Jesus said, “… I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others …” (Matthew 20:28). He is our example and has called each one of us as Christians to serve in ministry. How do we determine what ministry we have been called to do?

My ministry is determined by my S.H.A.P.E. What God made me to be determines what He intends for me to do. I will understand the purpose I was created for when I understand the kind of person I am. This is the secret of knowing God's will for my life. God is consistent in His plan for each of our lives. He would not give us inborn talents and temperaments, spiritual gifts and all sorts of life experiences and then not use them. We believe by reviewing and studying these factors you'll discover the ministry God has for you, the unique way God intends for you to serve Him.

The two results for discovering the ministry I've been shaped for are fruitfulness and fulfillment. When you discover what God made you to be and then you begin to do what God made you to do, through what He made you to be, you're going to be fulfilled. Fulfillment comes from service, not from status or anything else.

The links on this page are to assist you in discovering your S.H.A.P.E. and connect you to a ministry. What is S.H.A.P.E.?

Spiritual Gifts - What Am I Gifted To Do?
Heart - What Do I Love To Do?
Abilities - What Natural Talents and Skills Do I Have?
Personality - Where Does My Personality Best Suit Me to Serve?
Experiences

Your ministry will be most effective and fulfilling when you are using your GIFTS and ABILITIES in the area of HEART'S DESIRE in a way that best expresses your PERSONALITY and EXPERIENCE!

Success is Doing What God Made Me to Do!

How To Discover Your Gift
Get Started!

Study
From Scripture (Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4) and related books
Trial and Error
Experiment with different areas of service
Analyze
Use Spiritual Gifts Inventory (available through the Ministry Institute. An online version is under construction)
Request Reponses from Others
Ask others what gifts they see in me.
Take Training
Take advantage of training opportunities.

What I have a heart for, or what motivates me most (from the inventory):

I love to

I love to

I love to

1. Who I love to work with most, and the age or type of people:

2. Church issues, ministries, or possible needs that excite or concern me most:

3. If I knew I couldn’t fail, this is what I would attempt to do for God with my life:

Of the 26 Abilities listed below, check those that fit you:

Entertaining ability: to perform, act, speak, magic
Recruiting ability: to enlist and motive people to get involved
Interview ability: to discover what others are really like
Researching ability: to read, gather information, collect data
Artistic ability: to conceptualize, picture, draw, paint, photograph, or make renderings
Graphics ability: to lay out, design, create visual displays or banners
Evaluating ability: to analyze data and draw conclusions
Planning ability: to strategize, design and organize programs and events
Managing ability: to supervise people to accomplish a task or event and coordinate the details involved
Counseling ability: to listen, encourage and guide with sensitivity
Teaching ability: to explain, train, demonstrate, tutor
Writing ability: to write articles, letters, books
Editing ability: to proofread or rewrite
Promoting ability: to advertise or promote events and activities
Repairing ability: to fix, restore, maintain
Feeding ability: to create meals for large or small groups
Recall ability: to remember or recall names and faces
Mechanical operating ability: to operate equipment, tools or machinery
Resourceful ability: to search out and find inexpensive materials or resources needed
Counting ability: to work with numbers, data or money
Classifying ability: to systematize and file books, data, records and materials so they can be retrieved easily
Public Relations ability: to handle complaints and unhappy customers with care and courtesy
Welcoming ability: to convey warmth, develop rapport, making others feel comfortable
Composing ability: to write music or lyrics
Landscaping ability: to do gardening and work with plants
Decorating ability: to beautify a setting for a special event

1. My current vocation is:

2. Other jobs or skills I have experience in:

3. I feel I have these specialized abilities (from the list above):

4. I have taught a class or a seminar on:

5. I feel my most valuable personal asset is:

One of the most overlooked factors in determining the ministry God has for me is my past experience, particularly my hurts and problems I’ve overcome with God's help. Since our greatest life messages come out of our weaknesses, not our strengths, we should pay close attention to what we've learned in the "school of hard knocks".

Write down these experiences on your personal profile:

Your Spiritual Experiences
Meaningful Decisions/Times With God

Your Painful Experiences
Problems, Hurts, Trials-That Have Taught You

Your Educational Experiences
What Were Your Favorite Subjects In School

Your Ministry Experiences
How Have You Served In The Past