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Equipping Ministry
Is not a program. It is a way of doing and being the Church.
Is the Churches effort to build systems and train leaders to
identify peoples gifts and ministry needs, connect them into
service according to their gifts, equip them, and recognize
their service.
Prepares people to understand their gifts and live out their
calling in every area of their lives, with their family, in the
church, in their community or in the world.
Equipping Ministry Values
Prayer
Priesthood of all believers, all are gifted to serve
(Ephesians 4)
Servant Leadership
Team Building
Intentionality
Cultural change
How does Equipping Ministry serve Calvarys Mission? We:
INVITE
To present a welcoming and warm atmosphere to all who enter our
church by sharing ourselves with them and affirming their
presence with us.
INSPIRE
To share through worship, prayer, the Word, sacraments, Bible
studies and small groups Gods love through our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.
EQUIP
To receive persons into membership, pray for them, share the
gifts of compassion, assist them through a Discovery process to
identify their God-given gifts and to provide support and
training in the work of the church.
ENGAGE
To connect persons into ministry in a very intentional way that
makes them feel welcomed, informed and accepted.
We do this by using Equipping Ministry processes:
Welcome
Nurture
Discovery
Connection
Affirmation
Prayer
Administration
Systems
DISCOVERY -- LET'S GET PERSONAL
Within the Equipping Ministry way of thinking and operating
is a very important process that YOU are invited to use for you.
It's personal. It is about discovering your gifts from God.
What is this process? It involves an interview by someone
on the Discovery Ministry Team and the working through of four
different, short inventories. The process takes a minimum of 1
1/2 hours, but it reveals to you the ways you have been gifted
to work, your natural bent. It also gives you information about
your personality style, your God-given spiritual gifts and helps
you to name your top values in life - things that you consider
whenever you make decisions. In the interview the team member
has a conversation which draws out more things about you that
you know, but perhaps didn't think about all in one
conversation. The interviewer is listening not only with the
head but with the heart; you have the full attention because
this is about you alone.
Why would you want this? The purpose is to help each
person know themselves more clearly in ways that each of us is
specially made and gifted by God. The purpose is for you to have
an opportunity to acknowledge these gifts, embrace them, and
intentionally use them in service to God.
What happens with this information? The paperwork you
generate from this is yours alone. The highlights of this we ask
to use in putting into the data base of Calvary Lutheran; this
is the Systems part of Equipping Ministry. It can be helpful for
us to know a bit about the members of Calvary and allows us to
be able to support you should you want to use your gifts in
ministry either within Calvary or in some other way. In fact,
that is one important part of this conversation.....how we can
support you in your life - not just at Calvary - but in your
life, using your gifts.
It has been my privilege to serve as the team leader of
Discovery for the past 3 years. As of December, 2008 I will be
leaving this leadership role, though I will stay with the team
because it is such a pleasure to be part of this ministry. I
have had the opportunity to design the shorter version of the
process and to individually interview 39 persons. I tried a
group of 8 others at one time, but we learned that it needs to
be a 1:1 - personal interview, so we are going back to some of
those people. This has been a changing process from the
beginning group, 12 core team members, who did an individual
process that was much longer and somewhat more thorough, but we
find that the results are very similar in this shorter, personal
setting.
The Discovery Team The Discovery Team is made up of five other
persons at this time; they include Gretchen Haynes (technical
support), Karin Johnson (also Core Team leader), Heidi Haynes,
Doris Hauf and Mark Liening. All are using their gifts of
listening with head and heart to persons who are eager to learn
of their gifts and then to take that into their daily life with
joy and deepening faith. They have interviewed an additional 16
persons. This means that we have had the pleasure and privilege
of spending valuable time with 75 members. It is an
ever-changing number as we continue.
It is personal. It is a confidential conversation and process
designed for you to learn more about the many gifts YOU have
been given and can embrace, celebrate, and use intentionally in
your life.
I am leaving the lead role, but will continue with that team.
Won't you let us know if you are ready to spend some time with
any one of us? Call us or let the church office know. We love to
spend this time with you!
Sharon Stenersen
How may I serve? Take a look at our
Time &
Talent sheet.
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