Dear St. Lukers,

I remember when the kids were little and we would be invited to volunteer to help with crafts or to create something with the preschool or elementary school class. I would dutifully answer yes, dreading the moment when I would have to get out glue guns or macaroni and begin to make the 100 days charts or the costume or hat for the parade. The same is true when I would take papers home to help the teacher input grades; I would say yes with all of the best intentions. I understood the work of a teacher and how much effort it takes beyond work hours and I wanted to be supportive. I never wanted to say no and be the parent who didn’t show up or didn’t help so my children wouldn’t feel slighted or left out. I’ll admit sometimes I would have loved to use the excuse that it was because I was busy or working…but that wasn’t exactly the reason. If I’m honest, the real reason is because it just was not my gift. Administrative tasks, crafty small things, even volunteering with a class of really little ones whom I adore – I am really just not gifted in those areas.

Now, when the kids got to middle school and high school and I could be in relationships with them, the parents, the coaches, when I could help do things and build relationships at the same time, or have hours of unstructured sharing time with the students – absolutely. I would volunteer for hours, and did, helping girls in colorguard or at football games. It was all about how I am wired and what spiritual gifts I had been given.

You know it’s true. There is nothing worse than serving or volunteering in an area that isn’t your giftedness or how you are wired. It’s hard on you, those around you, and often those you are seeking to help serve. I consider it an honor, when someone knows themselves well enough and trusts me enough to look at me and say “no” when I ask if they will help with a new ministry or a servant spot. When someone can look at me and say honestly “that isn’t my gift” and then follow it up with “but I am wired and gifted for these things” that’s when our discipleship is grown and challenged and we find the “sweet spots” God has stirred, wired, and equipped us for.

Hopefully you have received your Kingdom Builder Guide and are already learning what you are passionate about and how you are wired. Are you “task” or “people” oriented, do you like to serve in “structured” areas or “unstructured” areas? If you haven’t picked yours up, you can begin to utilize it online or get one this Sunday in worship.

The next step of being a Kingdom Builder with St. Luke’s is to know what spiritual gifts you have been given. You can take the Spirtual Gifts Inventory online or in your Kingdom Builder Guide. In fact, we want everyone to take the test if you haven’t taken it in the last year. You’ll find out more about why on Sunday, but go ahead and take it BEFORE Sunday so you can come to worship knowing your top three spiritual gifts. Because Pastor Jad and I are warning you now…there might just be some interactive work in worship! Make sure you bring your booklet with your work on Sunday to worship so we can have some fun together.

We will continue our study on Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth by digging into 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. Spend the next few days looking at your booklet and understanding your WIRING and how God has EQUPPED you and consider what part of the body you think you are in St. Luke’s Body of Christ. Because God has a vocation you are already wired and equipped for and at just this time and in this space, it’s probably to help St. Luke’s Build God’s Kingdom.

See you Sunday – where not only is it not St. Luke’s without U, we can’t complete our work without U!

Grace and Peace,

Jenn.

Click here to read the full Weekly Update