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WORKSHOP Reflect on Paul’s standards for church leadership and share your impressions with a group of three or four participants around you. How would you evaluate yourself against the standards for leadership in Paul’s letter to Timothy? What are some areas where you see the need for personal growth? SIX CHARACTERISTICS OF STRONG FAMILIES Researchers in more than 30 countries have found remarkable similarities among families of different cultures. Families who describe themselves as strong share a number of broad qualities. In studying families around the world, it is significant to note that strong families in the global community are more similar to each other than they are different. The qualities they share in common far outstrip cultural distinctions. In short, God creates people for relationships, and we learn about relationships best within families. The researchers identified the following six important characteristics of strong families.1 187 FAMILY PRIORITY

STRONG COMMITMENT Strong families believe in the value of the family and consider family a priority in their lives. They are dedicated to one another’s well-being, and they invest time and energy in family activities. They recognize that sacrifices must be made for the sake of family togetherness, and family members make those sacrifices willingly. SPENDING ENJOYABLE TIME TOGETHER Strong families spend time together doing meaningful things. One study asked 1,500 school children, “What do you think makes a happy family?” Few children replied that money, cars, fancy homes, television sets, toys, or vacations made a happy family. Most children thought of a happy family as a family who is active together and who genuinely enjoys spending time with other family members. 3 GOOD COMMUNICATION Strong families communicate. In addition to commonplace exchanges, family members encourage one another to express their feelings and convictions, knowing that they will be received with respect and understanding. APPRECIATION AND AFFECTION FOR EACH OTHER Strong families express appreciation for each other; they are intentional about encouragement and support. Family members seek to express their love in ways that others will receive as authentic. Families share a rich and genuine emotional life. ABILITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND REACT IN CRISIS Strong families deal with conflict in healthy ways. They have learned the value of using “win–win” strategies to solve disagreements. They face crisis situations with good communication and a sense of security. Family members are quick to be patient and ready to forgive one another. SHARED SPIRITUAL LIFE Strong families have a shared spiritual life where, in the case of Christian families, the Bible, prayer, and worship are central. Such families experience faith as individuals and as a community. The family understands the importance of the spiritual well-being of each family member. This understanding is manifested in love, compassion, accountability, and celebration. FAMILY PRIORITY 188

WORKSHOP Considering the characteristics of strong families above, take a few minutes to reflect upon your own family life and answer the following questions. From the characteristics in the list above, where is my family strongest? Where do we need to improve the most? CONCLUSION God created the family, and because each family is also deeply influenced by culture, the external look of your family may be very different from another person’s family. Whether your family is a blessing, or your family is experiencing great dysfunction, you are called to love your family. 189 FAMILY PRIORITY



HISTORY E MAKERS GROWING A GODLY FAMILY Build Your Family on God’s Plan CORE VALUE God looks for men and women who are convinced that the family is Godʼs building block for society and who make their families a priority in developing leaders. TEACHING OBJECTIVES This is an elective session. The purpose of the session is to understand biblical principles for growing a family according to God’s purposes and foster a new commitment to pronounce biblical blessing over our children. INTRODUCTION We all know certain families where “living for God” seems to run in their genes. Generation after generation, men and women grow up serving God and leading others. However, other leaders are heavily involved in various ministries, often with great success, but at the cost of neglecting their children, who grow up seeing the church, and perhaps even God, as competing with them for the attention of their parents. In this session, we will look at biblical principles and life examples that can help us raise godly children who will be our joy and a positive testimony to others. WORKSHOP In your small group, discuss the following questions: How successful are the leaders you know, including yourself, in growing a godly family? E 191 GROWING A GODLY FAMILY

What are your biggest obstacles to making your family a priority? GOD’S PROMISE TO PARENTS Psalm 127 is a beautiful song written by Solomon about a godly family. It has tremendous promises for godly parents. It begins, however, by saying that God is the one who builds our house. This image illustrates how God wants to build a strong family. If GOD doesn’t build the house, the builders only build shacks. — Psalm 127:1 MSG For our reflection on the biblical principles for growing a godly family, consider the Psalmist’s image of building a house. Consider that a simple house is made up of a foundation that keeps the building standing, four walls, and a roof to protect it. We will use those images to illustrate biblical principles for building a strong family. WE BUILD ON GOD’S FOUNDATION The foundation God wants to build upon is Himself. A building’s foundation provides strength, stability, and security. We will be able to build a strong family “house” if we observe three aspects of God’s foundation for the family. THE WORD OF GOD—In Matthew 7:24, Jesus compares anyone who hears and practices His words to a man who built his house on the rock so the storm could not destroy it. GODʼS COVENANT—Genesis 17:4 is one of the many examples of God’s covenant with a biblical character. God’s covenant with Abraham was passed on to his descendants even to this day. YOUR INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD—It is through your relationship with God that His blessings flow through you to children. GROWING A GODLY FAMILY 192 E

FOUR WALLS OF A STRONG FAMILY Once the foundation of a house is laid, we can build the walls with confidence. The four walls of a strong household are: LEADERSHIP SOLID RESPONSIBILITY AFFIRMATION AND BY EXAMPLE TEACHING AND DISCIPLINE BLESSING WALL NUMBER 1—LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE The most important way to teach your children is by example. Children often imitate their parents and other significant adults. Jesus taught by example, and He told His disciples to do the same. WORKSHOP Share with two or three other participants some of the positive characteristics in your life that you received from your parents. How did you “become like” your father or your mother? WALL NUMBER 2—SOLID TEACHING TEACH CHILDREN THE WORD OF GOD. As parents, it is your responsibility to teach your children so they will grow to be followers of the Word of God (Prov. 22:6). TEACH CHILDREN TO WORSHIP GOD. Family worship can be valuable for teaching children how to approach and worship God. TEACH CHILDREN LIFE SKILLS. You must prepare your children to face the world of adulthood by teaching them practical life skills. E 193 GROWING A GODLY FAMILY

WORKSHOP Share a special teaching you received from your parents or another significant adult that you would like to pass on to your children. WALL NUMBER 3—RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCIPLINE CLEAR RESPONSIBILITIES. Children must learn to share the responsibilities of the house. LOVING DISCIPLINE. Adequate, loving discipline is essential for growing godly children. According to Proverbs, discipline has three functions: Helping the child grow to a wise adult (Prov. 22:15). Protecting the life of the child (Prov. 23:13). Keeping the parents from embarrassment (Prov. 29:15). WALL NUMBER 4—AFFIRMATION AND BLESSING In the biblical sense, a blessing is a word of affirmation spoken to or about someone, which is expected to come to pass. AFFIRMATION. Our children need to be affirmed in their qualities. IMPARTATION. We have dreams for our children; we have been given authority by God to speak these dreams into reality. GROWING A GODLY FAMILY 194 E

A STRONG ROOF OF PRAYER COVERAGE Finally, for our children to grow to the stature of Christ, we as parents must constantly cover them with our prayers. Pray for their personal salvation. Pray for their protection. Pray for their future mates. Pray for their callings. WORKSHOP Write a one-paragraph blessing for your children, or save it to share in the future, when you have children who are old enough to understand. If you do not have children and are not planning to have them in the future, write a blessing to a member of your family with whom you have a special relationship. You may want to write one blessing for all of them, or one blessing for each child or family member. Read your blessing to other participants. Later, share the blessing with your children or family member. Make sure the blessing includes: Something about how important your child or family member is to you. What you feel may be God’s dream for your child or family member. CONCLUSION Growing a godly family is an awesome responsibility. All parents realize that the first time they hold their newborn children in their hands. Christian parents feel a heavy burden because the responsibility for their child’s eternal destiny is in their hands (though the final decision depends on the child). God provides clear guidelines in His Word, including blessings, designed to empower parents to raise godly children. E 195 GROWING A GODLY FAMILY



