Network, Willow Creek Community Church, Bruce Bugbee
Referenced in: Ministry Involvement and Gift-Based Ministry
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
This is a long-time leading resource on member involvement, developed in partnership with the Willow Creek Association.
Network is a six-session dynamic program to help Christians understand how God has uniquely made them and mobilize them to a place of meaningful service in the local church. Each participant in Network walks through a series of assessments to discover their unique blend of spiritual gifts, personal style, and ministry passion. The intent is for churches to see increased participation, greater effectiveness, more enthusiasm, and less burn-out in service. Resources are available in several formats.
First, there is the ground-breaking inventory upon which the system is based, now in its revised edition, Bruce Bugbee, Discover Your Spiritual Gifts the Network Way (2005). It contains four assessment tools in the areas of personal experience, character traits, ministry convictions, and others’ observations. An additional assessment allows you to gauge the effectiveness of your ministry and whether your ministry employs your gifts.
A companion volume by Bugbee, What You Do Best in the Body of Christ (2005), builds upon the inventory. It helps identify God-given spiritual gifts (what one is equipped to do competently), personal style (how/where one serves with energy and authenticity), ministry passion (where one is motivated to serve), and how they point to one’s unique role and purpose in the body of Christ when they are expressed together. It includes helpful charts and self-assessments plus insights into the fallacies and pitfalls that can hinder ministry effectiveness.
Church leaders may be interested in the comprehensive resource, Bruce Bugbee, Don Cousins, and Wendy Seidman, Network Kit: The Right People in the Right Places for the Right Reasons (2005). This complete seminar in a box includes a leaders guide; a participants’ guide; a DVD with drama vignettes; and a CD-ROM with a coach’s guide, a users guide, and PowerPoint slides. Participants are assessed on their personal style, spiritual passion, and gifts. Network works with any size group, from small groups of 4 to 12 to large groups of 15 to 150. The six Network sessions can be presented successfully in three flexible formats: three sessions of two hours each; six sessions of forty-five minutes each; or one- two- or three-day retreats. One may also purchase separately the Network Leaders Guide (2005) and the Network Participant’s Guide (2005).
***For additional information on this resource, including reviews, click the bookstore links. Check the reference at page top or the links below for resource guides on related topics.***
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