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

Thank you Susan R. 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 (in alphabetical order):

75%

84%

84%

62%

59%

84%

87%

31%

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 feel I have the gift of teaching because I enjoy helping others learn. I received positive feedback when I stepped in as the substitute teacher for the adult Bible class on Sunday mornings for almost four months. I thoroughly enjoyed studying and preparing the lesson each week and looked for additional information that wasn’t included in the study book. I enjoy learning ways to become a more effective teacher. I also enjoy leading a life group once a week and encouraging those in attendance. I want to learn more effective ways to be a small group leader and teacher.

This gift’s evident in my life in the following ways:
I feel I have the gift of pastoring/shepherding because I enjoy studying God’s Word in preparation for writing a sermon as well as learning ways to be more effective in delivering it. Teaching from the front of a congregation is different from teaching in a classroom setting or a small life group setting. I enjoy praying for and with the congregation, being an encourager/support to those going through storms and giving hope. As an assistant pastor, I am still learning what it means to be a pastor/shepherd. People in the congregation look to me as a leader. I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit on my messages and during services as I am speaking. I have received positive feedback and comments about my messages and people are learning.

This gift’s evident in my life in the following ways:
I feel I have the gift of evangelism because I look for opportunities to share the Gospel with others. I enjoy sharing my testimony with others and give God the praise and glory for the way in which He has worked in my life. I especially take seriously the fact that by sharing (or not sharing) the Gospel with others will have eternal consequences.

[H]eart

1. I love to read and study God’s Word, devotionals, and writing insights gained or reactions.

2. I love to spend time with Don, my husband. I enjoy singing with him, playing our accordions together, going for walks or hikes, watching movies, and leading the traditional worship service together.

3. I love to be with family. I am blessed to be a part of my two sons lives as they grew to be young men, married, and have families of their own. I enjoy being with my two son, two daughters-in-law, and our seven grandchildren. Being given the gift of having a role in their lives is a great blessing from God. Mom lives with us and is a blessing, too. We are blessed in that we each have our separate lives and yet we do things together – it is a nice mix.

I love to work with children and seniors for two different reasons. As a counselor my clients were all under the age of 18 and with the children I worked with their parents or whoever was their primary caregiver/guardian. Children have a whole life ahead of them to serve in God’s kingdom. Teaching them, reading God’s stories, and helping them develop their spirituality gives a base for the rest of their lives. The seniors in our congregation are nearer to the end of their lives (although we never know when God will call us home to heaven). So, to help them stay the course in their spirituality is important. The older a person gets, the more likely health issues will arise and sometimes those circumstances can grow a person’s faith or it could have just the opposite effect. I love to work with both ends of the life cycle because in doing so I end up working with the parents of the children, too, and thus I get to serve all ages. I have not really had a thing for age – age is a number and different ages or different seasons of life are apparent. From my perspective all are God’s children with whom I love to work.

Leading the traditional worship service excites me and as a part of that preparing and sharing messages. I am excited to lead a life group and to step in as a substitute teacher for the adult Bible study class if needed.
The children’s ministry is an important ministry in our church and one which has been a challenge to restart because of the pandemic restrictions. I am excited about the plans to begin preparations in getting this ministry organized and running again.
I think the growth in the technology area has been a challenge. From my perspective it is such an huge undertaking. I think there are many facets to it and am grateful for those involved in that particular area for the gifts and talents to serve in that capacity.

Spiritual laziness
Educational
Health/fitness

[A]bilities

I am currently an assistant pastor at Alive Church.

Office Administrator at Wesleyan Community Church/Alive Church
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor – clients were under the age of 18 and their parents/guardians.
Bank Teller (part-time to full-time), then promoted to Bookkeeper Supervisor

Special talents/skills

I have taught parenting classes at my previous employer.
I more recently taught the Adult Bible Study Class as a substitute teacher for nearly four months.
I am leading a life group.

I feel my most valuable personal asset is my desire to help people.

[P]ersonality

Extrovert

50-50 High/Low Risk

Peace Maker

People Driven

Leader

50-50 Routine/Variety

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

Golden Retriever- Good at making friends. Very loyal. Retriever personalities do not like big changes. They look for security. Can be very sensitive. Very caring. Has deep relationships, but usually only a couple of close friends. Wants to be loved by everyone. Looks for appreciation. Works best in a limited situation with a steady work pattern.

Strength: Accommodating, calm, affirming
Weakness: Indecisive, indifferent, unable to express emotional, too soft on other people
Limitation: Seeing the need to be more assertive, holding others accountable

Beaver- Organized. Beavers think that there is a right way to do everything and they want to do it exactly that way. Beaver personalities are very creative. They desire to solve everything. Desire to take their time and do it right. Beavers do not like sudden changes. They need reassurance.

Strength: High standards, order, respect
Weakness: Unrealistic expectations of self & others, too perfect.
Limitation: Seeing the optimistic side of things, expressing flexibility

[E]xperience

I have been a Christian all my life. I asked for my first Bible at the age of 8. I do not have the “Paul” experience but rather a lifelong relationship with God. I had a rough patch of life when I became angry with God but He placed someone in my life to help me process the circumstances and as a result my faith in God was not only restored but grew. When my late husband was dying I searched for a church. It was during those six months and the three years following his death that life as a widow with God by my side is when my relationship with the Lord deepened. Three years later God arranged for my husband, Don, and I to meet. We had an instant connection through our Spirits and married seven months later. Through some medical conditions, my relationship with Jesus continued to strengthen and my passion for Christ was ignited. Renewing my baptism vows and rededicating my life to Jesus Christ occurred a few months after being declared cancer-free. I felt different from the moment I came up out of the water. My life hasn’t been the same since. I wrote my story in a book and was released on February 14, 2018. On May 20, 2018 God called me to become an ordained minister. Steps taken to follow God’s call on my life began and I started classes. God has blessed my life in many ways and now all I can do is say “Yes” to obeying God. I am His servant to do with my life as He wants for I gave Him my life when I was baptized on July 9, 2017. Jesus is my best Friend.

Choir Member, Soloist, ensemble singer at Trinity Lutheran Church, Tinley Park.
Stephen Minister at Trinity Lutheran Church, Tinley Park.
Had strongly considered studying to become a deaconess but employment prevented me from commuting to Concordia University

Choir Member, Soloist, and Special Music Singer with Don at Wesleyan Community Church, Oak Lawn.

Life Group leader
Co-Leader of Traditional Worship Service

My marriage and the birth of my two sons

The ordained minister who helped me through the darkest period of my life after learning I had been sexually abused by the family physician when I was a child.

My late in life marriage to Don – he is my “gift from God!”

Being a victim of sexual abuse by the family physician when a child but it was repressed until my late 30s. I went from survivor to Thriver!

Widowhood began March 26, 2002

Cancer survivor; Don and I chose the natural/holistic/alternative course of treatment which were not covered by insurance. So the financial aspect of medical issues are a source of great compassion for others experiencing similar circumstances.

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. Create a “Wesleyan Worship on Wheels” Ministry (www.ministry)

4. I would love to walk where Jesus Christ walked!

5. I would unite our country and start a revival of Judeo-Christian values.