HISTORY MAKERS FAMILY E AND REDEMPTION Restoring God’s Purpose in our Family Relationships CORE VALUE God looks for men and women who are convinced that the family is Godʼs building block for society and who make their families a priority in developing leaders. TEACHING OBJECTIVES This is an elective session. The purpose of this session is to know and experience God’s redemptive plan for the family. INTRODUCTION Healthy family relationships are important for healthy leadership. Because we live in a fallen world, the family faces challenges in every society. Biblical visionary leaders who live healthy family lives can exercise a significant positive influence, helping to model Kingdom family values in their surroundings. GOD’S VISION FOR THE FAMILY The Bible begins with the story of creation, where Adam and Eve were created in the image of God and commanded to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:27-28). Family is God’s idea and designed to reflect the holy nature and image of the Triune God.* When family functions according to God’s plan, God’s nature is experienced including: LOVE PURITY COMMUNITY FIDELITY SACRIFICIAL LIVING *The following Scriptures correspond with the five attributes of God that are experienced in a healthy family. Love (I Corinthians 13), “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (I Corinthians 13:13); Fidelity (II Timothy 2:13), “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown himself.”; Sacrificial Living (Philippians 2:3-8), “Do nothing out of selfish ambition.” (Philippians 2:4); Purity (Hebrews 13:4), “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure.” Community (Genesis 1:26; John 17), “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Genesis 1:26); “That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17.21) E 197 FAMILY AND REDEMPTION

THE IMPACT OF SIN God’s original design for marriage was glorious, but the reality of sin has damaged every individual and every family. This damage is the result of humankind’s disobedience to God’s vision for family. The third chapter of the Bible describes how sin entered the world through the willful choice of Adam and Eve to disobey. After this original sin, Cain kills his brother, Abel. By the sixth chapter of Genesis, the Bible says, “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time (Genesis 6:5).” Sin always has a devastating impact. We live in a fallen world that is disfigured and distorted from God’s original vision, and as a result, family relationships suffer. Rather than love, peace, and community, there is distrust, deception, anger, abuse, domination, rebellion, woundedness, and impurity. Christian families are not immune to this brokenness. Family is precious to God, yet it is often the place where the enemy wants to cause the most destruction. Ephesians 6:12 explains that our battle is ultimately against “the spiritual forces of evil.” We need to be reminded of this battle when we suffer pain and wounds from the people who should be the source of our greatest encouragement, support, and blessing. Even in the best families, there is a measure of brokenness that sin has caused to every life, relationship, and family. As a result, everyone must deal with different levels of bad role models, poor or absentee parenting, hurt, bitterness, unforgiveness, abuse, abandonment, adultery, divorce, or other forms of evil in our families. WORKSHOP THE EFFECTS OF SIN IN THE FAMILY In groups of 3-4, discuss the following question: What are some signs that sin has distorted family relationships in our society? GOD’S PLAN FOR REDEMPTION Jesus gave his disciples encouraging words of peace, hope, and victory. These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. - John 16:33 FAMILY AND REDEMPTION 198 E

Consider these words of your Lord and Savior carefully. You can experience the redemptive healing and wholeness that is available through Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. In Christ, you are offered the power to experience transformation. You do not have to be held captive to your past nor allow your past to define your future. Nothing is more powerful than the redeeming grace of God. In Christ, you can find the grace and strength to forgive, to heal, and to change. One Biblical example of redemption is Joseph. He came from a dysfunctional, deceptive, and abusive family, yet God brought repentance, forgiveness, restoration, healing, and redemption (Genesis 37-48). PRINCIPLES FOR GOD’S REDEEMING POWER IN FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: REDEMPTION AND God can give husbands and wives the ability to do what MARRIAGE they cannot do alone and to truly experience oneness and intimacy within the covenant of marriage. In Christ, it is possible to forgive, to live sacrificially, to trust, to change, and to truly love. REDEMPTION AND God can redeem the weaknesses, failures, and sins of PARENTING parents. God gives instructions in the Bible for healthy parenting and provides the supreme example of a parent in whom there is intimate love, nurture, protection, and affection. The Lord can show parents the areas where they need to apply discipline, encouragement, or blessing. God can also show adult children the areas where they can show grace, love, and forgiveness to their parents who have hurt them in the past. REDEMPTION AND Loneliness, feelings of rejection, and “not fitting in” SINGLENESS can be a significant issue to those who are single. It is important to remember that when God chose to come to Earth in human flesh, He did so in the person of Jesus who remained single throughout His earthly life. There is eternal value in singleness and those who are single have a unique opportunity to give more whole-hearted devotion to God than those who have the responsibilities that are required in marriage and parenting (1 Corinthians 7:32-35). REDEMPTION AND The Church is the Family of God and designed to be a THE FAMILY place where you can find community, security, support, OF GOD encouragement, nurture, and love. It is a place where you can find spiritual parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters. The Church is certainly not perfect and does not always live out her calling faithfully, but the Church is a place where believers, and even unbelievers, can experience the grace of God on their journey to wholeness, acceptance, and a more abundant life. E 199 FAMILY AND REDEMPTION

WORKSHOP EXPERIENCING GOD’S REDEEMING GRACE God desires for you to experience His redeeming grace in the context of your family. In groups of two or three participants, discuss the following questions. Only share what you feel comfortable sharing with others. What is the greatest source of disappointment or pain in your family? Where would you like to experience God’s redeeming grace in your life as it relates to your family or the family of God? If discussing your own family is too painful, or if you have been estranged from your family because of your faith, you can answer this question in relationship to the family of God, the Church. FAMILY AND REDEMPTION 200 E

CONCLUSION God designed the family as the foundation for every person’s life. As with all creation, it was originally created perfect. Because of sin, every family experiences some level of brokenness. God’s will, however, is wholeness. The first step to experiencing God’s perfect will in your family, and in the family of God, is always confession of sin and fully turning to God so that His rule and reign can guide your life. God’s power can heal your wounds. The first step is to allow the healing work of the Holy Spirit to help you acknowledge your pain, surrender it to Christ, and do the hard work of finding reconciliation. Sometimes your emotions have been damaged by a person who is no longer alive. In that case, it is still important to forgive the deep pain they have caused. When a family is operating according to Godʼs plan, it is the perfect place for each person to know unconditional love and personal security. Each member of the family is nurtured and each personʼs unique gifts and personality can be developed to their full potential. E 201 FAMILY AND REDEMPTION



