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THIS IS A STUDY GUIDE WHICH GOES WITH THE TEXTBOOK, SPIRITUAL GIFTEDNESS.
There have been thousands of books written by Christians about Christian living. Some have focused on personal growth, some on evangelism and some on various self-help topics. Yet with all the attempts to better serve Christ, the church in America has been consistently shrinking.
In February 2009, Bobby Ross published an article in the Christian Chronicle titled “Church in America Marked By Decline”. He reported of the 12,629 a cappella Churches of Christ comprised of 1,578,281 adherents nationwide, attendance over a six-year period dropped more than 78,000 members and 526 congregations. These are startling statistics and must be addressed.
This drop in attendance is not just among the churches of Christ, but across the board for all Christian religious groups in the U.S. According to an October 17, 2014 article released from the Barna group, the churches in America are in grave trouble.
Countless theories have been put forth to explain the decrease, including a change in the culture from church to “unchurched”. Plans have been enacted, but many congregations continue to wane. Perhaps there is a simpler solution to the problem. According to a reputable 1996 publication by Christian Schwartz, Natural Church Development (page 24-25), one of the primary reasons for the atrophied attendance among churches worldwide is that congregations do not engage members in their Spiritual Gifts. I am persuaded Schwartz was on track, for when people fail to incorporate their natural strengths within an organization, there is a tendency for that body to atrophy.
What if Christians were able to see their potential within the church family?
What if they were able to incorporate themselves into the church body in a way which provided maximum personal joy?
That is the aim of this study, to empower the saints in their giftedness so that their joy may be full.
CONTENTS:
I. 5 Reasons Spiritual Giftedness Can Help My Congregation
II. The Personal Benefits to Spiritual Giftedness
III. Defining the Spiritual Gifts
IV. The Passion of Missions
V. The Passion of Evangelism
VI. The Passion of Confrontation
VII. The Passion of Teaching
VIII. The Passion of Shepherding
IX. The Passion of Encouragement
X. The Passion of Mercy Giving
XI. The Passion of Service
XII. The Passion of Management
XIII. The Passion of Charity/Benevolence
DOUG HAMILTON has been a pulpit minister and evangelist since 2002. He has been active in many foreign missions including Romania, Africa, India, Canada and Greece. He has held the Spiritual Giftedness Seminars dozens of times for congregations and preaching schools throughout the United States and abroad.
He is a graduate of Southern Christian University and Sunset International Bible Institute (SIBI). In 2014 he became the Director of Focus Northeast for SIBI. He is happily married to his wife Jana, having four children and five grandchildren.
