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'Dependable Strengths'

Pastor Jeffrey Koth (St. Mark's, Waukegan) writes about three key questions he’s used to develop effective ministry teams and help them bring focus to the work they do.

"Dependable Strengths" is a workshop that I was trained to do through the Centered Life Learning Center at Luther Seminary. The retreat helps individuals discern the "dependable strengths" that God has invested in each of us (different from spiritual gifts). A dependable strength is: (1) something you love to do, (2) something you are proud of doing, and (3) something you are very good at doing. None of us would ever want to live a life that doesn't include these activities.

I've adapted the retreat and used it to reform our ministry teams.

Using the three dependable strengths criteria, we develop the work of our ministry teams around the dependable strengths of the folks who populate the team. I've also used it to help formulate ministry teams. "If you don't love [blank], if you aren't good at [blank], and if you aren't proud of doing [blank], then you don't serve on that team.

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