HISTORY MAKERS FAMILY PRIORITY E WORKSHOP Writing A Tribute To A Special Family Member CORE VALUE God looks for men and women who are convinced that the family is Godʼs building block for society and who make their families a priority in developing leaders. TEACHING OBJECTIVE This is an elective workshop. The purpose is to practice the Biblical commandment to “honor father and mother” by writing a tribute to one or both. Alternatively, the tribute may be written to another significant family member. INTRODUCTION We all treasure certain memories from our past, in particular our childhood. Many of these moments were provided to us by our parents. Whether they were followers of Jesus or not, your parents served you through providing for your needs, expressing their love, and preparing you for adult life. Of course, as imperfect human beings, every parent makes numerous mistakes. In this workshop, you will have an opportunity to affirm the positive aspects of your relationship with your parents, particularly during the years of your childhood and adolescence.1 BIBLICAL FOUNDATION The relationship between parents and children is so significant that it is part of the ten commandments. It is also the only commandment with a promise attached to it -- a long and prosperous life. Here are its exact words: Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12) One way to honor our parents is to affirm the positive aspects of the way they raised you to become the young adult you are now. In this workshop, you will have the opportunity to do it in written form to be presented to your parents when appropriate. E 203 FAMILY PRIORITY WORKSHOP

HOW TO DO IT Writing a tribute will take time, perhaps more than this workshop allows. Read the guidelines below, and begin the process during the workshop time. Go as far as you can, but don’t rush. You may need additional time during or after this training to complete the process. ALTERNATIVE TRIBUTES As we already stated, this exercise assumes one or both parents are living and able to receive the tribute gift from you. Of course, in a diverse group of leaders, not everyone will fit this scenario. Here are a couple of alternatives: If your parents are deceased, you can still honor them by writing about your memories of when they were alive. If your relationship with your natural parents was not a positive, wholesome one, or if you didn’t have a relationship at all, you may choose to write a tribute to another member of your family. We recognize that every person’s childhood experience is unique. In some cases, there may be painful memories of absent or even abusive parents. Those with traumatic childhoods are welcome to seek prayer and counseling with this History Makers training leaders and facilitators. STEP PREPARE YOUR HEART 1 Spend time with God in prayer and reading of His Word. Allow Him to search your heart (Psalm 139:23-24). More than your expression of love, this exercise is an expression of God’s unconditional love for your parents or another member of your family, expressed by your life experience and words. STEP CREATE A LIST OF MEMORIES 2 Collect as many memories as you can about your childhood—events, happy occasions, interesting experiences with your family, things your parents taught you, and more. You will be surprised how, once you start, little things will spark memories. The following questions can help your memory: What were some of your favorite gifts from your parents? What memorable conversations do you recall having with your parents? What memorable activities did you do together? What was your happiest moment as a child? What was the funniest moment you experienced with your family? What problems did your parents help you with as a child? As a teenager? What special phrases did your family invent? What nicknames did people in your family have, and how did they earn them? FAMILY PRIORITY WORKSHOP 204 E

What foods did you eat? Is there a special dish your parent or family member used to cook for you? What qualities did you especially admire in your parents? In what ways are you like them in your personality, skills, habits, etc.? What values, learned from your parents, are you passing on to your children? STEP ORGANIZE YOUR MATERIAL 3 If you are writing to both parents, you may choose to write two individual tributes or one combined document addressing both. Here are some organizational ideas: Think of ways to present your tribute to them. Some options are: A scrapbook with photos, drawings, mementos A beautifully framed document A simple video recording (it can be done on your phone) Other ideas (be creative and imagine what would make them happy) Select the memories you feel are most important to fit with the format you have chosen, choosing those that are the most meaningful and vividly emotional to you. STEP WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT 4 Begin writing without much concern for order or structure. Based on the ideas you collected, let your mind be creative and write as much as you can. You can edit down later. STEP PREPARE THE NEXT VERSION 5 Now it is time to begin organizing your tribute, in whichever format you decide to use. Here is a suggested outline: 1. Introduction. Explain the reasons why you are writing this tribute. 2. Expressions of love and gratitude. Mention the memories that are precious to you, and explain how they still make you feel. Be honest in how you feel towards them, but always be warm and loving. 3. Affirmation and Blessings. Are there specific things for which you would like to thank your parents? How are you part of your parents’ legacy that will outlive them. If they are still alive, write words of blessing over them. 4. Conclusion. Summarize your appreciation to your parents for the good they have done and how they have influenced you. This is also an ideal time to point to the future—to the relationship you want to build with your parents, and to the legacy you received from them and will pass on to your own children. E 205 FAMILY PRIORITY WORKSHOP

STEP COMPLETE YOUR FINAL DRAFT 6 Edit your work. Look for ways to make improvements. Work on correcting the grammar and embellishing the text. Does everything make sense? Is the writing clear enough? At this point, it will be good to ask other people—your spouse or friends—to look at your tribute. They may able to spot problems you haven’t thought of. They can also point out grammatical or spelling errors you didn’t catch. If you get this far in the writing of your tribute during the workshop, you may ask other participants or facilitators for advice. STEP DESIGN 7 Now it is time to design final version of the tribute as a gift for your parents. Do you want to add photographs, artwork, or other mementos to the document? Can you frame it to hang on the wall? If it is a scrapbook, how can you craft it to be unique for them? STEP PRESENT 8 Plan to present your tribute to your parents on a day special to them, or at a traditional time when gifts are exchanged, such as a birthday, anniversary, or Christmas. Your Tribute will become one of their most treasured possessions, often proudly displayed in the family home for all to see. AN EXAMPLE You may think writing a tribute is a complex poetic document, perhaps too big a task for you at this point in life. Read the text below, (an actual tribute) and you will see even a simple letter like this can be a beautiful, honoring tribute to some of the most important people in your life. Julie Major’s Tribute to her Mother To the Mom I Have Taken for Granted Growing up, I thought, “Everyone’s mother loved them as much as mine did.” Mom, you’re a priceless gift to me. It’s taken a while to get my eyes off me but I appreciate you. I thank God for you. Your life exemplifies servanthood and I’ve learned so much from you by your example. You have taught me more than I can express and these are just a few illustrations: You are the supreme example of unconditional love. Philippians 2:4 describes you: “look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” You are compassionate. Over and over you have modeled forgiveness. You taught me the importance of going to visit people, even when they didn’t invite you. When I was sick and would stay home from school, I could count on a phone call at lunchtime, to ask how I was feeling. FAMILY PRIORITY WORKSHOP 206 E

You are creative and I remember you making gifts for people. Many times, you have tried to teach me to sew. You know how to grow the best garden. You are heads and shoulders better than the world’s greatest chef. When it comes to hard work, you work harder than anyone else that I know. I didn’t realize how great you were until I tried these things myself and I’m not even a mother yet! You sacrifice so much and give so much of your time. You made countless trips taking me to lessons for piano, dance, and gymnastics. I assumed everyone’s mom did the same. Every day, I appreciate you more. One day, I want to be a mom, just like you. I love you Mom, Julie E 207 FAMILY PRIORITY WORKSHOP



