S.H.A.P.E. Assessment Results

Thank you Ben Kay for taking the SHAPE Assessment. We encourage you to meet with a Church Leader that you respect, to go over your results, so that they can help you discover a place to serve in the church and/or community, and also to help you fine-tune your 5 Main Focuses/Priorities listed at the bottom of this email under the ‘Wrapping it up’ section. May God Bless You!

[S]piritual Gifts

Here is how your spiritual gifts scored:

87%

81%

93%

68%

81%

78%

90%

43%

96%

To see descriptions on the Spiritual Gifts and how you can use them to further Christ’s Kingdom on earth, visit this link.

This gift’s evident in my life in the following ways:
I am passionate about reframing the gospel in a way people can apply to their lives today.

This gift’s evident in my life in the following ways:
I see people on the fringe and I radically accept them. I want to be someone who encourages everyone I meet because I understand the power of words.

This gift’s evident in my life in the following ways:
I feel responsible for the people God has allowed me to live life with. This leads to my passion to pastor.

[H]eart

1. I love to spend time with people.

2. I love to read and write.

3. I love to create.

I love to work with people who are passionate about seeing change take place.

I am passionate about discipleship. I am concerned about people being taken advantage of by those in authority.

Homelessness
Marriage/family issues
Educational

[A]bilities

I currently work for the Homeless Service Authority of Los Angeles.

Director of Outreach, Resident Assistant for a Foster Youth Home.

Teaching, Preaching, Leadership Development, Public Speaking, Organization, Event Planning and execution, Mentoring, Music

Practical Theology, Outreach, Homelessness.

Empathy, Mercy, Love

[P]ersonality

Extrovert

High Risk

50-50 Peace Maker/Challenger

50-50 People/Project Driven

Leader

Team

50-50 Routine/Variety

Your Primary was ‘The Lion’, with your Secondary coming in as ‘The Otter’, and here are the descriptions of your Personalities, and how they can be used for God

Lion- This personality likes to lead. The lion is good at making decisions and is very goal-oriented. They enjoy challenges, difficult assignments, and opportunity for advancement. Because lions are thinking of the goal, they can step on people to reach it. Lions can be very aggressive and competitive. Lions must learn not to be too bossy or to take charge in other’s affairs.

Strength: Goal-oriented, strong, direct
Weakness: Argumentative, too dictatorial
Limitation: Doesn’t understand that directness can hurt others, hard time expressing grace

Otter- Otters are very social creature. Otter personalities love people. They enjoys being popular and influencing and motivating others. Otter can sometimes be hurt when people do not like them. Otter personalities usually have lots of friends, but not deep relationships. They love to goof-off. (They are notorious for messy rooms.) Otters like to hurry and finish jobs. (Jobs are not often done well.) The otter personality is like Tigger in Winnie The Pooh.

Strength: People person, open, positive
Weakness: Talks too much, too permissive
Limitation: Remembering past commitments, follow through with discipline

[E]xperience

I am becoming a Christian. When I had the faith of a child I said the prayer and agreed to trust that Jesus knew better than I. Since that day, however, I have been converted again and again. I have been wrecked by the love of Jesus and slowly I am sounding and looking and walking more like Him. Conversion is a lifelong process. I am saved but I will never stop being converted from my self to the image of Christ.

Director of Outreach / Adopt-A-Block
Dream Center / Los Angeles, CA
August 2014 – February 2018

-Responsible for the leadership and management of all aspects of outreach at The Dream Center.

-Implemented standardization around procedures, systems, data tracking, capacity building, programming, and service delivery.

-Facilitated and significantly expanded staff development and capacity.

-Provided consulting services to faith communities and non-profits both domestically and internationally.

-Significantly expanded strategic relationships with LA city and county partners, law enforcement, non-profits, faith communities, and institutions of higher education.

-Personally led hundreds of outreach teams in Skid Row, HACLA Housing Developments and other under resourced communities.

-Directly oversaw the coordination of over 4.3 Million dollars in volunteer efforts across LA county (2013-2018).

