsiders as it is presented in the section called God s Intention on pages in the text. Talk about what these ideas mean as related to Jews and Gentiles, members and visitors, and leaders and worshippers. Discuss ways that you can improve the relationships and the connections between those in each pair. 5. Reaching Out to Others (10 minutes) What does God want us to do to reach out to others? Help the group make a list of possibilities. Record their ideas on a chalkboard or newsprint. 6. Break (10 minutes) Ministry Through Good Deeds 7. Created for Good Deeds (10 minutes) When the group has gathered after the break, read Ephesians 2:8-10 aloud. Stress the concept that God has created us for living out good deeds. Say: The Bible tells us that we cannot be saved by works, but the Bible also tells us that we are created for good deeds (works). What is the difference? What part does faith play? Read from the second paragraph on page 16 of the text: While we can take no credit for having faith, it is necessary for us to take the step of faith to experience that marvelous grace (charis) that is God s free gift to those who open themselves to it. Ask the group to discuss what these words mean to them. 8. Preparing for Good Deeds (10 minutes) Invite the group to discuss these questions: How are we to recognize the works that God has prepared for us to do? What preparation has God made so that we may do God s ministry? (Possible answers might be salvation, spiritual gifts, the body of Christ, good deeds.) Read silently the section The Foundation of the Churc h : The Gifts for Ministry on page 6 in the text. Discuss the sentence Those who have been saved by grace are prepared by grace to serve God. What does charismata (grace gifts) mean? Who has them? What is their purpose? These ideas will be discussed more fully later. 9. Discovering the Secret (5 minutes) Have someone read Ephesians 3:9-10 aloud. Ask: What is this secret or mystery? Then have a second person read Ephesians 3:6 to find the answer. The secret is that through Jesus Christ we are all Jews and Gentiles one body, God s people. Point out that reaching out to others is the basic activity expected of the Christian community, because we all belong to God. 10. C h u rch and Community Ministries (20 minutes) D i rect the group to look at A Spiritual Exercise: Churc h and Community Ministries on page 20 in the text. Have the participants make a list of the activities they have o b s e rved in their community. Then help them group their lists into the categories suggested in the exercise. Encourage them to add other categories that fit their needs. 11. Closing (5 minutes) Pray for God s presence with the group as you continue in your study of God s gifts and discover new ways to be in ministry in the ways God intends. 6

7 Session 2: Biblical Foundations Part 2 TO THE PA RT I C I PA N T The purposes of this session are to define the gifts discovery process; to set the context for ministry together in the body of Christ. P reparation for Session 2: Review the ideas that were discussed in Session 1: created for good deeds, God s pre p a r- ation for us to be in ministry, and reaching out to others. This session is divided into two parts. To prepare for the first part, read Ephesians 4:4-12; Romans 12:4-8; and 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Then read Gifted Children on pages in the text. To prepare for the second part of this session, read Ephesians 4:23-24, 5:21; 1 Corinthians 12:12-26; and Romans 12:3-5. Then read The Right Stuff on pages and Submit to One Another on pages in the text. TO THE LEADER Note that the two parts of Session 2 are a continuation of the Biblical Foundations begun in Session 1. Review what was covered in the two parts of Session 1 as you prepare for Session 2. Before the participants arrive, check the room to make sure that it is arranged as you want it and that all your supplies are available. You will need a chalkboard and chalk or newsprint and markers; nametags; your Bible; and your copy of Each One a Minister. SESSION PLAN Gifted Children 1. The Church as Body (15 minutes) Ask someone to read aloud Ephesians 4:4-6. Have another person read aloud 1 Corinthians 12: Have the group turn to A Spiritual Exercise: Defining the Body on page 21 in the text. Allow 5 or 6 minutes for each participant to answer the questions about how the church is a body. Then have the group come together to compare their answers and to discuss what they have found. 2. Ministry as Language of the Body (10 minutes) Read aloud from page 22, beginning in the fourth line: The language of the body of Christ is ministry. Ministry tells others who the Body is and what it does. More than words, more than an aff i rmation of faith, the churc h e x p resses itself through ministry with and to people. Mini s t ry is the church s way of revealing the secret. Indeed, we are all ministers, each gifted with special qualities with which we help complete the Body. Encourage the group to discuss the concepts of these words as a prelude to examining the gifts. 