HISTORY MAKERS FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP Managing God’s Resources CORE VALUE God looks for men and women who are faithful stewards of finances, time, and spiritual gifts in their personal lives and leadership with the result that people are reached with the Gospel. TEACHING OBJECTIVE To understand the biblical principles of stewardship of money and resources, and to commit to being faithful stewards of material resources entrusted to us. INTRODUCTION Jesus is Lord! That was the first creed of the early Church. More than a statement of your belief, this simple phrase is an affirmation of His position with serious implications for your daily life as a Christian and as a leader. If He is Lord, you are a servant, living under His authority. The biblical word that encompasses the dynamic way of living under the Lordship of Jesus Christ in the world is “stewardship.” The Merriam-Webster English dictionary defines a steward as: One employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns (as the supervision of servants, collection of rents, and keeping of accounts).1 The steward is not the master of the great family, but the master entrusts his wealth and resources to the steward’s care. The steward manages resources of the master on behalf of his or her master. For your life, stewardship applies to everything you are and everything you will be. It applies to your material possessions, your time, your spiritual gifts, your body, and even your leadership. If Jesus is Lord of your life, He is master and you are steward of everything entrusted to you. 209 FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION GOD OWNS EVERYTHING The natural way to look at material possessions (our own lives) and our time is to think these things belong to us. The first biblical truth about stewardship stands in contrast with this human notion—God is the owner of everything. Consider these words, Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and Your faithfulness surrounds you. You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, You still them . . . The heavens are Yours, and Yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it. You created the north and the south; . . . Your arm is endowed with power; Your hand is strong, Your right hand exalted.—Psalm 89:8–13 The author of this beautiful biblical poem speaks directly to God affirming that He is the owner of the heavens and the earth. God’s ownership is established by the following truths about God: He created the world and everything in it. (v. 11). He is powerful and exalted (v. 13). He is in control of the entire universe and the very forces of nature (v. 9). WE ARE MANAGERS (STEWARDS) OF GOD’S RESOURCES In the very first chapter of the Bible, immediately after the creation of the human race, the Bible affirms that human beings were created to manage earth’s resources. Here are the words of God to the first humans: God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” —Genesis 1:28 God is the owner of all He created, as we saw in the previous section. Human beings are the administrators or stewards of God’s creation. This includes our money, material properties, family, time, and even our own bodies. WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD In the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14–30), the owner of the “talents” called each of his servants, the stewards, to give an account of what they had done with the resources entrusted to them during the time the master had been traveling. In another occasion, Jesus said, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much.” —Luke 16:10 God will entrust more resources to us if we show ourselves faithful with the small amounts He gives us now. Although God doesn’t physically “come back” to require an account of how we are using His resources, we are accountable to Him for the wise and effective use of our material resources and the time we live on this earth. The simple awareness of this accountability should move us to rethink our use of these resources in our daily lives. FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP 210

EFFECTIVE STEWARDSHIP IS A LEARNED SKILL We do not automatically know how to manage God’s resources. Scriptures, as well as more mature Christians, can teach us essential principles, so we will be faithful stewards of what God entrusted to us. Paul instructs his mentee Timothy to teach about faithful stewardship of material resources: Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. —1 Timothy 6:17–19 FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP - FOUR PRINCIPLES The Scripture presents us with four material stewardship principles that can help us manage God’s resources wisely, adequately providing for our needs and becoming a blessing to others and the Kingdom of God. 1. THE PRINCIPLE OF FAITHFUL TITHING The Scripture commands God’s people to tithe, or return 10 percent of their income or the product of their work, to God for use in worship and service. The command from God is present in the Law of Moses. It is important to notice the Scripture affirms the tithe is holy and belongs to the Lord. “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD.”—Leviticus 27:30 Malachi 3:8–12 is a well-known text about tithing. This verse labels those who fail to tithe as robbers. Many highlight this negative aspect, but look closely at the benefits of tithing to God that begin in verse 10: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not drop their fruit before it is ripe,” says the LORD Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty. God authorizes you to test His faithfulness by bringing your tithes, and He makes three powerful promises to those who are faithful. Blessings will overflow to those who tithe (verse 10b). Protection from anything that can corrode resources (verse 11). A reputation for success to those who are faithful (verse 12). 211 FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP

2. THE PRINCIPLE OF SOUND MANAGEMENT Tithing is the first step, but there is more to faithful stewardship. The Bible says God owns the other 90% as well; our responsibility is to manage it wisely. Jesus taught a lesson on planning and management with the following words: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?” —Luke 14:28 This text has been given spiritual application, but it certainly encourages us to count the cost and plan the use of our material resources. PREPARING A BUDGET Many Christians don’t practice the discipline of budgeting (planning the use of money) ahead of every month and allocating existing resources (income) to the expected expenses according to priorities. WORKSHOP Discuss among participants the best way to prepare a personal monthly budget for you or your family. Those who practice a disciplined system of budgeting should share their experiences. At the end, make a list of priorities for the allocation of material resources (your salary, the profits from your business, the product of your labor, and so forth). 3. THE PRINCIPLE OF GENEROUS GIVING Giving is as great a blessing to the giver as it is to the receiver. The Bible often affirms the blessing of giving. One of the often-preached subjects in the Church today is giving and the promise of prosperity. Here is a biblical perspective on the issue: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” —Luke 6:38 There is a clear scriptural promise of prosperity in Jesus’ words; however, this must be balanced with other scriptural text to help us put the issue in a healthy perspective. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.—James 4:3 God does not promise prosperity for its own sake. According to James, it is possible to get a negative answer based on our intentions. In other words, prosperity is not granted as an end in itself, but as a means to something greater. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” —Genesis 12:2 FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP 212

God promises to prosper Abraham, but the purpose of this prosperity is so he may become a blessing to others. Likewise, God’s promise of material blessings is always with the final goal of blessing others with the resources God gives His children. 4. THE PRINCIPLE OF EFFECTIVE FUNDRAISING Every Christian leader should mobilize resources for the execution of his or her vision. If you are a leader following God’s vision, you will always feel the need for three key things: Financial Resources (money) Human Resources (people) Time Because you will always need more financial resources, visionary leaders need to be involved in effective fundraising. The book of Exodus shows God and Moses’ plan for raising the necessary resources to build the tabernacle. There are important lessons for leaders in that fundraising campaign. MOSES CHALLENGES THE PEOPLE Moses said to the whole Israelite community, “This is what the LORD has commanded: From what you have, take an offering for the LORD. Everyone who is willing is to bring to the LORD an offering of gold, silver and bronze; blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen; goat hair; ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather; acacia wood; olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense; and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephod and breast piece. All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the LORD has commanded.” —Exodus 35:4–10 Three important issues need to be made clear in every fundraising effort. WHO Who will give? (Verse 5b) Moses was very clear that everyone willing to contribute should do so. WHAT What will be required? (Verses 5–10) Some were asked to give material items; others contributed specific skills for the construction. WHY (Purpose) Why will they give? (Verses 5–10) Each item asked for has a purpose and the overall purpose of the campaign is to build the tabernacle for God. 213 FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP

The People Respond with Joy “…The people are bringing more than enough for doing the work the LORD commanded to be done.” Then Moses gave an order and they sent this word throughout the camp: “No man or woman is to make anything else as an offering for the sanctuary.” -Exodus 36:5–6 The response of the people to the challenge is overwhelming to the point that Moses has to ask them to stop giving. This shows that people will give if: THE VISION IS FROM GOD THE VISION IS CLEAR THE VISION IS WELL PRESENTED PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR FUNDRAISING THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY. Faithful stewardship requires that every small amount given be used responsibly and donors have access to transparent information about the use of the resources. THE IMPORTANCE OF SHARING WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE. Fundraising is not about finding people with a lot of money and asking them, but rather finding those with an open heart towards God and giving them the privilege of doing what God is calling them to do. THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION. Ministry partners need to be informed clearly of how their resources are being used. This encourages them and may open the doors for future partnerships. It is important to: Tell partners (specifically) what you will do with the resources you are asking them to contribute. Tell partners (clearly) what you did with the resources that were contributed. THE IMPORTANCE OF GRATITUDE. Often, ministry partners give sacrificially. It is important to express gratitude to them for their generosity and vision to see lives transformed by the power of God. WORKSHOP As a good steward, commit to manage your resources according to God’s purposes and priorities. And finally, love in such a way that you are always ready to give a good account of how you managed that which God entrusted to you. FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP 214

