Have you ever noticed that no two people are alike?

People want different things. They behave differently, even under the same circumstances. People need different things. They believe differently. Some people like to be around other people, sometimes lots of other people. Even when they’re stressed - perhaps especially when they’re stressed - they like to be around others. But other people like to be by themselves. Going to a party is actually draining on them. Some people seem to like making decisions and make them quickly. Others prefer to keep their options open, perhaps collecting more information before making a decision. Some people love to work from checklists. They get a great deal of satisfaction from laying things out in an orderly fashion and systematically accomplishing things one at a time. Others feel their creativity is stymied working in such an atmosphere. Some people are deeply rational, logical, orderly. Others are reflective, intuitive. Some like to go “by the book,” doing things consistently, predictably every time. Others are creative, innovative, and they seem to thrive on chaos and are bored by routine.

We all have unique personal styles, or personalities. God did not design us as mirror images of one another. God uses all personality types for the work of ministry. However, experience shows that some personal styles are more suited to some types of ministry, and others more suited to other types of ministry. This concept has been known and used in the business world for decades.

Somehow, this reality has eluded us in the Church. When lay ministry is not fully affirmed, or if lay ministry is seen simply as a way of accomplishing a pastor’s program, then it should come as no surprise that there is a shortage of lay ministers. Consequently, pastors recruit anyone who shows an interest by their participation, without regard to their personality. We ask shy people, who like order and stability, to be kindergarten teachers where chaos is the order of the day! Some, fortunately, discover unknown gifts in this experience. But others are crushed by their negative experience and feel certain that they are not in any way gifted by God for ministry. They feel miserable and guilty because they know ministry should be fulfilling. But for them, it is not. Therefore, they reason, the problem must be with them.

The problem is not the faithfulness of the person, however. The problem is a mismatch of ministries! Take an extroverted person who thrives on chaos, throw in a little teaching giftedness and experience, and you have a fulfilled lay minister when he or she teaches in a kindergarten classroom. Take the shy, introverted person who thrives on order, put her on a policy writing committee, and she blossoms like an Easter Lily! It’s all a matter of effectively identifying and deploying their S.H.A.P.E., including their personality.

The "live" S.H.A.P.E. course includes a personality profile screening we could not include in the on-line version. To take an personality assessment, sign-up for the next S.H.A.P.E. class.