One of the mandates that believers are charged with is to participate in ministry. For example, the Lord expects Christians to participate in evangelism, service, and leadership, among other components of Christian ministry. However, in order to serve effectively, believers must possess particular strengths and skills. The competencies that they need to possess vary from one vocation or service area to the next. The StrengthsFinder and Modified Wagner-Houts Spiritual Gifts assessment are some of the instruments that individuals can use to better understand the components of ministry for which they are best suited. Thanks to these tools, I now recognize that my strengths lie in teaching, missionary work, leadership, intercession, and service. Additionally, the instruments revealed that I possess a remarkable ability to rally others to pursue quality improvement solutions. I plan to harness the different skills and strengths to fuel the spread of the Gospel.
According to Rath and Conche (2008), the most effective Christian ministers are those who leverage their strengths. Rath and Conche (2008), leaders should endeavor to understand the areas where they excel and focus their efforts on elements of leadership where they can have the greatest impact. In an effort to understand my personal strengths, I took the Modified Wagner-Houts Spiritual Gifts assessment. The results of this assessment revealed that I can serve as an excellent teacher, an impactful missionary, an effective leader, and a tremendous intercessor. Furthermore, from this evaluation, I also gathered that I possess the skills and competencies needed for service. I also took the StrengthsFinder assessment. According to the outcomes that I obtained from this assessment, my approach to Christian ministry can best be described as “achiever.” According to the assessment, achievers are individuals who possess tremendous stamina and derive satisfaction from hardwork. Additionally, the StrengthsFinder assessment revealed that I am a “restorative”, “futuristic”, and “analytical” individual who values learning. Essentially, the assessment suggests that I am able to resolve challenges, and I motivate others to create a better future. Furthermore, I find excitement from the process of learning and I tend to analyze situations in order to develop solutions. The assessment also shed light on my ability to initiate process improvement programs and communicate my ideas clearly. Overall, I feel that this evaluation accurately captures my essence.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The results of the two assessments have allowed me to better understand myself. Among other things, these results demonstrate that I am well suited for various forms of Christian ministry. For example, in addition to mission work, I can serve as a leader as well as interceding for those without a voice. In fact, I feel that I possess skills that I can use to lead like Jesus did. For example, Blanchard et al. (2016) contend that Jesus was an effective leader because He was a servant who embraced prayer and strived to establish supportive relationships with His followers. Furthermore, according to Blanchard et al. (2016), Jesus delivered hope, offered forgiveness, and served as an agent for positive reforms. I believe that I can use the skills that I possess to emulate Jesus. For example, since I scored highly on the service and mission dimensions, I can have an impact in programs designed to tackle poverty and alleviate human suffering.
The assessments also offered clarity about my leadership style. I would describe myself as a servant leader who goes extreme lengths to safeguard the wellbeing of those whose care God has entrusted me with. Today, the need for servant leadership is urgent. According to Hughes et al. (2019), this approach holds the key to restoring character to Christian organizations. Moreover, Hughes et al. (2019) describe servant leaders as individuals who demonstrate empathy, possess foresight, and are able to serve as stewards. I am confident that as a servant leader, I can help organizations to deliver better outcomes for humanity. The two assessments basically confirmed that I already have the strengths that are necessary for leadership in ministry.
I found that the two assessments were enlightening. However, the StrengthsFinder assessment was particularly insightful. This tool allowed me to appreciate skills and gifts that I did not know I possessed. I plan to exploit these competencies for the advancement of ministry. For example, as noted above, the StrengthsFinder assessment indicated that I am able to tackle problems and develop visions for the future. Today, the church is confronted with numerous challenges that threaten its influence and future. Leveraging the skills that the StrengthsFinder assessment highlighted, I intend to collaborate with others in developing solutions. Personally, I am convinced that the future of the church is indeed promising.
I intend to use the insights that I obtained from the assessments to become a more effective leader. For example, the lessons from the assessments have allowed me to understand that there are some areas where I fall short. For example, according to Modified Wagner-Houts Spiritual Gifts assessment, I lack administration skills and I am unable to evangelize effectively. I will endeavor to improve and expand my skill set so that I am able to have an even greater impact on the communities that I serve. Another way that the assessments will allow me to enhance my leadership effectiveness is by helping me to invest even more effort into sharpening the skills that I already possess. I know that I can only bolster my leadership through constant and unrelenting improvement.
In closing, the Lord expects believers to use the skills and gifts that they possess to further the Gospel. I now know that I have a number of important strengths that I can use to advance the ministry. I would challenge other Christians to reflect on their own uniqueness and abilities. They should then explore ways that they can harness these gifts for the benefit of the Church.
References
Blanchard, K., Hodges, P., & Hendry, P. (2016). Lead like Jesus: lessons from the greatest leadership role model of all time. Thomas Nelson.
Hughes, R. L., Ginnett, R. C., & Curphy, G. J. (2019). Leadership. Enhancing the lessons of experience. McGraw Hill.
Roth, T., & Conche, B. (2008). Strengths based leadership: Great leaders, teams, and why people follow. Gallup Press.