STEWARDSHIP COVENANT PRAYER LORD, I recognize that You are the owner of all that I have. I am only the administrator of the material resources that You have entrusted to me and the time I have to live. I commit to managing Your resources wisely and ask Your guidance to do so. Teach me to be a better steward of what I have, so I can be entrusted with more. In Jesus’ name, Amen. Today, I have sincerely prayed this prayer and made a stewardship covenant with God to faithfully manage His resources. Day Month Year Signature CONCLUSION We live in a selfish, materialistic world. Unfortunately, the Church has been so influenced by the world that in many places it has taken its shape. Money and material goods have become the end in life, rather than the means for God to bless others. His children need to learn to be faithful stewards of God’s gifts and not users of God’s grace. As leaders, our responsibility is to: Live as faithful stewards, setting the example for the next generation. Teach stewardship and help others to be faithful administrators of God’s manifold grace to us. Mobilize financial resources so the Kingdom of God can come on earth. 215 FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING ACTIVITY FILLING THE BUCKET INTRODUCTION This activity is designed to demonstrate the importance of organizing our life according to priorities. It applies to stewardship of time, but also to the second principle of financial stewardship (budgeting according to priority), and to goalsetting (Pareto principle). NEEDED RESOURCES You will need three or more kits consisting of: Transparent container of approximately 1 liter in size Several large rocks, roughly the same size (4-5 cm in diameter) Several pebbles (1 cm in diameter) Sand INSTRUCTIONS Give each team the same amount of rocks, pebbles and sand, more than enough to fit in the containers. Ask each team to fill as many rocks, pebbles, and as much sand as possible in the containers, keeping count of rocks and pebbles. After each team has filled the containers, remove and separate the content, then ask each team to change the order in which each element is put in the containers and see if they can fit the same amount. DEBRIEFING The order in which the rocks, pebbles, and sand are put in the containers will determine how much will be possible to fit. The greatest amount will fit when the rocks are placed first, pebbles second, and sand third. Discuss with the group how this applies to 1. Stewardship of time (time management) 2. Stewardship of our money (budgeting) 3. Visionary Leadership (goalsetting) FAITHFUL STEWARDSHIP 216

HISTORY MAKERS STEWARDSHIP OF TIME Managing a Highly Valuable Resource CORE VALUE God looks for men and women who are faithful stewards of finances, time, and spiritual gifts in their personal lives and leadership with the result that people are reached with the Gospel. TEACHING OBJECTIVE Participants will examine how to utilize their time in a more productive and effective way in order to reach their God-given goals.1 INTRODUCTION God gives each leader various gifts for ministry. God also provides financial resources and opportunities to serve. All of God’s provisions are connected to the reality that God is the source of all we have, and we will be held accountable for each aspect of our lives. Of everything God has given to us, time is perhaps the most perishable and wasted. It is completely spent every day, and once it is spent, it cannot be recovered. Therefore, the commitment to being a good steward of time is a necessity for every leader. WHAT IS TIME? It is the passing of life. Do you remember what you did yesterday between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.? Whatever your answer is, those events are part of your past and cannot be lived again. They are gone forever. Time is your most valuable resource. It is unique, because unlike other resources, time cannot be saved or recovered. It is the same for everyone. Time does not discriminate. Leaders and followers, organized or haphazard, lazy or hard-working, each have 24 hours a day. 217 STEWARDSHIP OF TIME

TIME ROBBERS Years ago, a study was done with pastors, asking them to identify the biggest activities that robbed them of their time. Times have changed, and today we live and work differently, yet many time robbers2 continue to steal the effectiveness of our life and ministry. Here is an updated list: PROCRASTINATION. “The greatest time wasted is the time getting started,”3 observed Dawson Trotman. This is one of the original time robbers, but even in the 21st Century, putting off things that need to be done continues to rob precious time from leaders. INTERRUPTIONS. Some people interpret visibility as availability and can interrupt leaders without previous appointment. 12 CELL PHONE/TEXTING. In the same way as in-person 93 interruptions, phone calls and text messages can distract us and waste our time. 6 INTERNET/ EMAIL/ SOCIAL MEDIA/ GAMING. It is possible to spend hours in front of a computer or mobile device without doing anything useful. This has probably become the main time-waster of our generation. POOR PLANNING. A reactive lifestyle that doesn’t give enough priority to planning the future will take away our focus and rob us of valuable time. POOR DELEGATION. When leaders fail to delegate and act as “one-man-bands,” they can end up overwhelmed and ineffective. UNCLEAR PRIORITIES. Haphazardly running after different tasks without a clear priority and plan to achieve goals will result in a burned-out and ineffective leader. WORKSHOP Which of the time robbers above apply to you? Are there additional time robbers particular to your culture? What are the time robbers that affect you and other leaders around you? Discuss these questions with a small group of participants and contribute one to three additional time robbers to the list above. Finally, grade yourself from one to ten in how you manage each of the time robbers identified in the survey. Where are you strongest? Where do you need to grow? STEWARDSHIP OF TIME 218

TIME ROBBERS MY GRADE TIME ROBBERS MY GRADE Poor Planning Procrastination Poor Delegation Unclear Priorities Interruptions Cell phone/ Texting Internet ADDITIONAL TIME ROBBERS BIBLICAL FOUNDATION Even though he lived in a time without watches and schedules, Jesus gave us the example of a life oriented according to priorities and an awareness of the need for time management. 1 Jesus knew that His time was limited. In John 9:4, Jesus makes this clear by saying, “As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” 2 Jesus never lost sight of His purpose. In John 17:4, Jesus prays, “[Father] I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You gave me to do.” 3 Jesus understood that there is a right time to do the important things. In John 4:35, Jesus says, “Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.” THE TIME MANAGEMENT MATRIX The essence of effective time management is to organize and execute our work around balanced priorities. In the everyday practice of leadership, it is a matter of tracking common activities we perform and organizing them in order of priority. Stephen Covey developed a simple and practical model for accomplishing more by determining the level of priority of our activities.4 The key is to understand two words or factors that define any activity we do: 219 STEWARDSHIP OF TIME

