What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-Given Passion [Paperback]

Bruce L. Bugbee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2005

Now with discussion questions and assessment tools to help you determine your unique ministry fit. By the coauthor of the Network course materials developed at Willow Creek Community Church Have you found fulfillment in life? Can you say your ministry is fruitful? God has created you to be both fulfilled and fruitful in a meaningful place of service. You can discover your God-given design and the role he created for you in and through the local church. In What You Do Best in the Body of Christ, Bruce Bugbee helps you identify your God-given spiritual gifts, personal style, and ministry passion. And he shows how they point to your unique role and purpose in the body of Christ when they are expressed together. Drawing from biblical principles, this book provides proven tools and a conversational approach that will help you fulfill God's will for your life. You'll discover: Your God-given Spiritual Gifts indicate what you're equipped to do competently Your God-given Personal Style indicates how you can serve with energy and authenticity Your God-given Ministry Passion indicates where you're motivated to serve Together, they indicate what you do best in the body of Christ! You will also better understand God's design for the church and your role within it. You'll find plenty of helpful charts and self-assessments---plus insights into the fallacies and pitfalls that can hinder your effectiveness. Start learning today what God wants you to do, and experience more enthusiasm, greater joy, and real significance in your life and ministry.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Now with discussion questions and assessment tools to help you determine your unique ministry fit.

By the coauthor of the Network course materials developed at Willow Creek Community Church

Have you found fulfillment in life? Can you say your ministry is fruitful? God has created you to be both fulfilled and fruitful in a meaningful place of service. You can discover your God-given design and the role he created for you in and through the local church.

In What You Do Best in the Body of Christ, Bruce Bugbee helps you identify your God-given spiritual gifts, personal style, and ministry passion. And he shows how they point to your unique role and purpose in the body of Christ when they are expressed together. Drawing from biblical principles, this book provides proven tools and a conversational approach that will help you fulfill God’s will for your life. You’ll discover:

Your God-given Spiritual Gifts indicate what you’re equipped to do competently Your God-given Personal Style indicates how you can serve with energy and authenticity Your God-given Ministry Passion indicates where you’re motivated to serve Together, they indicate what you do best in the body of Christ!

You will also better understand God’s design for the church and your role within it.

You’ll find plenty of helpful charts and self-assessments—plus insights into the fallacies and pitfalls that can hinder your effectiveness. Start learning today what God wants you to do, and experience more enthusiasm, greater joy, and real significance in your life and ministry.

About the Author

Bruce L. Bugbee is founder and president of Network Ministries International in Mission Viejo, California. He is also the author of What You Do Best in the Body of Christ and The Gift Book. SPANISH BIO: Es el fundador y presidente del Ministerio Internacional de La red en Mision Viejo, California. el es tambien el autor de lo que Usted Hace Lo Mejor Posible en el Cuerpo de Cristo y del Libro del Regalo.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; Rev Exp edition (March 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310257352
• ISBN-13: 978-0310257356
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #59 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Ministry
  • #88 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Religious Studies > Theology

More About the Author

Bruce L. Bugbee is founder and president of Network Ministries International in Mission Viejo, California. He is also the author of What You Do Best in the Body of Christ and The Gift Book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent source of knowlege, November 19, 2009

By 

P. Matthews Davis "church lady" (jacksonville, fl) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-Given Passion (Paperback)

I found this book to be very helpful to me in determinig where I fit best in the body of Christ. The work pages were very helpful in my identifying and confirming my spiritual gifts. After reading the book and doing the work pages I was motivated to take action. I have purchased, and will purchase more copies to give as gifts to new converts and those who are trying to find their place in ministry.
Patricia.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The 3 Powerful S's, October 13, 2011

By 

John W. Pearson "John Pearson Associates" (San Clemente, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-Given Passion (Paperback)

All of your favorite business books deliver the dismal statistics on employee engagement. StrengthsFinder 2.0 author Tom Rath writes, "Over the past decade, Gallup has surveyed more than 10 million people worldwide on the topic of employee engagement (or how positive and productive people are at work), and only one-third `strongly agree' with the statement, `At work, I have the opportunity to do what I do best every day.'"

Also the co-author of Strengths-Based Leadership, Rath adds, "In stark contrast, our studies indicate that people who do have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general."

The authors of The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance [Updated & Revised] note that "according to a 10-year study of more than 200,000 employees, a whopping 79 percent of people who quit their jobs `cite a lack of appreciation as a key reason for leaving.' Another 65 percent of North Americans `report that they weren't recognized the least bit in the previous year.'" How tragic.

So...who's gonna fix this problem--and how?

Next week, a dozen team members from a national association have invited me to invest a day with them and focus on what I call "The 3 Powerful S's." Three cheers for a ministry CEO who understands the foundations of work and relationships!

The 3 Powerful S's are: Strengths, Social Styles and Spiritual Gifts. You know the strengths resources (StrengthsFinder 2.0 and other books). You've probably taken one or more assessments like Myers-Briggs, DISC, Birkman, or even the four animals system. (What were they again? Muskrat, Chihuahua, Elephant and Platypus? I may have that wrong.) I prefer Social Styles (Analyticals, Drivers, Amiables and Expressives)--because those four words aptly describe the four styles.)

But the third "S" is the glaring gap in many churches and ministry organizations. We hammer folks who tilt towards bad theology, but don't take seriously the delightful spiritual gifts distributed to every Christ-follower by our loving, all-wise Heavenly Father. We don't pick our gifts--God does.

Pop Quiz! Tell me the about the 3 Powerful S's of your boss (or board chair): Top-5 Strengths, Social Style (or Myers-Brigg description) and Spiritual Gifts. If you passed this test, then list the 3 S's for your direct reports or at least three other work or volunteer colleagues. Did you pass or fail?

For years, I've offered a Starbucks card in workshops to anyone who can nail the pop quiz. I still have the coffee card--and that's a crime. Maybe even a sin.

What would happen in the Results Bucket, the People Bucket and the Team Bucket if everyone on your team knew and leveraged their own 3 Powerful S's--and the Strengths, Social Styles and Spiritual Gifts of everyone else? It would be dramatic and God would be honored.

Bruce Bugbee writes, "God has created and designed us with a purpose in mind. We are `wired' to care about some things more than others. We have been given spiritual gifts to competently accomplish ministry tasks. We have also been designed with a personal style of relating to others and the world around us. We have been given a passion." So...knowing all of that, what has God designed you for?

If you have the spiritual gift of administration, it's possible that you're serving today as an administrator--but in an administrative area for which you have no passion. What do you have passion for? Are you leveraging the 3 Powerful S's in your current career and/or volunteer role?

If you're up-to-speed on Strengths and Social Styles, but have never invited your team members to take a spiritual gifts assessment, I recommend Bugbee's book.

It includes an assessment of about 130 questions covering all of the spiritual gifts, as described in the New Testament (Ephesians 4, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, etc.)

5.0 out of 5 stars Biblical and beautifully written!, June 21, 2011

By 

Lori Rose (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: What You Do Best in the Body of Christ: Discover Your Spiritual Gifts, Personal Style, and God-Given Passion (Paperback)

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is questioning what their spiritual gifts are and how they can be used in ministry. I would also suggest reading The cure for the common Life by Max Lucado. These two books compliment each other very well. Don't pass them up!