The Network: Gifts - Session 5 and 6

INTRODUCTION

SESSION 5 THE INFLUENCE OF PASSION

WE END THE LAST SESSION TALKING ABOUT OUR GOD GIVEN PERSONAL STYLE.

Our goal in this session will be two fold -

Looking deeper at our personal style

Explore the Influence of Passion.

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PERSONAL STYLE DESCRIPTION

Personal style indicates the way you prefer to relate to people and the world around you.

WHEN WE SERVE IN WAYS INCONSISTENT WITH OUR PERSONAL STYLE OVER TIME WE WILL EXPERIENCE-

Inauthentic relationships

Decreased motivation

Burnout

When you serve in ways that reflect your personal style you will feel genuine and energized.

HOW ARE YOU ENERGIZED AND HOW ARE YOU ORGANIZED?

(SEE YOUR PERSONAL STYLE ASSESSMENT ON PAGE 111)

How are you Energized?

Are you task oriented or people oriented?

All task people raise your hand.

TASK ORIENTED PEOPLE ARE ENERGIZED

by doing things

accomplishing tasks

working with people who share your commitment to the task.

TASK ORIENTED PEOPLE CAN FEEL AWKWARD OR FRUSTRATED WITH A LOT OF RELATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

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WHO IS PEOPLE ORIENTED?

PO are energized by -

Interpersonal relationships

people interactions

working with people in a team setting

PO can feel awkward when handling a lot of tasks.

KEEP IN MIND BOTH TO AND PO LOVE PEOPLE AND CAN ACCOMPLISH TASKS.

WHAT WE ARE MEASURING IS WHAT ENERGIZES US.

ARE WE ENERGIZED BY PEOPLE OR COMPLETEING THE TASK? ———————————————————————————

HOW ARE YOU ORGANIZED?

STRUCTURED - UNSTRUCTURED

UNSTRUCTURED PEOPLE

Put everything into piles

Are less concerned with being precise

prefer lots of options and flexibility

Prefer a variety of activities

are comfortable in undefined situations

Like spontaneous relationships

STRUCTURED PEOPLE

Put everything into files

Plan and bring order to their lives.

Enjoy stable, consistent relationships

Make decisions and seek closure

Are more detailed

Like things clearly defined.

BOTH VALUE ORGANIZATION BUT EACH HAS A DIFFERENT APPROACH.

THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN THINKING ABOUT OUR PERSONAL STYLES.

Personal style does explain our behavior, but it does not excuse it.

You may be unstructured but that does not excuse you from meeting deadlines or ignoring what was asked of you.

You may be structured and effective at getting things done. But there will come times in ministry that you will need to make changes to the very thing you just completed to accomodate ministry needs.

YOUR PERSONAL STYLE NEEDS TO BE YOUR STRENGTH BUT WE NEED TO BE AWARE IT CAN ALSO BE OUR EXCUSE FOR NOT MINISTERING AFFECTIVLEY.

TASK UNSTRUCTURED PEOPLE

You tend to:

Like general guidelines

Be versatile

Get tangible results

Help wherever needed

Where you may thrive in ministry:

Room set up/breakdown / stage design team

Special events organizer

Building projects team

TASK STRUCTURED PEOPLE

YOU TEND TO:

Get the job done

Focus on results

Follow an agenda

Appreciate clear direction

Where you may thrive in ministry.

Sound and lighting team

Offering / Accounting

Dram set building

People Unstructured

You may tend to

Be very conversational

Be flexible

Relate well with others

Like spontaneous situations

Serving opportunities could be -

Greeter team

Information center

Crisis hotline

Children / Youth ministry

People centered - relational centered ministry.

People Structured

You may tend to

Project warmth

Like defined relationships

relate well with others

Enjoy familiar surrounds

Serving Opportunities could be

Small group leader

Membership team

Assimilation and discipleship strategy and team member.

Children’s ministry coordinator and team lead.

COMFORT ZONE -

You have an area of comfort around your personal style and can easily move in that comfort zone.

However be careful not do ministry consistently outside your comfort zones.

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PERSONAL STYLE SUMMARY

Write your name in an open space in your book.

Now write your name in another empty space but this time switch hands.

The first time you write your name did you have to think about it much?

What happened when you switched hands?

Now Personal style is similar to hand writing.

You can write your name using the weak hand

But it will not be as affective or good if your wrote your name with your strong hand.

You can do ministry outside your personal style and comfort zone but you will be more affective if you stay in your personal style and comfort zones.

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SERVANT PROFILE: MINISTRY PASSION

I am going to say a name and you tell me the persons ministry passion.

What do you think of when you hear the name -

Mother Teresa?

James Dobson

Billy Grahm

Karren Owen

Thomas

God cares for every need. You and I cannot. So, God shares his concern for the world and for the needs of his creation through each of us in a different way that reflects His care.

SOME THINK THAT THE PASSION GOD HAS GIVEN THEM IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PASSION AND ALL OTHERS ARE LESS IMPORTANT.

However the passion God has given you is equal and to the passions he has given others.

God cares greatly for children

The lost

The hungry and starving

Those who are being traded as sex slaves or work slaves around the world.

God cares for the unborn and he cares for the poor.

God cares for all of these and so much more

But that would be impossible for each of us to care equally for all these.

Therefore God diversifies His passions in our lives and these passions pull us to particular places of ministry.

THREE TRUTHS ABOUT MINISTRY PASSION

Ministry passion is God given

There is no right or wrong ministry passion. Just different ministry passions.

Ministry passion answers the WHERE question: Where do I serve?

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MINISTRY PASSION ASSESSMENT

PG 124

IDENTIFY ONE OR MORE AREAS OF PASSION

DIRECTIONS:

This is an individual activity

You may not be able to answer all the questions. That is ok.

The assessment is designed to explore a variety of ways God speaks to us.

Prayerfully consider your answers to each question. Answer honestly.

At this point do not consider whether you could do it or how you could do it. All you need to do right now is name it.

Answer as if there are no obstacles to hinder you from fulfilling your heart’s desire. Assume all is taken care of, family, money career, etc.

You have 15 minutes.

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HOW MANY OF YOU WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY YOUR MINISTRY PASSION?

IDENTIFIED YOUR MINISTRY CATAGORY ON PAGE 128?

GAINED MORE UNDERSTANDING OF YOUR PSSION BUT ARE STILL UNCLEAR?

ARE NO CLEARER NOW THAN WHEN YOU FORST STARTED?

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DVD - GROUP WORK

PG 130

WATCH DVD AND THEN ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ON PG 130

GET IN GROUPS OF 4-5 AND WORK TOGETHER.

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