URGENCY. Our activities can be divided into urgent and non-urgent. An urgent activity usually means it requires immediate attention; it is now. It is usually visible. Urgent issues press on us, and often they are popular with others. They might even be fun to do. On the other side of the spectrum are activities that do not demand our immediate attention. IMPORTANCE. Activities can be important or not. If something is important, it contributes to your mission, values, and high priority goals. It has to do with results. Unimportant activities are those that do not necessarily contribute to our vision. The two variables above are placed in a diagram (a matrix with four quadrants). Activities are divided into high or low importance and high and low urgency. LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES The following matrix shows common leadership activities according to urgency and importance. URGENT NOT URGENT NOT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT Crises 1 Proactive work 2 Emergency meetings Important goals Last-minute deadlines Pressing problems Creative thinking Unforeseen events Planning and prevention Relationship building Learning and renewal Recreation 3Needless interruptions Trivial work 4 Unnecessary reports Avoidance activities Irrelevant meetings Other people’s minor issues Excessive relaxation, TV, Unimportant emails, tasks, gaming, internet calls, status posts, etc. Time-wasters Gossip EFFECTIVE USE OF TIME Our natural tendency is to spend most of our time on urgent issues because they demand immediate action. The problem is that those are not necessarily important (quadrant 1). Research shows most managers spend the majority of their time in quadrants 1 and 3. Leaders who are effective stewards of time spend most of their time and energy in quadrant 2. STEWARDSHIP OF TIME 220

THE RESULT OF LEADERSHIP PRACTICES Every action has consequences. The matrix below shows the results of concentrating efforts in each quadrant of the matrix. URGENT NOT URGENT NOT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT Stress 1 Vision 2 Burnout Perspective Crisis Management Balance Always Putting out Fires Discipline Control Few Crises Short-Term Focus 3 Total Irresponsibility 4 Crisis Management Fired from Jobs Feels Victimized Dependent on Feels Out of Control Others Shallow Relationships Dependent on Institutions WORKSHOP Make a list of ten things you need to do on the first day after completing this training and place them in the matrix below. Then, share your results with another participant, and discuss possible strategies to help you invest more time in quadrant two. 221 STEWARDSHIP OF TIME

NOT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT URGENT NOT URGENT 1 2 34 CONCLUSION Of all that God has given you, time is probably the most perishable and wasted. It is completely spent every day and can never be recovered; therefore, making a commitment to being a good steward of time is a necessity for every leader. Different cultures see and deal with time differently. As a Christian leader, you must carefully examine your use of time and how you follow the example of Jesus. The essence of effective time management is to organize and execute around balanced priorities. STEWARDSHIP OF TIME 222

HISTORY MAKERS STEWARDSHIP E OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS Discovering, Developing And Deploying Gifts to Accomplish the Vision CORE VALUE God looks for men and women who are faithful stewards of finances, time, and spiritual gifts in their personal lives and leadership with the result that people are reached with the Gospel. TEACHING OBJECTIVE This is an elective session. The purpose of this session is to understand the importance of the Gifts of the Holy Spirit for effective Kingdom leadership and to discern and develop our unique set of gifts in the pursuit of our God-given vision. INTRODUCTION The ILI vision is to “accelerate the spread of the Gospel through leaders of leaders empowered by the Holy Spirit.” The tools that the Holy Spirit uses are the gifts with which He equips the saints, in our case, biblical visionary leaders. In the core value of Intimacy with God, we have seen that God looks for men and women who lead from an intimate relationship with God. That intimacy is developed through the practice of the spiritual disciplines in the power of the Holy Spirit. As a leader grows in intimacy, the Spirit of God will entrust him or her with tools for service—supernatural gifts to be used in the context of ministry. Biblical visionary leaders are stewards of these gifts, called by God to discern, develop, and deploy them for the service of others and the benefit of the Body of Christ. DISCERN DEVELOP DEPLOY E 223 STEWARDSHIP OF THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE GIFT The gifts of the Holy Spirit are manifestations of the greater gift that was promised by Jesus in the Gospel and poured fully to the disciples at Pentecost. On that occasion, Peter exhorted the people to repent and be baptized so they could receive the Holy Spirit freely, as a gift. Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. -Acts 2:38 GIFTS FOR SERVICE The most common Greek word used for the gifts of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament is charisma. The word is a combination of charis, meaning “grace,” and ma, which means “result of.” Spiritual gifts are a result of God’s grace working in and through us. The four passages below are foundational for our understanding of the gifts (charismata) of the Spirit. ROMANS 12:6-8 contains a list of seven gifts and an exhortation to use them with diligence and a servant spirit. The list consists of: prophecy, service, teaching, encouragement, giving, leadership, and mercy. 1 CORINTHIANS 12-14 contains the most extensive teaching on spiritual gifts in the New Testament. Paul lists thirteen gifts in this text: Wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in other languages, interpretation of languages, apostleship, teaching, help, and guidance. EPHESIANS 4:11 lists five specific offices of ministry (gifts) that serve the saints by building them up into unity and maturity—the stature of Christ. They are: Apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher. 1 PETER 4:8-11 does not describe any additional gift, but portrays believers as stewards of God’s grace (charis), entrusted with the responsibility to use their gifts (charisma) for the service of others. STEWARDSHIP OF THE 224 E SPIRITUAL GIFTS

WORKSHOP Discuss with two other participants answering the following question: Do you see evidence of the manifestation of the gifts described in the lists above in your church? Which ones? Make a list of the most common gifts discussed by each group. After some discussion time, do a quick poll to find out which of the gifts appear more often in our churches. A DEFINITION OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS There are various definitions of spiritual gifts in literature, emphasizing different aspects of these spiritual tools for service. For the sake of our study, let’s define spiritual gifts as: Special and supernatural attributes of God’s grace that the Holy Spirit distributes to the members of the Church, entrusting specific gifts to individual believers, enabling them to serve in the Church and proclaim the Gospel in the world. Implied in this definition are a few important elements about the gifts. They are not natural skills, but supernatural attributes. They are bestowed by the Holy Spirit to believers, who are stewards of them. They are meant as tools for service and evangelism. E 225 STEWARDSHIP OF THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS

DISCERNING YOUR UNIQUE SPIRITUAL GIFT MIX Every Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit. This means that, potentially, every spiritual gift is available to every Christian. However, the Bible affirms that the Holy Spirit distributes these gifts to the Church, indicating that no believer has all of them. It is the responsibility of every believer to discern the gifts that the Holy Spirit has entrusted them. Here are four tools that can help you discern your gifts. 1. Particularly the teachings on the Holy Spirit, with an open mind and STUDY THE heart. Ask God to reveal His truth to you. SCRIPTURE 2. Identify specific areas that you see God using you for His glory. Some of EXAMINE these gifts may already be manifesting in your service to the Body and YOUR LIFE to the world. 3. They may be able confirm your personal thoughts, identify gifts in you LISTEN TO that you don’t see yet, or correct you in areas where you are serving in ADVICE FROM the flesh and not in the Spirit. MATURE There are questionnaires that help you identify your dominant spiritual BELIEVERS gifts. They are helpful aids to the tools above. We will complete one such profile during this training event. 4. COMPLETE SPIRITUAL GIFTS PROFILES THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS Gifts often come together in clusters. You may find that if you have one particular gift then you may also have other gifts in that cluster. Twenty-one spiritual gifts that are listed in the New Testament are grouped below according to common clusters. You will have some degree of ability in many of the gifts listed below. An important issue for every believer is to discover your dominant gifts. COMMUNICATION GIFTS – communicating with individuals or groups of people Exhortation Prophecy Teaching Evangelism LEADERSHIP GIFTS – different skills within the context of leadership Administration Leadership Apostle Shepherd STEWARDSHIP OF THE 226 E SPIRITUAL GIFTS

