Find Your Place – Experiences

Personal Ministry Profile Part 4:

Life Experiences

Theologians often call history “His-story,” because all of history is the story of God revealing himself to man and seeking to redeem His creation unto Himself. Therefore, each of us has a story. Evangelism training generally asks participants to develop the story of their personal spiritual pilgrimage, because testimony is an extremely effective tool in evangelism. God uses every aspect of our lives, good or bad, to shape us into the ministers He calls us to be. In this portion of the PMP, you will consider your history. What happened in your life that caused you to be uniquely qualified for a specific area of ministry?

Consider Paul’s testimony in Acts 22:3-21:

• What elements of Paul’s story before he met Jesus has he used in this testimony?
• How does Paul use his conversion experience in this story and what purpose do these elements serve?
• What changes did his conversion make, and what elements of his story drive his ministry?

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

This concept of our “secular” activities extending into our ministry includes more than natural talents. The vocational and other learned skills that we accumulate over the course of our lifetime should also be considered a part of our PMP. We must realize that our ministry is not limited to the church building, but extends to every aspect of our lives at every moment.

Evaluation Exercise:

Understanding the elements of Paul’s testimony in Acts 22, consider your own story. Prayerfully make a list of events in your life and experiences that may give you insight on a direction in ministry within the body.

• What experiences before salvation could affect your place in ministry?
• Does your conversion experience contribute to your call to ministry?
• What events have occurred in your life as a Christian that have uniquely molded you for ministry?
• We all have a story, what are some key pieces of yours?
  • Childhood experiences
  • Family background
  • Rebellion?
  • Marriage?
  • Children?

No matter how painful our life experiences have been, God allowed them to happen in your life. He can and will use them to uniquely shape you for a specific ministry within the Body of Christ.

Find Your Place is ©2001, 2021 Andrew P. Kulp – adapted from the Find Your Place curriculum developed for Lakeview Baptist Church, Auburn, AL.