3. The Building Blocks of the Body (25 minutes) Have the participants turn to page 23 and complete A Spiritual Exercise: A New Way of Looking at the Gifts. Take some time to determine how alike or different the members of the group are in the gifts they possess. Now turn to page 24. Read the Scriptures listed in A Spiritual Exercise: Looking Closer at Biblical Gifts. Then ask each participant to note which of these gifts he or she identified in the list on page 23. (Note that the numbers on page 23 and page 24 match.) Have three participants read aloud the three Scripture passages in which Paul lists gifts: Ephesians 4:7-11; Romans 12:4-8; and 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Note that diff e rent gifts are mentioned in each pass a g e of Scripture, but most are not unusual or extraordinary. Are these all the gifts? How many gifts are there? How are they alike, how do they differ? Say: Consider this each time, Paul mentions different gifts, but he always has the same emphasis on the body. If he had lived long enough he might have listed fifty gifts, or a hundred and fifty, but they would all have been part of the body. There is no limit to the number of the gifts; they are limited only by the willingness of the gifted to recognize them and answer God s call to apply them to the needs of the church and the world. Is that true? If so, list other gifts that are not in Paul s lists. 4. The Purpose of the Gifts (10 minutes) Read Ephesians 4:12. Note that it says prepare (or equip ), work, and build up the body. The purpose is to build up the body of Christ. Any other use of the gifts is indulgence or fraud. All gifts are in the service of, and are controlled by, love, which is the best and the only indispensable gift. 7

8 Next read 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. Then talk about the meaning of agape love that is, selfless, spiritual love. Relate the idea of agape love to the ideas of gifts and ministry. 5. Break (10 minutes) Values of Faith: Morality and Humility 6. Pause for Worship (5 minutes) Have the group read aloud Ephesians 4:23-24 (it is printed on page 27 in the text). Allow a few minutes for brief comments on the meaning of these words. 7. The Importance of Gifts (10 minutes) Ask: Are some gifts more important than others? Read 1 Corinthians 12:12-28 and Romans 12:3-5 to aid the discussion. Paul mentions that prophecy is preferred to speaking in tongues. What is prophecy? It is the proclamation of God s truth: preaching, witnessi n g. But this gift, and all gifts, are equally important when needed by the body. 8. Our Highest Values (20 minutes) Have the participants turn to page 28 in the text and follow the instructions there to complete A Spiritual Exercise: Our Highest Values. After each one has had a chance to complete the i n d i v i d- ual work, compile a list of the 5 10 most common values of the group. Discuss: Are these moral values? social values? personal values? Which are the result of Christian experience and tradition? Which are the result of the pressure of public opinion? How many are based in the Scriptures? Encourage each participant to write a one-paragraph description of who a Christian person is, using the common values they have identified. 9. Submit to One Another (10 minutes) Read Ephesians 5:21. Discuss the implications of the instruction to submit to one another. How can we all of us be submissive to one another? What does that mean? What is the difference between submission to one another and developing a hierarchy of leaders and followers? Which do we have in our homes, in our local churc h e s, and in our social structures? Which is best? Relate all of this to humility as a Christian virtue. 10. Closing (5 minutes) If your time has run out, refer the participants to the summary of the gifts and the Body on page 14 of this course guide. Then close with a simple prayer for God s continued presence among you as you talk about God s relationship with people through spiritual gifts. If you have some extra time, review the summary on page 14 together. Then encourage the participants to complete a personal shield, using the instructions on page 34 in the text. Then end with prayer. Session 3: Gifts and Spirituality Part 1 TO THE PA RT I C I PA N T The purposes of this session are to relate the gifts to the whole range of spirituality and ministry; to develop an understanding of the relationship between the gifts and spirituality. Preparation for Session 3: Note that once again the session is divided into two parts. To prepare for the first part of the session, read Spirituality and Practicality on pages in the text. To prepare for the second part of the session read The Role and Practice of Spirituality on pages in the text. F rom the intro d u c t o ry pages of the text we remember that the original question asked of Paul was What is spirituality [pneumatikos]? Even though his answer went far beyond the question and introduced a new dimension to the practice of the Christian faith, there remains the m a t- ter of spirituality how we relate to God and how we can grow toward God throughout our lives in Christ. It was Paul s identification of grace gifts (charismata) that led to the conclusion that the pursuit of spirituality and the practice of ministry were intimately related. One does not 8

