What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-Given Passion

All of your favorite business books deliver the dismal statistics on employee engagement.  StrengthsFinder 2.0  author Tom Rath writes, "Over the past decade, Gallup has surveyed more than 10 million people worldwide on the topic of employee engagement (or how positive and productive people are at work), and only one-third `strongly agree' with the statement, `At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.'"Also the co-author of  Strengths-Based Leadership , Rath adds, "In stark contrast, our studies indicate that people who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general."The authors of  The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance [Updated & Revised ] note that "according to a 10-year study of more than 200,000 employees, a whopping 79 percent of people who quit their jobs `cite a lack of appreciation as a key reason for leaving.' Another 65 percent of North Americans `report that they weren't recognized the least bit in the previous year.'" How tragic.So...who's gonna fix this problem--and how?Next week, a dozen team members from a national association have invited me to invest a day with them and focus on what I call "The 3 Powerful S's." Three cheers for a ministry CEO who understands the foundations of work and relationships!The 3 Powerful S's are: Strengths, Social Styles and Spiritual Gifts. You know the strengths resources (StrengthsFinder 2.0 and other books). You've probably taken one or more assessments like Myers-Briggs, DISC, Birkman, or even the four animals system. (What were they again? Muskrat, Chihuahua, Elephant and Platypus? I may have that wrong.) I prefer Social Styles (Analyticals, Drivers, Amiables and Expressives)--because those four words aptly describe the four styles.)But the third "S" is the glaring gap in many churches and ministry organizations. We hammer folks who tilt towards bad theology, but don't take seriously the delightful spiritual gifts distributed to every Christ-follower by our loving, all-wise Heavenly Father. We don't pick our gifts--God does.Pop Quiz! Tell me the about the 3 Powerful S's of your boss (or board chair): Top-5 Strengths, Social Style (or Myers-Brigg description) and Spiritual Gifts. If you passed this test, then list the 3 S's for your direct reports or at least three other work or volunteer colleagues. Did you pass or fail?For years, I've offered a Starbucks card in workshops to anyone who can nail the pop quiz. I still have the coffee card--and that's a crime. Maybe even a sin.What would happen in the Results Bucket, the People Bucket and the Team Bucket if everyone on your team knew and leveraged their own 3 Powerful S's--and the Strengths, Social Styles and Spiritual Gifts of everyone else? It would be dramatic and God would be honored.Bruce Bugbee writes, "God has created and designed us with a purpose in mind. We are `wired' to care about some things more than others. We have been given spiritual gifts to competently accomplish ministry tasks. We have also been designed with a personal style of relating to others and the world around us. We have been given a passion." So...knowing all of that, what has God designed you for?If you have the spiritual gift of administration, it's possible that you're serving today as an administrator--but in an administrative area for which you have no passion. What do you have passion for? Are you leveraging the 3 Powerful S's in your current career and/or volunteer role?If you're up-to-speed on Strengths and Social Styles, but have never invited your team members to take a spiritual gifts assessment, I recommend Bugbee's book.It includes an assessment of about 130 questions covering all of the spiritual gifts, as described in the New Testament (Ephesians 4, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, etc.)

This book outlines and thoroughly explains the believer's path to recognizing ones spiritual gifts. There are also some evaluations to aid one in discovering your particular personal style and ministry passion. Many of us are being misinformed when it comes to spiritual gifts and what they should look like In operation and many us are. Ineffective and unhappy because we are out of place ...this book definitely makes the path of service in the Lord straight and easily understandable. Praise Jesus!

This book helps you look inside yourself to help you find the gifts GOD has given you. I'm using it for a class I'm taking at church. The writer makes you cry, say "wow", think and relive some of the events in your life. It is important try to understand how the events in your life mold you. But reaching for God's unchanging hand, will push you to greater hights.

I thank God for the revelation that was given Bruce Bugbee concerning spiritual gifts. This book contains a self assessment that will point you to the gift that God has placed inside every Believer. This book confirms my primary gift and surprised me on my secondary gift. Don't be surprised if your gift does not coincide with your daily occupation! I will use the information in this book to find a business that best suits both of these traits. Again, buy the book and you will see for yourself.

If you were someone who had no idea where you belonged and earnestly desired a place in your local assembly, this book would be the suggested read. It is written in plain English for anyone to understand and causes you to really think of who you are. From there you are able to accept your uniqueness and then produce based on the unique set of gifts and teachers God g ave to only you! We were never created to be clones...

I found this book to be very helpful to me in determinig where I fit best in the body of Christ. The work pages were very helpful in my identifying and confirming my spiritual gifts. After reading the book and doing the work pages I was motivated to take action. I have purchased, and will purchase more copies to give as gifts to new converts and those who are trying to find their place in ministry.Patricia.

I read this because I wanted to see my potential. I found I was using my gifts wrong. I would recommend this book if you want to see where you are,and why your not getting were you want to be.

I use this book extensively with adults and high school students in my Baptist church. It's easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to apply. It's a very common-sense approach to discovering and applying your spiritual gifts in the context of a lot of the OTHER factors that make you a unique individual with a unique place in God's kingdom.

I gave it a five star rating because even though I have not yet had time to read it completely, I can tell that it will be a very helpful book for me and many of my Christian friends. It is clearly and sincerely written.

good for group discussions and easy to follow application.You have to be honest with yourself, where you are now, not where you would like to be