Do you ever wonder if your church is making the most of its members’ God-given gifts? Ever wonder if you are using your God-given gifts to their fullest-or if you even understand what God has given you? Exploring this exciting topic are two new works produced by Lutheran Hour Ministries in partnership with Barna Group. Published by InterVarsity Press, Discover Your Gifts by Don Everts, and the companion Discover Your Gifts Workbook by Tony Cook and Don Everts, are now available.
Discover Your Gifts ($17) helps readers realize what they may have missed their entire lives: that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” by God (Psalm 139:14b). Seeing people as God sees them, discovering our God-given gifts, naming our God-given vocations, helping others grow in their gifts, and encouraging others to use their gifts are all covered in this easy-to-read volume. Various appendices add depth and definition to Everts’ work and conclude with The EveryGift Inventory: an excellent resource to help you discover the special aptitudes, innate abilities, and acquired skills God has given you across 12 distinct areas.
The Discover Your Gifts Workbook ($9) includes 12 chapters to help readers explore the types of gifts that God has given them. Naturally, gift types vary widely (technical, artistic, communication, financial, leadership, etc.), and you may very well have more than one of them. This workbook highlights several gift types, notes contexts where they might be used, provides brainstorming exercises for sharing these gifts, offers ideas for helping others determine what gifts they have, and more. Cook and Everts share how our gifts can be used in four distinct areas of life: family, church, work, and society.
In addition to these two texts, LHM is also offering a Gifted for More digital research kit. For $39 you receive a ZIP file which includes a copy of the Gifted for More monograph, a slide deck of Barna’s research to present findings, a video link detailing research data, and a discussion guide for leading conversations. This kit is excellent for congregational leaders interested in discovering and utilizing member giftedness but who don’t know where to begin. As a teaching resource for church leaders, its research-based findings will inspire church co-workers to begin thinking differently about the church members they serve-and all the gifts they have to offer. For more information, go to www.lhm.org/gifted.