9 p ro g ress without the other. The body of Christ is built up as the two become one. Paul knew that those who asked about spiritual matters (pneumatikos) in 1 Corinthians 12:1 were really asking about speaking in tongues, so he set out, under the guidance of God, a broader definition of spirituality, one that the church could live with and that God could use to do God s work in the world. In this sess i o n you will be thinking about the relationship between spirituality and gifts as it relates to the practical matters of living in the world. TO THE LEADER During the first two sessions, the group talked about the biblical foundations for the discussion of spiritual gifts. Session 3 begins a new emphasis that will examine the relationship between gifts and spirituality. Read the introd u c t o ry comments under To the Participant. Before the participants arrive, check the room to make sure that it is arranged as you want it and that all your supplies are available. You will need a chalkboard and chalk or newsprint and markers; sheets of plain paper; pencils; nametags; your Bible; and your copy of Each One a Minister. SESSION PLAN Spirituality and Practicality 1. Opening Devotional (5 minutes) After you have welcomed the group, ask someone to re a d aloud Romans 12:1-4. Help the group discuss the Bible reading. Explain that ritual sacrifices such as those described throughout the Old Testament ended with the fall of the Temple. These verses describe what now replaces sacrifices in worship. To offer yourselves is to make a living sacrifice by offering your best qualities (your gifts) in the service of God. Such service is true worship and true spirituality. 2. Spirituality and Gifts (25 minutes) Ask: What does spirituality have to do with the gifts? Have the participants turn to page 36 of the text to look at the various definitions of spirituality that are given there. After they have had a few minutes to review the definitions, discuss what they have learned: Name denominations or religious groups that stress one or more of these definitions of spirituality. (What about Methodists?) Which definitions are most compatible with your own Christian experience? Are there other ways you would define spirituality? If so, write them on newsprint or a chalkboard. Which of these definitions, if any, is the true definition of spirituality? N o w, have the group turn to page 37 in the text and re a d the paragraph near the bottom of the right-hand column, beginning with Perhaps there is diversity in spiritual experiences because people are gifted in different ways. Divide the participants into small subgroups of 3 or 4 people to talk about the meaning of this paragraph. Is it possible that God has permitted denominations to have diff e rent characteristics because there are so many ministries and no one can do them all? Can we work with one another instead of competing? What are we to conclude about the nature of spirituality from our reading? 3. Gifts and the Church (20 minutes) Ask: How are the practical, everyday activities of the church related to the spiritual gifts? Have each participant write brief answers to these questions: a. Who should be the leaders of the church? b. What qualifies a person to do ministry in God s name? c. How do we decide which ministries should be part of our church program? After a few minutes, invite the group to talk about their answers. Are there any common ideas among the group s responses? Has the group identified the relationship between the spiritual gifts present in a congregation and planning for a congregation s ministry? Together develop a brief statement of goals that a local congregation might employ to develop and use the gifts of its members. Remember that different churches may have different goals because of differences in size, location, or community. Record this statement of goals on newsprint or a chalkboard, and keep it for confirmation or revision as this advanced course progresses. 4. Break (10 minutes) The Role and Practice of Spirituality 5. The Role of Spirituality (20 minutes) As the participants re t u rn from their break, give each one a sheet of paper on which to make a list of ways that he or she might increase personal spiritual awareness or seek spiritual growth. 9

10 After everyone has had a few minutes to write, use newsprint or a chalkboard to compile a common list of the things they have written. Discuss: Does everyone find the same things effective? What does such variety mean for our daily living as Christians? Help the group to select the ideas which are the most likely ways for many people to experience spiritual growth. (Yo u may want them to vote. Or each person might pick her or his top three items and then the group could see which ones were selected most often.) John Wesley talked about Christian perfection. Those who are ordained in The United Methodist Church are asked at ordination Are you going on to perfection? (see The Book of Discipline 2004, 336). Ask: What does that question mean? Could you answer yes to that question? 