PRACTICAL GIFTS – practically serving and helping others Giving Mercy Hospitality Helps Service SIGN GIFTS – extraordinary or dramatic gifts that demonstrate the power of God Tongues Interpretation of Tongues Healing Miracles RESOURCING GIFTS – resourcing other gifts in furthering the Kingdom Discerning of Spirits Knowledge Faith Wisdom No individual Christian manifests all of the gifts above. Some of them are more prominent in our lives and service in the Body of Christ. We can refer to these are our “dominant” gifts, two or three of the gifts above that are essential to our calling, vision, and mission. Every leader should be able to identify their dominant gifts and deploy them for the growth of the Body. GIFTS, TALENTS AND ROLES Every person has particular talents and abilities, which can be natural, such as an ear for music, or learned, like the ability to play an instrument. Spiritual gifts are different than talents in that they are supernatural abilities imparted by the Holy Spirit to believers. They sometimes come together and complement each other. Here are a couple examples: TEACHING: Because someone is a schoolteacher, it doesn’t necessarily mean that this person has the spiritual gift of teaching. LEADERSHIP: As we have seen on another session, leadership is a learned skill. There is, however, a supernatural leadership gift that is bestowed upon certain members of the Church for the benefit of the entire Body of Christ. Another important distinction to make is about spiritual gifts and our roles as followers of Christ. Here are a few important distinctions we need to make. EVANGELISM – Christ was very clear that the Great Commission was to all his followers. As such, we are commanded and commissioned to be witnesses for Christ. On the other hand, people like Billy Graham, Luis Palau, Kathryn Kuhlman, and others manifest a supernatural gift of sharing the Gospel in a simple and clear way to the masses. GIVING – Every disciple is expected tithe of their income and to give generously, but The Spirit of God has supernaturally equipped some believers to give above and beyond the expected. HOSPITALITY – The author of Hebrews (Heb 13:2) states that we all should be hospitable to strangers, but some Christians are supernaturally gifted to show hospitality in the name of Christ. E 227 STEWARDSHIP OF THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Once you have discerned your dominant gifts, create a plan to develop each of them, and begin deploying them to fulfill God’s vision for your life. DEVELOP YOUR GIFTS Believers have a responsibility to develop their ability to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote to Timothy, urging him “do not neglect your gift” (1 Timothy 4:14). In 2 Timothy 1:6, Paul exhorts Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God which is in you.” Every believer should discern their gifts and then grow in their ability to use their gifts through greater knowledge and practical experience. PIANO PLAYING – AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW TO DEVELOP GIFTS HERE ARE FOUR SIMPLE FACTS ABOUT THE SAME IS TRUE FOR SPIRITUAL GIFTS: PIANO PLAYING: 1. Every believer has some ability for 1. Everybody can play the piano to serving in many areas in the Body of some degree. Christ. 2. Everybody can improve their 2. Every believer can improve their ability in each Christian role by learning and piano playing through lessons. practice. 3. Some people have a natural ability 3. God anoints believers with gifts (charisma) for more powerful service for piano playing. With training, in specific areas. they can go on to become great pianists. 4. By developing their spiritual gifts, a 4. Without hard work and training believer can achieve his or her full to develop their piano playing, a potential and have a greater impact pianist will never achieve their full for the Kingdom. potential. HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS Seek excellence in the area of your dominant gifts, so God can use you more powerfully. Ideas for how to develop gifts include: Study bible passages relevant to that gift, including character studies of people who demonstrate that gift. Read other relevant books. Attend relevant training courses. Learn from mentors who excel in particular gifts. Practice and learn as you deploy your gifts. STEWARDSHIP OF THE 228 E SPIRITUAL GIFTS

DEPLOY YOUR GIFTS Your spiritual gifts are given by God to be used for bringing the Kingdom of God on earth in the power of the Holy Spirit. Scripture gives us clear principles on how to deploy our spiritual gifts. SEEK OPPORTUNITIES Faithful stewards seek out opportunities to use their gifts. You can choose to use your gifts or not. Be a faithful steward of the gifts that God has given to you and look for opportunities to use your gifts. “I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground…” (Matthew 25:25) Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins. (James 4:17) EXERCISE YOUR GIFTS IN LOVE If I have the gift of prophecy… but have not love, I am nothing. (1 Corinthians 13:2) Spiritual gifts enable us to serve, therefore our motivation for using them should always be love. Without love, the apostle Paul says they are worthless. ANOINTED BY THE SPIRIT Spiritual gifts require the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit to function properly. Jesus used the illustration of a vine and branches to illustrate how we bear fruit in our lives and ministries by remaining connected and rooted to God. Apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them… (Acts 4:8) SPIRITUAL GIFTS AND GOD’S VISION FOR YOUR LIFE God gives you gifts for ministry that contribute towards fulfilling God’s vision for your life. As you deploy them, you will find that four areas of your life converge: NEED – what are the needs you see, feel, and have a burden for? CALL – what has God called you personally to be involved with? PASSION – what gets you most excited and lights fire inside you? GIFTS – what has God equipped you to do? E 229 STEWARDSHIP OF THE SPIRITUAL GIFTS

God had a plan when He put all these things together in your life. When God calls, He also equips. Therefore, if you are struggling in discerning God’s vision for your life, concentrate on discerning your gifts. CONCLUSION God looks for men and women who are faithful stewards of their spiritual gifts, in their personal lives and leadership, with the result that God is glorified, people are served, and the world is reached with the Gospel. It is through the gifts of the Holy Spirit that each person can discover their special place in the Body of Christ. Each believer has the responsibility to discern, develop, and deploy their gifts so that they will reach their full potential and fulfill their role in the Body of Christ. STEWARDSHIP OF THE 230 E SPIRITUAL GIFTS

HISTORY MAKERS SPIRITUAL GIFTS E WORKSHOP Discerning Your Unique Spiritual Gift Mix CORE VALUE God looks for men and women who are faithful stewards of finances, time, and spiritual gifts in their personal lives and leadership with the result that people are reached with the Gospel. TEACHING OBJECTIVE This is an elective workshop. The purpose of this workshop is to discern and discuss the unique mix of Spiritual Gifts that God has entrusted each of us. INTRODUCTION As a follower of Jesus Christ, you have been uniquely equipped with gifts of the Holy Spirit that can help you achieve your mission and fulfill your mission. During this workshop, you will respond to a Spiritual gift questionnaire and use the results to discern your Spiritual Gift mix. This questionnaire is ILI’s version of a well-known instrument known as the “Wagner- modified Houts Questionnaire.” It was originally designed by Dr. Richard F. Houts in 1976. Subsequently, it has been modified by C. Peter Wagner of the Charles E. Fuller Institute of Evangelism and Church Growth. Our editorial team has made further modifications to adapt it to our History Makers training. There are additional tools available to assess your giftedness for ministry. Although this can be an important tool in the process of discerning your Spiritual Gifts, do not regard the results of this test as the final word. The unique gifts that God has entrusted to you will be identified with much prayer and good counsel from more mature Christians. E 231 SPIRITUAL GIFTS WORKSHOP

