Last Thursday, the staff ran away for an all day retreat. We actually brought in my sister, Lisa, who works in Human Resource for Hosanna (Lutheran Church) in Lakeville, MN. This is a vibrant, huge (third in the ELCA), far-reaching congregation that is doing some amazing things. Whenever she and I talk about our churches, Hosanna makes Christ Lutheran feel like a small, rural country church with one service on Sunday morning and a Bible study in the church basement on Tuesday morning for 8 senior citizens.
She worked with the staff all day on their spiritual strengths. God has hard-wired each of us differently. The challenge is for us to figure out our own strengths, build on them and use them to God's glory. However, it is equally important to figure out the strengths in others so that we can team up together more effectively and make sure that each of us is in the right position on the team.
I had three take away from that retreat. First, I could embrace my strengths. There were about two that I really, really wished I had going into this retreat but now I'm ready to celebrate the ones I have and not regret the ones I don't.
Second, I could recognize the strengths in others. It helps me understand what makes people tick, what gives them passion, and how they can do so effortlessly that which I struggle to complete.
Third, I am more convinced than ever before that we have an amazing staff at CLC. God has assembled these people with these gifts at this time for this ministry. We have the staff in the right positions to maximize their strengths for the advancement of the Kingdom.
Sometimes it takes a day away from the phones, meetings and e-mails for us all to see just how God has showered us with blessings.
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The experience from the retreat might make a good Wednesdays Together series. Helping people find their spiritual strenghts would be very much in keeping with the "equip" part of the Church's mission.
ReplyDeleteAs for CLC's small rural roots, with the bible study class of 8 senior citizen's. We don't meet on Tuesdays, it's Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings...and it's not the basement, but the Library...and there is always room in Han's class for some new (and younger) faces.