S.H.A.P.E. is an acronym that helps explain the five elements that determine what a person’s ministry should be. To a great extent, your SHAPE effects how you think, motivate, play, work, minister, interact with others and even how you live.

When we have some understanding about our SHAPE, we begin to see why some tasks, challenges, and even people are a natural fit for us and yet others are a struggle.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS – your special ability, given by the Holy Spirit to every believer, to be used to minister to others and therefore build up the Body of Christ. Spiritual gifts reveal part of God’s will for your ministry, but not all of it.

HEART (passion) – represents your desires, interests and inclinations. Your heart determines why you say the things you do (Matt. 12:34), why you feel the way you do (Psalm 34:7), and why you act the way you do (Proverbs 4:23). There are certain things you feel passionate about and others turn you off. God has a purpose in giving you your inborn interests; don’t ignore them! They will help you be fruitful in ministry.

ABILITIES – These are the natural talents, skills and abilities that you were born with and have acquired during your life. Exodus 31:3 tells us that God gives people “skill, ability, and knowledge in all kinds of crafts…” in order to accomplish His purposes.

PERSONALITY – We need all kinds of personalities to accomplish God’s will. Your personality will affect how and where you use your spiritual gifts and abilities. For instance, two people may have the same gift, but if one is introverted and the other is extroverted, that gift will be expressed in different ways.

EXPERIENCES – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). All experiences – good, bad, educational, work related, volunteer, church, secular – help make us who we are.

Upon completion of the Shape class, we encourage membership at The Journey.

This is viewed as an active participation, not just an addition to the roster. Because of this, we want to help you connect to the life and family of our Church. We want to share each requirement with you and help you where you may need help.

Because our process is different from what most people have experienced at other churches, we ask anyone interested in learning more about membership to attend the next New Members Class. This class is held every 6 to 8 weeks, after the 10:30 service.

You can sign-up to attend our next New Members Class by marking the Communication Card in this Sunday’s Bulletin or by emailing us: admin@craigjc.org