The idea for the current Where Is God Calling You? inventory began in early 2020. The Nominations and Leadership Development Committee decided to create a tool to help individuals in the congregation identify their skills and passions. This info, the “Nom Comm” decided, would greatly assist the committee whose charge is to identify and develop leaders to serve in various roles in the church.
The goal of the Nomination and Leadership Development Committee, as chair Pastor Grace Imathiu and vice chair Lynelle Diener have shared, is not to “fill slots”; rather, the committee strives to thoughtfully identify persons with both the God-given gifts for a particular ministry area and a real passion for it.
Despite the shutdown due to COVID in March 2020, the committee went ahead and, with the assistance of church member Beth Tipton, created Where Is God Calling You?, a survey tool that leads persons through a brief discernment process to identify and then narrow down lists of gifts “that most give you joy” and passions “for causes that speak most strongly to you.”
Since the survey launch two years ago, 290 church members and friends have completed it. Responses have been used by the Nominations Committee and other church leaders to identify and communicate about areas of service and connection that might be a good fit for individuals.
Reflecting on how the COVID pandemic has led persons to explore and engage in new interests and to discover (or rediscover) skills, the Nominations Committee decided to encourage members of the congregation to retake the survey or take it for the first time.
The Where Is God Calling You? survey is online, and takes on average minutes to complete.