6. The Practice of Spirituality (15 minutes) Have the participants name activities that are currently scheduled in their own local congregations. Record the list on newsprint or on a chalkboard. Then talk together about the list of activities. Are all of these activities intended to increase spirituality? If not, which ones are not a means of increasing spiritual awareness? For those that are designed to increase spiritual awareness, talk about how they do that job. Do all the people in the congregation get involved in all the activities of the church? Why, or why not? What do your observations imply about the spiritual needs of church people? What do they say about the programs of our churc h e s? 7. Strengthening Spirituality (10 minutes) Ask: How can we communicate to members and pastors suggestions about strengthening spirituality in our churches? As the group discusses, be sure that they consider these important points: Pastors are sensitive. How can we suggest changes without implied criticism? Members are lethargic. How can we encourage more spiritual involvement without arousing resentment? Review the statement of goals that was created earlier in this session. Do they need any revision? 8. Gifts Discovery Inventory (10 minutes) Introduce Your Spiritual Gifts Inventory, by Charles V. Bryant. Ask each participant to complete his or her personal inventory between now and the time the group meets for Session 5. (When the group meets for Session 5, you will want to have copies of this inventory or at least information for ordering additional copies available for the participants to use with groups in their local congregation. See the resource list for ordering information.) 9. Gifts and Worship (5 minutes) Close this session with worship. Ask someone to read aloud 1 Corinthians 14:26. Note that in the Scripture passage each person is asked to bring something different to worship. Some of those things are named in the lists of gifts mentioned earlier. Remind the participants that even our worship life is enriched by the qualities (gifts) each of us brings. Close with a brief prayer. Session 4: Gifts and Spirituality Part 2 TO THE PA RT I C I PA N T The purposes of this session are to help participants develop strategies for gifts discovery in their own churches and communities; to provide guidance for personal and church procedures that will enhance ministry formation. Preparation for Session 4: Review the ideas that were discussed in Session 3: spirituality in everyday Christian living and the role and practice of spirituality in the church. Once again the session is divided into two parts, but you will pre p a re for both parts by reading Discovering Gifts for Ministry on pages in Each One a Minister and Developing and Deploying the Gifts on pages TO THE LEADER Before the participants arrive, check the room to make sure that it is arranged as you want it and that all your supplies are available. You will need a chalkboard and chalk or newsprint and markers; nametags; your Bible; and your copy of Each One a Minister. 10

11 SESSION PLAN Involving Your Church in Gifts Discovery 1. Opening Devotional (5 minutes) When the group has gathered, have someone read Romans 12:4-6a aloud. Speak briefly about the the necessity of utilizing the gifts to complete the body. Then, end with a short prayer. 2. Using Small Groups (20 minutes) Point out that small groups can be a re s o u rce for ministry formation in their congregations. Discuss several kinds of small groups that the participants may be a part of: the class meeting model of John Wesley: sharing spiritual journeys leads to sharing the call to ministry; the Bible study model for personal growth and interpersonal exploration; support groups (groups for spiritual growth, divorce recovery, substance abuse, and so forth) as an environment for discovering gifts; koinonia groups established after Lay Witness Missions, which is a spiritual growth model; other types that the participants may be able to name. Now divide the group into smaller subgroups of 3 or 4 participants. Have each subgroup prepare a list of items that would need to be considered to initiate a new small group (or groups) in a local congregation. (Help them think of such things as setting goals, choosing leaders, strategies for recruitment, and so forth.) If time is a v a i l- able, you may want to allow extra time for the subgro u p s to develop a plan that might actually be used when they return to their home churches. 3. Theological Foundations (10 minutes) Have the participants turn to pages in the text to review the ten points about theological perspective that will encourage people to search for, find, and use the spiritual gifts they discover. Help the group brainstorm ways that these points might become a part of the planning process in their own congregations. If they need help getting started, provide the suggestions that follow to start their thinking. Ask the pastor to do a series of sermons. Offer seminars in Sunday school classes or at special times. Plan a gifts discovery weekend that includes the pastor and the church leaders in all areas of ministry. 