What does “Discerning our gifts” mean?
Discernment—the spiritual practice of deciding on the best way forward in our call to serve God—is something that we do in community as a church. Our Gifts Discernment committee is the group of First Church members who help people figure out what they need from our church community, and what they might be able to contribute in leadership roles of all kinds.
Serving the Church
Part of being the church together is helping one another identify our gifts for ministry in community. Taking a step toward getting more involved at church is not the same as volunteering at a local non-profit, school, or hospital. When we serve the church, we are doing the work of ministry. The church belongs to all of us: lay and ordained, young and old, near and far, lifelong church members and newcomers to the Christian faith. Engaging more fully in church activities helps us discover new things about our relationship with God and with ourselves. As we gain a deeper sense of where we are called to serve in the world and who we are called to be, we also deepen our relationships with our siblings in faith, opening up opportunities to experience more fully the grace, love, and reconciliation of God and of Christ in our lives.
Your participation in our ministry at church should be spiritually fulfilling and provide you with a deep sense of joy. The point is not to add another task to the “to do” list or another obligation to the calendar, but to grow deeper roots into the ground of our being in God through our work together.
I want to get involved but I have questions…
Would you like to explore what it’s like working with kids? Sign up to be a Church School teacher! Are you passionate about a topic or want to interrogate a question with like-minded people? Offer to lead a Faith and Life Small Group! Are you the outgoing one in your friend group and find meaning in making people feel welcome and cherished? Join a welcoming team for newcomers or a Pastoral Care Team to write cards to folks in our community!
We want to help you find a place at First Church that adds to your life, not one that subtracts. For guidance on how to find the right fit, please contact one of our ministers or staff, or the committee chair of the Gifts Discernment Committee, Mary Robinson, at: giftsdiscernment@firstchurchcambridge.org
Explore our descriptions of our various committees, teams and affinity groups to get to know how we do the work of the church!