In our Tuesday night Bible study we have been talking about our different personalities. We took a personality test, some of you probably recognize very similar to the Myers-Briggs personality test. The point was then to use this knowledge to understand how we can better serve the church according to our different personalities. So, I have been thinking about this a lot lately, because in the position we are in as missionaries, we basically end up doing a little bit of everything you could think of that goes along with maintaining a church, spiritually and physically.
Last night, we made a long list of ways to serve, specific to the Kayenta church of Christ. Then we looked at what one personality type might lean towards and what they might stay away from. For example, the extrovert would be more likely to greet visitors and evangelize in the public where the introvert would rather do something behind the scenes. While looking at this list, I noticed several things I enjoy doing while others I have to force myself to do. I put a star next to the things I actually enjoy doing. I asked Nick to do the same. I was curious of the things we actually like to do in our daily job as missionaries. Unfortunately, with a small church that has no elders or deacons and very few mature Christians, we end up doing everything on the list. Here is a summary of the things we each like to do.
Nick:
Teaching & Preaching
Praying & Studying with others
Encouraging
Writing cards
Organizing events & social activities
Working in the garden
Setting up for potluck
Helping with a funeral
Organizing church camp
Yard work
Counseling
Greeting visitors
Hospitality
Heidi:
Cleaning the building
Teaching Ladies class
Writing cards
Making bulletin boards
Paying the bills & dealing with finances
Prepare the Lord’s supper
Organizing events & social activities
Preparing, serving and cleaning up for Potlucks
Organizing church camp
Counseling
Teaching children’s classes
Organizing the food pantry
Producing a bulletin
Organizing & maintaining the library
When looking at these lists and our personalities, Nick likes to teach and explain the Bible. He has no problem getting in front of people. Nick is creative and patient and likes to do physical labor from time to time, which I think is why he loves working in the garden. His creativity also lends him towards organizing events and church camp. The things that we both have on our list are interesting, because I think we enjoy those same things for very different reasons. I like to organize events, not because I am creative, but because I am organized. I basically like to do anything administrative such as the finances and the bulletin. I like to write cards, because I can say heartfelt things I might not be able to say to some one’s face. I think Nick is good at writing cards because he can come up with original things to say that still mean a lot.
My point in all this is to say that we each have characteristics and talents that make us equipped for specific ways we can serve the church and ultimately, God. I would like to focus more energy into the things I have been blessed with. Also, one of our jobs in this church is to help the members understand what they have been blessed with and how they can better serve as Christians. I pray we make positive steps in this direction.