4. Encourage Volunteering (10 minutes) Remind the group that sometimes people must wait for a while before they can discern what gifts God is calling them to use. However, the work of the church is ongoing, and some things need to be done even if no one feels called to that ministry. Encourage the participants to recognize, and to teach others in their congregations to recognize, that sometimes we are called to do something simply because it is a part of being a member of the Christian community. That kind of service, even without a clear sense of call, can be fulfilling. In fact, in the process of doing ministry designed by others, we may discover our own gifts and call to ministry. 5. Break (10 minutes) Developing and Deploying Gifts 6. Gifts Inventories (20 minutes) When the participants have re t u rned from the break, poll the participants to find out how many have completed Your Spiritual Gifts Inventory, by Charles V. Bryant, assigned in Session 3. Ask any who are willing to tell the group what they discovered. Did they discover what they already suspected to be true? Were they surprised? Did they discover a gift that they had not recognized before? Have they made any plans for exploring that gift furt h e r? Remind the participants that gifts discovery may be a lifelong experience. They should not be disappointed if the inventory does not produce immediate results. Refer them to page 47 in the text to read about discernment and how it is related to gifts discovery. If there are some who have not yet completed the inventory, encourage them to do so before they return for Session 5. (Be sure they understand that they will not have to tell others what they discover unless they choose to tell.) 7. Equipping the Called (10 minutes) Just as people who enter professional ministry need preparation, so do called laity. Spiritual gifts are the raw material of ministry; the finished product will require much prayer, preparation, and planning. Turn to page 52 in the text and discuss the following topics from that page. Many ministries need special skills that can be learned. (There are opportunities for learning.) If other people are involved, someone must be equipped to lead groups. (There are classes for that.) Gifted leaders must learn the process of steering ministry plans through organizations. Avoid the we never did that before syndrome. 11

12 8. Steps to Effective Ministry (10 minutes) Help the participants review the list on pages 53 and 54 that describes some general precepts about spiritual gifts. The call is vital. Just as some people may feel called to preach, so others are called to a ministry through their special gifts. In many cases the call to a ministry of the gifts can be done without anyone s permission. But, if the ministry is to be done in the name of the church, it should be processed by appropriate church leaders. Suggest that the church set up a coordinator of smallgroup ministries and/or a committee on the gifts. Help members understand that new ministries may be inaugurated as the spirit leads. Have the church council make any decisions about necessary financing, management, and so forth, if such decisions are needed. Do the right thing. Avoid splitting or troubling the church. Resist egotism masked as conviction. 9. Revise Goals (15 minutes) Divide the group into smaller subgroups of 4 or 5 people. Have them review and revise the goals that were made in Session 3 (see Gifts and the Church and Stre n g t h e n i n g Spirituality on pages 9 and 10). Then have them add action plans. After a few minutes, have the subgroups report to the total group as time allows. 10. Close With Bible Study (10 minutes) Ask someone to read aloud 1 Corinthians 14:6-12. Discuss the passage briefly, including discussion of these points: a. sounding distinct notes in the life of the body; b. speaking to the church in words the people understand; c. doing the ministries that build up the church. Close with prayer. Session 5: Tu rning Gifts Into Ministries TO THE PA RT I C I PA N T The purposes of this session are to confirm the importance of putting gifts into practice; to complete the connections between church, ministry, and the gifts. Preparation for Session 5: Read A Guide for Exploring Areas on Ministry on pages in the text. From the ministry area descriptions on pages 61 74, select at least one area that you would like to be involved in. (You may add a ministry area or activity if you feel it needs to be included.) Prepare a brief summary of how the ministry activity you have chosen might be put into practice. Be prep a re d to talk to the group about what you have chosen. It was Paul s contention that the possession of the gifts was not important in itself. The only reason God provided them was to make it possible for the work of God to take place in the church and world. Using gifts for personal disp l a y or self-satisfaction clearly did not meet the criteria implicit in building up the body. In his first letter to the Corinthians Paul made this matter clear. We will need to move toward ministry to fully implement the gifts. TO THE LEADER Before the participants arrive, check the room to make sure that it is arranged as you want it and that all your supplies are available. You will need a chalkboard and chalk or newsprint and markers; your