INSTRUCTIONS STEP 1 Go through the list of 100 statements in the questionnaire. For each one, mark to what extent the statement is true of your life. Don’t score how you would like to be, or how you think God wants you to be, but how you and others perceive your life to be at this moment. MUCH (score of 3): You and others around you observe that this is a constant practice in your spiritual life and ministry in the Body of Christ. SOME (score of 2): You and others around you observe that this happens some in your spiritual life and ministry. LITTLE (score of 1): You and others around you observe that this has happened on occasion. NOT AT ALL (score of 0): Neither you nor others around have observed this practice in your spiritual life and ministry in the Body of Christ. STEP 2 After answering all the questions, transfer your scores from the questionnaire to the table on page 238 and add the values for each row. You will get scores for each gift on the list. STEP 3 Identify your three dominant and three secondary gifts. Identify the three highest scores and write them at the list of dominant gifts on page 239. Identify the three next highest scores and write them at the list of secondary gifts on page 239. SPIRITUAL GIFTS WORKSHOP 232 E

STEP 1: Respond to the following statements. # STATEMENT MUCH SOME LITTLE NOT AT (3) (2) (1) ALL (0) 1 I have a desire to speak direct messages from God that edify or exhort or comfort others. I have enjoyed relating to a certain group of people 2 over a long period of time, sharing personally in their successes and failures. 3 People have told me that I have helped them learn some biblical truth in a meaningful way. 4 I have applied spiritual truth effectively to situations in my own life. 5 Others have told me that I have helped them distinguish key and important facts of scripture. 6 I have verbally encouraged the wavering, the troubled, or the discouraged. Others in the church have noted that I was able to 7 see through phoniness before it was evident to other people. 8 I find I manage money well in order to give liberally to the Lord’s work. 9 I have assisted Christian leaders to relieve them for their essential job. 10 I have a desire to work with those who have physical or mental problems, to alleviate their suffering. 11 I have led others to a decision for salvation through faith in Christ. 12 My home is always open to people passing through who need a place to stay. 13 When in a group, I am often the one others look to for vision and direction. 14 When I speak, people seem to listen and agree. 15 When a group I am in is lacking organization, I tend to step in and fill the gap. 16 Others can point to specific instances where my prayers have resulted in visible miracles. 17 In the name of the Lord, I have been used in curing diseases instantaneously. 18 I have spoken in tongues. 19 Sometimes when a person speaks in tongues, I get an idea about what God is saying. 20 I enjoy being called upon to do special jobs around the church. 21 Through God I have revealed specific things which will happen in the future. E 233 SPIRITUAL GIFTS WORKSHOP

# STATEMENT MUCH SOME LITTLE NOT AT (3) (2) (1) ALL (0) 22 I have enjoyed assuming the responsibility for the spiritual well-being ofa particulargroup ofChristians. I feel I can explain the New Testament teaching 23 about the health and ministry of the body of Christ in a relevant way. 24 I can intuitively arrive at solutions to fairly complicated problems. 25 I have had insights of spiritual truth which others have said helped bring them closer to God. 26 I can effectively motivate people to get involved in ministry when it’s needed. 27 I can “see” the Spirit of God resting on certain people from time to time. 28 My giving records show that I give considerably more than 10 percent of my income to the Lord’s work. 29 Other people have told me that I helped them become more effective in their ministries. 30 I have cared for others when they have had material or physical needs. 31 I have shared joyfully how Christ has brought me to Himself in a way that is meaningful to non-believers. 32 I enjoy taking charge of church suppers or social gatherings. 33 I have believed God for the impossible and have seen it happen in a tangible way. 34 Other Christians have followed my leadership because they believed in me. 35 I enjoy the details of organizing ideas, people, resources, and time for more effective ministry. 36 God has used me personally to perform supernatural signs and wonders. 37 I enjoy praying for sick people because I know that many of them will be healed as a result. 38 I have spoken an immediate message of God to His people in a language that I have never learned. 39 I have interpreted tongues with the result that the body of Christ was edified, exhorted, or comforted. 40 I don’t have many special skills, but I do what needs to be done around the church. People have told me that I have communicated 41 timely and urgent messages which have come directly from the Lord. 42 I feel unafraid of giving spiritual guidance and direction in a group of Christians. SPIRITUAL GIFTS WORKSHOP 234 E

# STATEMENT MUCH SOME LITTLE NOT AT (3) (2) (1) ALL (0) I can devote considerable time to learning new 43 biblical truths in order to communicate them to others. 44 When a person has a problem, I can frequently guide them to the best Biblical solution. Through study or experience, I have discerned 45 major strategies or techniques God seems to use in furthering His kingdom. People come to me in their afflictions or suffering and 46 have told me that they have been helped, relieved, and healed. 47 I can tell with a fairly high degree of assurance when a person is afflicted by an evil spirit. 48 When I am moved by an appeal to give to God’s work, I usually find the money that I need to do it. 49 I have enjoyed doing routine tasks that led to more effective ministry by others. 50 I enjoy visiting in hospitals and/or retirement homes and feel I do well in such a ministry. Non-Christians have noted that they feel comfortable 51 when they are around me and that I have a positive effect on them toward developing a faith in Christ. 52 When people come to my home, they indicate that they “feel at home” with me. 53 Other people have told me that I had faith to accomplish what seemed impossible to them. 54 When I set goals, others seem to accept them readily. 55 I have been able to make effective and efficient plans for accomplishing the goals of a group. 56 God regularly seems to do impossible things through my life. 57 Others have told me that God healed them of an emotional problem when I ministered to them. 58 I can speak to God in a language I have never learned. 59 I have prayed that I may interpret if someone begins speaking in tongues. 60 Others have mentioned that I seem to enjoy routine tasks and do well at them. 61 I sometimes have a strong sense of what God wants to say to people in response to a particular situation. 62 I have helped fellow believers by guiding them to relevant portions of the Bible and praying with them. I feel I can communicate Biblical truths to others 63 and see resulting changes in knowledge, attitudes, values, or conduct. E 235 SPIRITUAL GIFTS WORKSHOP

# STATEMENT MUCH SOME LITTLE NOT AT (3) (2) (1) ALL (0) Some people indicate that I have perceived and 64 applied Biblical truth to the specific needs of fellow believers. 65 I study and read quite a bit in order to learn new Biblical truths. 66 I have a desire to effectively counsel the perplexed, the guilty, or the addicted. 67 I can recognize whether a person’s teaching is from God, from Satan, or of human origin. 68 I am so confident that God will meet my needs that I give to Him sacrificially and consistently. 69 When I do things behind the scenes and others are helped, I am joyful. 70 People call on me to help those who are less fortunate. 71 I get frustrated when others don’t seem to share their faith with unbelievers as much as I do. 72 Others have mentioned to me that I am a very hospitable person. There have been times when I have felt sure I knew 73 God’s specific will for the future growth of His work, even when others were not so sure. 74 When I join a group, others seem to back off and expect me to take the leadership. 75 I am able to give directions to others without using persuasion to get them to accomplish a task. People have told me that I was God’s instrument 76 which brought supernatural changes in lives or circumstances. 77 I have prayed for others and physical healing has actually occurred. 78 When I give a public message in tongues, I expect it to be interpreted. 79 I have interpreted tongues in a way that seemed to bless others. I prefer being active and doing something rather than 80 just sitting around talking or reading or listening to a speaker. 81 I sometimes feel that I know exactly what God wants me to do in ministry at a specific point in time. 82 People have told me that I have helped them to be restored to the Christian community. 83 Studying the Bible and sharing my insights with others is very satisfying for me. SPIRITUAL GIFTS WORKSHOP 236 E