rossview Church has just entered a new phase of ministry, bringing in pastor Chris Stuffleben and undertaking a major building program, locating to a brand new site. It was Chris' vision to select the right combination of gifts in their leaders. After completing a very successful selection, the entire congregation was given the opportunity to participate. They reported that this event was one of the most successful they have planned. Here is what some of the participants had to say:

"This was a wonderful seminar. I think this is an excellent tool for understanding how God made us and how He can use us for ministry.  I see Ephesians 2:10 made understandable through this test".

 "This was very informative, and I so much appreciated the insight Don brought for us as an individual, church, staff, board and congregation".

 "I loved learning more about myself and those around me".

 "A great seminar!  It was fun to see which BIble characters we are most like.  It gave me a great appreciation for relationships in church and in families.  I look forward to using this information".

 "I enjoyed this workshop!  It was great to see how Jason and I are alike and different, it was very funny but yet so truthful."

 "This was very helpful to have not only the test results but also the seminar to have some of the explainations given.  It was great to be able to put these together and look at the overall church makeup".

 "I was honored to be able to participate in this seminar and would recommend it to everyone!"

 "The ministry styles test has been very helpful to our church staff in understanding each other and how we work together, also in building our church board and ministry teams.  Personally, it has been such a blessing to have my husband, daughters and future son-in-law take it.  It really helps us to understand how God has made each of and how to best relate to each other".    (Marlene Smith, Administrative Assistant)

 "This program has been a huge asset to our church.  The seminar that was provided for our church has been extremely helpful in learning about each other, especially in my staff, church board, small groups and other ministry teams.  I would highly recommend this tool to other pastor's".  (Chris Stuffleben, Senior Pastor at Crossview Church)

Dayspring Community Church  Matt Lesser, contact

PO Box 28
Auburn, IN 46706    260-925-4599

Matt invites you to email him for more information:  mlesser@hughes.net.

Tiffani (my wife) and I use MinistryStyles in our work with the REAL Marriage ministry at our church. We use the tool primarily for 3 purposes:

1.)    Team and Leader Development. Every couple on the REAL Marriage Leadership Team has completed the MinistryStyles assessment. We have then had several times dedicated to the discussion of one another’s assessments as well as how to use the tool to build healthier marriage relationships. In this capacity, we use it primarily for growth in self-awareness and others’ awareness (aka: each spouse in the marriage, and each person on the team). We also use the instrument in training/development of any couple desiring to be marriage coaches/mentors.

2.)    Marriage Coaching and Mentoring. When a couple indicates interest in receiving marriage coaching/mentoring, one of the first things we do is to have the couple complete the MSA. We then use the MSA throughout the marriage coaching/mentoring as a tool for relational growth, self-awareness, and awareness of each other.

3.)    Pre-Marriage Preparation. This is where we have used the instrument the most, up until now. Any couple seeking to be married in our church must go through a pre-marriage preparation process (usually over 6 or 7 meetings together) that is administered by my wife and I along with another couple on our leadership team. We use the MSA (as well as other assessments and tools) to facilitate this process in helping the couple to really understand themselves—first as individuals, then the other person, and then as a couple. Having the multi-dimensional focus of MSA (e.g., DISC, Meyers-Briggs, Thomas-Kilman, Deductive Styles, etc.) provides a great springboard for discussion of strengths, weaknesses, blind-spots, potential areas of conflict, etc. MSA has become a foundational tool in the pre-marriage preparation process!

Fort Wayne School of Urban Ministry

fwsum@comcast.net

Rev. Bob Smith, Director 

Rev. Bob Smith, Director 

Last year I had my ministries class at Taylor Fort Wayne do their assessment. We then had a workshop where the reports were explained to the class. It was a positive experience for everyone! This year we are having twelve interns at the Fort Wayne School of Urban Ministry do their assessment. The next step is to have each of their mentors do theirs as well, and then have a dialog with each team to maximize communication and growth. I recommend MinistryStyles to your group!