John Ortberg, Laurie Pederson, and Judson Poling, Gifts: The Joy of Serving God , Zondervan, 2000.
Referenced in: Ministry Involvement and Gift-Based Ministry
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Designed for small groups as part of The Pursuing Spiritual Transformation Series of Willow Creek Community Church, Gifts is designed to increase participants’ hunger to be used by God. The study includes seven sessions and a leader’s guide.
From the Publisher
Gifted—that’s you! Uniquely equipped to help build up the body of Christ. As a follower of Jesus, serving others is an integral part of your identity and an important key to your personal growth. But how do you cultivate a servant’s heart and your spiritual gifts in ways that build up your church, your family, your friends, and your world—without wiping you out in the process?
Gifts guides you to the answers. Through personal study and small group interaction, this study will help you develop a passion to be used by God. You’ll find out about your unique place in the body of Christ and how to surmount the obstacles that keep you from thriving. You’ll discover the joy of serving with others—doing together what you cannot do alone. And you’ll learn how to abide in Christ, experiencing a freshness and vitality that grow as you give! Leader’s guide included! Gifts group sessions are:
- Use Me!
- Use My Gifts!
- Walking into Weakness Comparison: The Killjoy of Servanthood
- The Ministry of the Mundane
- Servanthood’s Bell-Shaped Curve
- Abide in Him
About the Authors
John Ortberg is a teaching pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California, and previously served as teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church. He is the bestselling author of Everybody’s Normal Till You Get to Know Them; If You Want to walk on Water, You’ve Got to Get Out of the Boat; Love Beyond Reason; and Old Testament Challenge. He has written for Christianity Today and is a frequent contributor to Leadership Journal.
Judson Poling works with small group ministries at Willow Creek. He is coauthor of the Walking with God series and general editor of The Journey: A Study Bible for Spiritual Seekers.
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
See Resources on Over 100 Areas of Ministry Leadership: