Fellowship Preaching/Teaching Leadership Celebrate Recovery Discipleship Small Groups Evangelism Worship Ministry

The Key to Helping People Find Their Ministry Fit

The Daniel Plan Study Guide with Streaming Video

40 Days of Love

40 Days of Prayer Study Kit

If you’ve been reading my Ministry Toolbox articles for a while, you’re probably familiar with the concept of SHAPE—but you may not understand it fully. For us at Saddleback, SHAPE has become a critical part of how we help mobilize people for ministry. Architecture teaches that function follows form. We believe the opposite is true for ministry—form follows function. Your ministry is determined by your makeup. When you don’t understand your SHAPE, you sometimes end up doing things God never intended or designed you to do. And when your gifts don’t match the role you play in life, it can be frustrating to you and the people you’re leading. Not only does it produce limited results, but it is also an enormous waste of your talents, time, and energy. Five important factors make up how God SHAPEs us for ministry.

Spiritual gifts

The moment you become a believer, God gives you certain spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12; Romans 8; Ephesians 4). Every believer has a spiritual gift. Most churches say, “Discover your spiritual gift and then you’ll know what ministry you’re supposed to have.” But they have it backwards.. I believe the exact opposite: Start experimenting with different ministries and then you’ll discover your gifts! Until you actually get involved in serving, you’re not going to know what you’re good at doing. You can read every book out there about spiritual gifts and still be confused about what you are gifted to do.

Heart

The Bible uses the heart to represent the center of emotions, desires, interests, and inclinations. God has given every individual a unique physical heartbeat. This unique heartbeat is like a thumb print. It’s different from everyone else’s. God also gifts us with a certain emotional heartbeat. Certain things get you excited while others do not. These passions help us better understand how God wants to use us in ministry. God has gifted certain people to teach, but if he also gives them a heart for children, it will change how they use that gift. Your God-given motivational bent provides an internal guidance system for your life and will determine what will bring you the most satisfaction in your life.

Abilities

These are the natural abilities God gives you from the moment you were born. Some people are natural athletes. Others were born with innate mathematical abilities. Others are great at working with people. Just like spiritual gifts and heart, God gives us natural abilities so that we can use them to do his work in the world. There are people in your church who are gifted with all kinds of abilities. Your church shouldn’t waste them.

Personality

Your personality influences how you’ll use your gifts and abilities. Those who are extroverted will serve in ways that are different from those who are introverted. The same is true for people who like routines and people who like variety. Your personality will affect how and where you use your spiritual gifts and abilities. There is no “right” or “wrong” temperament for ministry. We need all kinds of personalities to balance the church and give it flavor. The world would be a very boring place if we were all the same.

Experiences

God never wastes an experience. Specifically, he gives us four kinds of experiences that shape the ministry he wants for us: educational, vocational, spiritual, and painful. That last one may surprise you, but it’s the most important. God never wastes a hurt. God takes us through painful experiences and comforts us so we can minister to others who are in pain. One of the best ways to help people discover their ministries is to encourage them to reflect on their past and ask, “How can God use that?” Because our SHAPE was sovereignly determined by God for his purpose, we shouldn’t resent it or reject it. Romans 9:20-21 says, “What right have you, a human being, to cross-examine God? The pot has no right to say to the potter: Why did you make me this shape? Surely a potter can do what he likes with the clay?” (JB). We are most effective and fulfilled in ministry when we use our spiritual gifts and abilities in the area of our heart’s desire—in a way that best expresses our personalities and experiences. Fruitfulness is the result of a good ministry fit. Click HERE to discover Saddleback Church's proven method for helping its members find out what God designed them for. In particular, Class 301 will help them assess their SHAPE to see where in ministry they are best fit to serve.

Recent Articles

Guarding Your Mind in Ministry

Your mind is a special gift from God. It can store a staggering amount of thoughts and information. And it’s a tool God wants to use in your ministry to fulfill his purposes. But your mind is also a battlefield. People are constantly fighting for your attention, working to capture your thoughts. That’s why you must be choosy about what—or who—you allow into your mind. What’s true of computers is true with people: garbage in, garbage out. Paul tells us, “We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NCV).The Bible gives us five specific areas where we need to guard our minds.1. Guard against false teaching.First, watch out for doctrinal errors that divert you from the true gospel. Scripture urges us to “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3 NKJV). I often tell people, “If it’s new, it’s not true.” The message of biblical faith has already been handed down from the saints.How to do it: Know the truth. Treasury agents don’t learn to spot counterfeits by studying fake money; they study the real thing. When you know God’s truth, you’ll instantly recognize a lie.2. Guard against temptation.Temptation usually begins with what we allow our eyes to see. That’s why Psalm 101:3 teaches, “I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless” (ESV). That’s a good verse to put on your television or phone. Sin always starts in the mind: You sow a thought, you reap an action. You sow an action, you reap a habit. You sow a habit, you reap a character—and character shapes your destiny.How to do it: Be careful about what you watch, read, or dwell on. When temptation comes, pray and put on the “helmet of salvation” (Ephesians 6:17 ESV). Ask the Lord to cover your mind with his protection.3. Guard against counterfeit spiritual experiences.Not every spiritual impression is from the Holy Spirit. Paul warns in Galatians 1:8 that even if an angel tells you something different from God’s Word, don’t believe it. The Holy Spirit works calmly and deliberately, never in contradiction to Scripture.How to do it: Test every impression against God’s Word. Don’t be misled by emotional highs or unbiblical claims. Stay rooted in the Bible.4. Guard against pride.Pride is the sin God judges most quickly. It’s what got Satan thrown out of heaven. Leaders are especially vulnerable here. Compliments can puff you up if you’re not careful.How to do it: Stay humble. Confess your sins quickly. Share credit. Remember that every good gift in your ministry comes from God, not from you.5. Guard against overload.Pastors often strain their minds by overwork—constant study, reading, and caring for people. This mental strain lowers your ability to make sound judgments.How to do it: Take a Sabbath. Build rest into your schedule. If you don’t get away, you’ll come apart. Rest isn’t optional; it’s God’s command.Pastor, your thought life will shape your ministry. What fills your mind will eventually fill your church. Guard it well. Stay rooted in God’s truth, resist temptation, test spiritual impressions, walk in humility, and make time for rest. When you protect your mind, you not only protect yourself—you also protect the people God has entrusted to your care.

Jesus Is Inviting You to Rest

“It is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6 (GNT)In ministry, the demands never stop. There’s always another call to return, another sermon to prepare, another need to meet. But sometimes the most faithful thing you can do is pause—and remember that your worth doesn’t depend on keeping up with the pace.To do that, you’ll need to confront two lies that quietly push pastors to exhaustion—keeping them striving, never thriving.Lie #1: Doing more makes you more worthy.When you confuse your work with your worth, you’ll find yourself running on empty. Scripture says, “It is better to have only a little, with peace of mind, than be busy all the time with both hands, trying to catch the wind” (Ecclesiastes 4:6 GNT). Rest isn’t wasted time—it’s trust. Your identity is secure in Christ, not in your output.Lie #2: Ministry is a competition.Numbers and comparisons can leave pastors feeling defeated. But God didn’t call you to run someone else’s race. “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (Proverbs 14:30 NIV). God takes delight in your unique faithfulness to the flock he has entrusted to you.Slowing down doesn’t start with clearing your calendar—it starts with your heart. Contentment in Christ frees you from the drive for more and steadies you in God’s peace.Jesus invites you today: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NLT). Pastor, that invitation is yours this Monday.

What to Do with the Weakness You Can’t Shake

You have weaknesses. We all do. They may be physical, emotional, intellectual, or spiritual—but they’re real. And more often than not, we try to hide them. We deny them, excuse them, defend them, or resent them.But God has a different plan.He wants to use your weaknesses for his glory. A weakness is any limitation you didn’t choose and can’t easily change. And while you might be tempted to think, “God could never use me,” the truth is, he delights in putting his power in ordinary people—fragile, flawed, and easily broken.That means you’re exactly the kind of leader God can use.Sometimes God doesn’t just use your weaknesses. He actually creates them—or allows them—so that you’ll rely on him. Sometimes he even turns your greatest strengths into weaknesses.That’s what happened to Jacob.Jacob was a schemer. He manipulated and deceived to get what he wanted. He spent much of his life running—from his brother, from consequences, and even from God. But one night, Jacob wrestled with God and said, “I won’t let go until you bless me.” God agreed—but then touched Jacob’s hip and dislocated it.It seems like an odd way to bless someone—by wounding them. But it was exactly what Jacob needed.God touched Jacob’s strength and turned it into a weakness. From that day forward, Jacob walked with a limp. He couldn’t run anymore. He couldn’t rely on himself anymore. He had to lean on God—literally and spiritually.That’s where transformation began.Pastor, if you want God to bless you and use you, you must be willing to walk with a limp the rest of your life. Because God uses weak people.When you stop hiding your weakness and instead allow God to work through it, you become a living testimony of grace. The world doesn’t need perfect pastors—it needs pastors who are surrendered. That’s where God’s power shows up.Paul experienced this firsthand. He had a weakness that he begged God to remove. But God didn’t take it away. Instead, he reminded Paul of a deeper truth:"But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me" (2 Corinthians 12:9 NIV).That same grace is available to you today. Lean into it. Let your limp lead you closer to God’s strength.

The Light You Need for Monday Morning

“I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.” John 8:12 (TLB)Every pastor walks through dark days.There are dark days of disappointment—when your sermon doesn’t seem to land, your people seem disconnected, or your leadership efforts fall flat.There are dark days of discouragement—when criticism cuts deep, when relationships in the church feel strained, when people you've invested in walk away.There are even dark days of doubt—when you wonder if you're really making a difference, or if you have the strength to keep going.In moments like these, you don’t need a new strategy. You don’t need to chase the next ministry trend or polish your systems.What you need is light. Not just any light—the Light of the World.Too often, when ministry feels unclear or heavy, we instinctively reach for "flashlights" of our own making.We try to power through with experience, education, energy, or effort. We tweak the schedule, attend a conference, overhaul the programming, or imagine that a fresh start somewhere else will fix the fog.But these are dim lights, and they burn out quickly.What you need isn’t a flashlight—it’s a floodlight.Jesus doesn’t offer a flicker of inspiration. He is the blazing, unwavering Light who sees the path before you even when you can’t. He doesn't promise to remove every valley, but he promises you’ll never walk through one alone.Pastor, if today feels dark—if Monday feels heavier than usual—remember this:Your calling didn’t begin with your qualifications, and it won’t be sustained by your talent. It rests fully on the light of Christ.So flip the switch of faith. With Christ’s light, you may not see five miles down the road, but God will give you just enough light for the next step.Trust him again today.

At Pastors.com, our passion is to have healthy pastors leading healthy churches for the global glory of God.