Resident Assistant
Dream Center Foster Home / Los Angeles, CA
January 2015 – August 2016

-Responsible for the daily oversight and leadership of the male floor of Freedom House (16 residents).

-Conducted program intakes, interventions, exits, and dismissals.

-Strong competency in conflict resolution, de-escalation, and peacemaking practices.

-Extensive experience creating programming and facilitating community.

-Member of the Freedom House Disciplinary Committee.

-Direct experience working with law enforcement and mental health units on the clients behalf.

Outreach Coordinator
Regent University / Virginia Beach, VA
August 2012 – August 2013

-Planned and coordinated service-learning opportunities for Regent University students.

-Oversaw a team of 10 interns.

-Coordinated weekly, monthly, and annual service events.

-Initiated “Good Fridays,” a weekly service opportunity that connected students to churches and non-profits in the Virginia Beach area through consistent and relational service-learning. This remains the service-learning platform at Regent University to this day.

-Assisted in the planning and oversight of a week-long New York City Missions Trip involving 50 students.

-Responsible for building meaningful relationships with strategic local and national partners: Salvation Army, Union Rescue Mission, Invisible Children, Local Churches, etc.

I traveled to England for 2 weeks prior to my final year of University and it changed my life. It was a mission trip of a sort but that’s not what had an impact on my life. I met a man sleeping on the streets of London and sat in the dirt talking with him. He asked me to buy him a beer and I didn’t initially. I left and walked back to our hostel, feeling like I had nothing to offer this man. Halfway back though, I felt God tell me to turn around and buy the man a beer. So I did. I sat with him on the street as he drank and I realized God wanted this man to know he was loved and my act was the reminder he needed.

I met Malachi during my final year at University and he changed the way I see the world. He lived on the streets and he couldn’t see well. He had been a welder in the Norfolk shipyards and the bright lights and taken their toll on his sight. He stopped me and asked for help as I walked past. I sat down and listen as he poured his life out like water before me. After 30 minutes, I got up, grabbed his hand, and told him I was going to buy him some glasses. We went to Save-A-Lot and I got him two pairs. I’ll never forget the words he said the moment he put them on… “Ben, I can see.”

Last year, I met Ricky. He was crippled and lived on the streets. A well-intended neighbor brought him to the center where I worked with hopes of finding him help. I met him and within moments had dropped everything to try to find him housing. What followed was a 48 experience, unlike anything I’d experienced. Ricky and I drove for hours in LA traffic trying in vain to find somewhere he could stay. Ricky was sick. Even the most basic bodily functions were impossibilities for him. After hours of no luck, sitting in a car that wreaked of human excrement, I felt God ask me if I would go to any length to help Ricky. I said yes. From that moment, I have determined to do whatever is necessary to help those in need.

During my last year in high school and first year in University, I experienced rejection and apathy from people close to me. These experiences have brought me closer to others and have given me an awareness of those on the fringes I would not possess otherwise.

During my first year in California, I struggled with depression for several months. This experience has given me empathy for those who struggle.

During my Juinor year at University, I was in an unhealthy relationship that ended badly. I was an RA at the time, and due to my actions, I had to step down from this position. However, had I not stepped down, I would have never joined Campus Ministries or taken the steps towards the life I have now.

Wrapping It Up

The Challenge: Based upon your S.H.A.P.E. Assessment above (the way God wired you), If you knew you couldn’t fail … and ‘lack of money, or time’ was not an obstacle… list your Top 3 Things you would ‘Focus’ your Life on, next to #1 Loving God & #2 Loving Your Neighbor (these would be your ‘3 God-Sized Dreams’ for your life)?

1. My Relationship with GOD

2. My Relationship with Others

• Putting Your Spouse First
• Your Kids Second
• Everyone Else After those

3. I want to get my PhD and teach at University.

4. I want to write books that re-frame theology and make it accessible for everyone.

5. I want to start a movement that revitalizes neighborhoods and people that have been degraded and devalued.