Bible; and your copy of Each One a Minister. SESSION PLAN 1. Opening Devotional (5 minutes) Have someone read 1 Timothy 4: Note that Timothy is admonished not to forget or neglect the gift given to him and to put it into practice in the life of the churc h. 2. Spiritual Gifts Inventories (20 minutes) Remind the participants of the spiritual gifts inventory that they were to complete before this session. Have they each completed the inventory? As you did in Session 4, invite those who are willing to tell what they discovered in the inventory. Were any of them surprised by what they found? Or did anyone discover a new gift that he or she had not previously recognized? Remind the group once again that a single gifts inventory exercise may not tell them all that God will ask them to 12

13 do. Gifts discovery is a lifelong process. Encourage the participants to keep their inventory results and then to use the inventory again in a year. Tell them to compare the two times they take the inventory to find out what new things God may be calling them to do. Be sure that the participants know how to purchase addit i o n a l copies of the inventory to use with the members of their local congregations. If someone knows of a c o n g regation that would be interested in a more in-depth surv e y of the gifts, spiritual types, interaction styles, and working styles of its members, recommend Equipped for Every Good Work: Building a Gifts-Based Church, by Dan R. Dick and Barbara Miller. (See the resources list for more information. If you have a bookstore at your event, be sure that this book is available for purchase or ordering.) 3. Exploring Areas of Ministries (20 minutes) Lead the group in discussing what they have learned fro m reading A Guide for Exploring Areas of Ministry on pages in the text. Note that this section of the text is based on the section of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church that defines The Ministry of All Christians (Part III, Section 1, especially 121 and 122). Examine the ministry wheel on page 60 in light of the Discipline description of the process described for carrying out our mission. Review the guidelines outlined in Exploring a Ministry on pages Summarize by noting that ministries may take place in many environments, but all ministry requires an awareness of God s call. 4. Discovering Gifts in Ministry (20 minutes) Sometimes gifts are discovered by learning about ministries, just as ministries may originate from the gifts. Ask the participants if they know anyone who has been activated by discovering a ministry for example, on a mission trip. Make a list of their answers on newsprint or a chalkboard. Turn to the list of ministries on page 60 in the text. Ask: Does this listing provide an adequate summary of the mission of the church? If not, add any ministries that you feel are omitted. Recall your church organization. Which of all these ministries does it include? What should be added to the ministry of your local congregation to make it more representative of total ministry? A re there people in your congregation who feel called to these ministries but do not feel included in the churc h? Note that there is no disciplinary requirement that each c h u rch have the same stru c t u re. Each church is encouraged to study its ministry and respond to its own call and stru c- t u re itself in the way its ministry will be most effective. 5. Break (10 minutes) 6. Ministry Areas (35 minutes) Turn to the ministry area descriptions on pages Point out that each ministry area has many types of activi t i e s and that any activity may express a gift. Invite participants to tell the group which ministry areas they have chosen as ones they would like to be involved in. Did anyone add a ministry area to those already included in the text? If more than one person chose the same activity, ask those people to sit together in the same group for the next activity. Divide the class into subgroups of 4 or 5 people. Allow time for each person to briefly tell his or her subgroup about a plan for putting a ministry into practice. Have each subgroup choose one plan to share with the rest of the group. As the subgroups report, encourage feedback. 7. Closing (10 minutes) Point out the Following Up When You Get Back Home form on page 15 of this guide. If time allows, encourage the participants to look over the suggestions there and make some notes about how they will follow up with their own congregations after this course is completed. If time is short, encourage the participants to work with the form on their own when they return home. Invite the members of the group to say a few words about what they have learned or what they valued most from this advanced course. Then read Ephesians 4: Stress the idea that as each p a rt works as it should, the whole body grows and builds itself up in love. This building up is the ultimate purpose of God s gifts. The gifts form the structure out of which the body is built. They provide a place where each person can feel a partnership with God and with other ministers. Close with a prayer, encouraging each person in the gro u p to pray aloud if they wish. 13

