In order to function, churches need volunteers to step up, and many Christians are glad to help.
However, the problem is that they don’t always know how best to serve their church.
Most Christians believe what the seventh verse in the seventh chapter of First Corinthians says, “Each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.”
However, they are not sure what kind of spiritual gifts they have and how those gifts should be used.
Local pastors, like those everywhere else, frequently receive questions from church members asking for guidance in finding their gifts.
Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Indianapolis is among many congregations that provide members with opportunities to discover their spiritual gifts. The church gives each member a special survey that helps the person gauge what their gifts might be.
“We encourage you to look at whatever you enjoy doing, because that could be an indication of what your spiritual gifts are,” said Dr. Theron Williams, Mt. Carmel’s pastor.
Oasis of Hope Baptist Church, under the leadership of Rev. Frank Alexander, also specializes in helping believers find their gifts, and has made that goal an important part of its ministry focus.
“It is important to take a look at your skills and abilities, then use them in a way that helps you discover your gift by seeking opportunities to serve in the church,” Alexander said. “If you enjoy welcoming people and greeting them, for example, then you can try something along the lines of hospitality.”
Alexander encourages Christians to read Scriptures related to gifts in the book of First Corinthians, Romans and Ephesians to help determine what kind they may have.
He added that many gifts are also confirmed by other people.
“If you’re doing something and somebody gets blessed and says to you, in all sincerity that you’re good at it, then that’s an indicator of your gifted area,” he said.
Pastor David Page of New Baptist Church believes it is important for people to use prayer in gaining an understanding of their gifts.
“God is the one who gives spiritual gifts, and prayer allows us to ask the one who gave us the gift to tell us what that gift is,” said Page, who has taught courses related to discovering spiritual gifts. “Once I receive and understand what the gift is, then I have to develop it, and once it is developed, demonstrate and use it to the glory of God.”
Alexander and Williams both noted that individuals should be prepared to discover that they could actually have several gifts.
“Some gifts may be more dominant in your life than others, but we are usually equipped with more than one,” added Alexander.
Williams said he and his church family have learned that different gifts are supplied for different seasons of life.
“You can have a variety of gifts, and the passion changes from time to time,” he said. “For example we have a lady who was very good at helping with the youth ministry. She did that effectively, and is now active with Christian education and the bookstore.”
Some of the gifts that are frequently utilized in the church include teaching, preaching, music ministry, encouragement, counseling, financial management and organization.
“One of the most common gifts, however, is the gift of help, or the gift of serving and providing whatever assistance may be needed, to people inside and outside the church,” said Page. “It’s the most common gift because we all can serve and help.”
Books about spiritual gifts
• 19 Gifts of the Spirit by Leslie Flynn
• An Essential Guide to Spiritual Gifts by Ron Phillips
• Discover Your Kid’s Spiritual Gifts: A Journey Into Your Child’s Unique Identity in Christ by Adam Stadtmiller
• Discover Your Spiritual Gifts: The Easy-To-Use, Self-Guided Questionnaire That Helps You Identify and Understand Your Various God-Given Spiritual Gifts by C. Peter Wagner
