LAKE FOREST, Calif. (PD) — God designed every believer to play a unique role in the local church. Ephesians 2:10 says, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” When a church family discovers and celebrates its spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences (S.H.A.P.E.), it becomes focused, fulfilled, and fruitful.

“I’ve had the privilege of working with thousands of churches,” said Erik Rees, pastor of ministry and S.H.A.P.E. discovery at Saddleback Church. “Probably the number one factor in determining success is whether the ministry purpose is championed and modeled by the senior pastor.”

Pastors who want to mobilize their church for ministry can start by identifying their own S.H.A.P.E. and recognizing the areas in which they excel. “Those are the areas God will leverage for his glory,” Rees said.

It’s also important to identify weaknesses, so that other people can be invited to strengthen those areas. “What you can live without is what someone else would love to do,” Rees said. “Pastors and staff have to be prepared to let go of certain responsibilities.”

The three-step model: Grasp, give, and grow

In the sixth year of Saddleback Church’s growth, Pastor Rick Warren realized the old ministry model wasn’t working. That’s when he embraced the concept of making every member a minister. “He came to a point of incredible frustration and fatigue,” Rees said. “He basically got up in front of the church and said, ‘OK, as I read the Bible, I’m not supposed to do it all. So I’ll do my job. I’ll feed and lead. You guys need to step up and take care of the rest.’” The church’s health and growth skyrocketed after that.

Now Saddleback follows a three-step process for empowering members for ministry. The first step is to encourage members to grasp their unique role in ministry. At Saddleback, this primarily happens through C.L.A.S.S. 301 which includes a S.H.A.P.E. profile and follow-up session with a S.H.A.P.E. discovery guide. It is also happens through trial and error as members serve in different ways until they find the best fit.

Step two is to challenge staff and lay ministers to give away the roles they are not shaped to fill. This step is about strategically inviting other people to serve. The 2001 National Giving and Volunteering Study showed that 63 percent of the people surveyed said they would volunteer if someone asked them. Rees tells pastors, “If they see it, they will sign up for it.” He recommends finding the person in your church who is skilled at marketing communications and asking him or her to help you craft invitations to serve.

The third step is to grow your ministers by investing in their S.H.A.P.E. “Volunteers want to succeed,” Rees pointed out. “When volunteers show up, they’re saying, ‘Train me. Educate me. Help me do the best I can in the role you’ve offered me.’ Volunteers don’t want to fail, so you need to figure out the best way to invest in them for success.”

Sometimes churches do a good job of inviting, but don’t invest in their volunteers. “We call that the exhausted church,” Rees said. “Everybody’s doing a lot of stuff, but they aren’t doing the right things.” Conversely, some churches do a good job of investing and equipping, but a poor job of inviting members to serve. “We call that the equipped church,” Rees said. “Everyone knows their S.H.A.P.E., but they’re not being invited to express it.” The goal is to create an empowered church with a balance between inviting and investing.

What if there’s more work than volunteers shaped to do it?

At the end of the day, God is interested in our servant’s heart. “There are certain things we are called to do as Christians whether we feel shaped to do them or not,” Rees said. “The most important thing is to show up with palms up each day, ready for whatever God asks of you.” When we have a servant’s heart, then we’re ready to be used by God to the fullest.

When a church is small or just starting to mobilize its members for ministry, you can encourage people to help in whatever way is needed at the time. Over time people will start to discover their S.H.A.P.E. and why God brought them to the church. “The ultimate goal is to glorify God, and we’re glorifying God when we involve every member in ministry,” Rees said.

In his new book, Rees helps readers discover their “Kingdom Purpose,” the unique contribution of their life. Organized into three phases, the book covers the components of S.H.A.P.E. and how believers can identify them in their own lives, how to let go of what distracts them from God’s purpose so they can serve in the community, and how they can grasp and live out their life purpose.

“My heart goes out to people who are confused about who they are, have cluttered lifestyles, and are controlled in some way by their past,” Rees said. “My hope is that readers will gain clarity and confidence so that – through the power of the Holy Spirit – they can let go of the past and move into the future God has planned for them.”

S.H.A.P.E.: Finding and Fulfilling Your Unique Purpose in Life will be available in bookstores and on Pastors.com on Aug. 1.