14 The Church as the Body of Christ An Outline of the Origin and Meaning of the Gifts for Ministry Based on the Book of Ephesians 1. It is God s intention that we all come together Ephesians 1: Justification (salvation) comes by grace through faith Ephesians 2: We are then created in Christ Jesus for good works (deeds) Ephesians 2: We are made one people, united in Christ, equal before God Ephesians 2:19-22; also see Galatians 3: We are called to embody the gifts of grace (charismata) Ephesians 4:7-11; also see 1 Corinthians 12:1-3 (pneumatikos), 12:4-7 (charismata), chapter 13 (love), chapter 14 (communication); and Romans 12:3-8 (ord i n a ry gifts). Saved by grace, gifted by grace. 6. The purpose of the gifts is to equip God s people to do ministry in God s name Ephesians 4: We are then designated the creators of the body Ephesians 4: The ultimate objective is to build up the body of Christ (also see 1 Corinthians 14:12). 8. The body of Christ is the sum of the gifts of its members. It only becomes the body when each part works as it should Ephesians 4: If we are a body, then: The Head is Christ Ephesians 4:15. The Dynamic is unity in diversity, not conformity; the more variety, the more power Ephesians 4:4-7, The Task is gifts management 1 Peter 4: The Purpose is the edification (building up) of the body Ephesians 4:12. Each person must constantly be searching for the gift through which God will enable him or her to become a foundation stone of the body of Christ. Gifts may not be apparent until they are needed or until God calls a person. But gifts are given to all, and all await the time of insight. 14

15 Following Up When You Get Back Home 1. As you think about the concepts and ideas that you have studied during this advanced course, write down some of the things you have learned or have had confirmed. 2. Name some specific things that you might do in your local congregation to help others recognize the importance of their individual gifts and their gifts as a community. What will you do to help the people in your congregation discover and use their gifts? 3. When you get back to your own church, interview the pastor and the council chair about the plan for gifts administration in your congregation. Ask questions like these: How well do our people become involved in ministry within the church, either through plans of the council or in personal ministries undertaken by those who feel called to be involved? Are we doing anything specific to broaden the base of persons in ministry? What steps can we take that will remind people of their God-given gifts and encourage them to be in ministry? How can we prepare and deploy persons in the actual ongoing ministry of our church and community? What other questions might you ask? Remember Gaining volunteers for present ministries is one way of encouraging the search for gifts. Training for ministry should be a part of the annual program of the church, with general training for leadership as well as specific training for each call or area of ministry. You can be the one who makes it happen. Many churches have longterm successful programs that were started by a person with passion and dedication. You can be that person in the area of gifts and ministry. 15

16 Additional Helpful Resourc e s Books published by Discipleship Resources including additional copies of this booklet and other Lay Speaking Ministries courses and texts and by the Upper Room can be ordered online at www. d i s c i p l e s h i p r e s o u r c e s. o rg ; by phone at ; by fax at ; or by mail from Customer Services, PO Box , Nashville, TN A c c o u n t able Discipleship: Living in God s Household, by Steven W. Manskar (Discipleship Resources, 2000). Body Building: Creating a Ministry Team Through Spiritual Gifts, by Brian Kelley Bauknight, Leadership Insight Series (Abingdon Press, 1996). Each One a Minister: Using God s Gifts for Ministry, revised edition, by William J. Carter (Discipleship Resources, 2002). Equipped for Every Good Work: Building a Gifts-Based Church, by Dan R. Dick and Barbara Miller (Discipleship Resources, 2001). Gifts of the Spirit, by Kenneth Cain Kinghorn (Abingdon Press, 1976). Rediscovering Our Spiritual Gifts, revised edition, by Charles V. Bryant (Upper Room Books, 1991). Selecting Church Leaders: A Practice in Spiritual Discernment, by Charles M. Olsen and Ellen Morseth (Upper Room Books, 2002). Your Spiritual Gifts Inventory (reprinted from Rediscovering Our Spiritual Gifts), by Charles V. Bryant (Upper Room Books, 1997). Lay Speaking Ministries website: LAY SPEAKERS DISCOVER SPIRITUAL GIFTS: Advanced Course. Copyright 2005 Discipleship Resources. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, print or electronic, without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information regarding rights and permissions, contact Discipleship Resources, PO Box , Nashville, TN ; fax S c r i p t u re quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights re s e rv e d. Quotations from The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Churc h a re copyright 2004 The United Methodist Publishing House. Used by perm i s s i o n. Edited by Linda R. Whited and David Whitworth ISBN DR441