Suggestions for how to use this booklet in 8-12 sessions

SESSION 1

Read the three first chapters: ‘What is Use Your Talents?’, ‘How to use this booklet’, and ‘Mafo, a model congregation in Use Your Talents’. Also read the chapter ‘Use Your Talents Guidelines’ towards the end of the booklet. Then decide how many sessions you will conduct and when.

SESSION 2

Read the chapter: What do you have in your hand? Read the Bible text, pray and share related to the questions.

SESSION 3

Read the chapter: Love Your Neighbor. Read the Bible text, pray and share related to the questions.

SESSION 4

Read the chapters ‘Use Your Talents Guidelines’ and ‘Guidelines for Asset Mapping’. Discuss and decide how to do formal or informal asset mapping within the group.

SESSION 5

Do talent/asset mapping within the group. It could be a formal process, like in ‘Guidelines for Asset Mapping’ or informal by working together to explore the talents the group has and has access to.

SESSION 6

Make a (simple) Plan of Action based on the asset mapping. Start to implement.

SESSIONS 7-11 (ADJUST ACCORDING TO THE TIME YOU HAVE AVAILABLE)

Choose the most relevant chapters for you. Read the chapters and the Bible text, pray and share. At the end of each of the sessions, discuss and monitor the activity that you have started.

FINAL SESSION

Wrapping up: What have we done and what have we learned during the sessions and the activity? How can we continue to use “Use Your Talents” in our family, our congregation, and our community?

What is “Use Your Talents”?

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells the story of the master and his three servants. The Lord Jesus requires His disciples to use their talents responsibly for good purposes in this life. This parable teaches us, His followers, that we should use our talents.

The parable tells the story of a rich man who is going on a long journey. Before leaving, he decides to hand over important financial responsibilities to his servants, expecting them to make profitable use of the money they are entrusted with. This parable portrays the kingdom of God and illustrates how Jesus as the master will, upon His return, hold us accountable for how we have handled the talents that He has left in our care.

WHAT ARE TALENTS?

The key term in the parable is “talent” which was a currency used in the first century. Jesus used the “talents” in the parable to symbolize personal gifts and abilities, e.g., knowledge, skills, wealth, etc. One servant was given five talents, another two talents and the last, one talent. Each servant had some ability and was granted resources accordingly. At that time, one “talent” was a lot of money; it was worth more than twenty years of a day laborer’s wage! This tells us the master was wealthy, but he was also generous with his servants, and he trusted them with great resources. Our Lord Jesus has given all people plenty of resources and abilities. Some may have more and some less, but everyone has been given some. We must use whatever resources we have in the best possible way. Similarly, the apostle Paul also affirms that believers are each given different gifts, so that all can contribute to build the body of Christ (Romans 12:6–8).

USE YOUR GOD-GIVEN RESOURCES

The two servants in the parable who put most effort into serving the Lord by using their talents well are the ones that end up with most blessings in return. The passive servant blames his decision on fear of the master’s strictness. The master, however, does not accept his excuse and does not absolve him of the responsibility to act. We know that in the real world, all actions involve some faith. In serving the Lord Jesus who has blessed us with talents, stepping out in faith is what we should be doing and is better than burying our treasures in the ground. Our God-given talents include our abilities, time, property, expertise, passion, and money. So, go out and use the resources God has given you to bless your community, and serve and praise God!

“Use Your Talents”, as presented in this book, is about how our Christian fellowships could use our Talents or our Assets to serve and develop the communities that we are a part of, based on the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25. One of the main points of the parable is to be good stewards and use the talents entrusted to us by our Creator. Using our talents is a way to fulfil God’s commandment to love our neighbor –both as individual believers and as a Church.

In “Use Your Talents”, talent means all our resources; our knowledge and skills, our relationships with others and what we own or have access to. We use the your in “Use Your Talents” because the word “Your” can be both singular and plural. It is a call for us, both as individuals and as a community, to use the talents.

The “Use Your Talents” network started in the Malagasy Lutheran Church. Several churches already contributed to the local community by maintaining the roads, building bridges, running schools and health centers, supervising agricultural production, caring for the forest and much more. The Norwegian Mission Society (NMS) has partnered with the Malagasy Lutheran Church for many years. NMS was interested to study what was happening in Madagascar, and from this the name “Use Your Talents” was born.

“Use Your Talents” became a way to recognize and build on these initiatives, learn from each other, and spread this further. Over time, more churches and countries have joined, and now the “Use Your Talents” network has representatives in more than 25 countries.

“Use Your Talents” could inspire us to move back to ways of working that were more common before; whether it’s voluntary work, social work or business development. This is how the history of the church or organization becomes an asset. In Norway, for example, we find important inspiration in the legacy of Hans Nielsen Hauge and his movement that NMS sprang from. The Haugians connected spiritual life, fellowship, talents, missions, and community building in a way that changed Norway!

“Use Your Talents” has been described as “going from being a Sunday Christian to an everyday Christian.” Others have said it’s about opening up more to the community rather than being most focused on the inner life of the church. We will use all our resources, both as individuals and as a community, often in collaboration with others, to contribute where we are.

“USE YOUR TALENTS” – START WITH THE ASSETS

The “Use Your Talents” way or approach starts with the assets. It can be used at once and does not require external funding. It aims to stimulate and encourage the Church, both as congregations and as individuals, to use our talents to improve our own lives and the lives of those around us. Rather than starting with areas of need and seeking external help as is often done, here we first look at the gifts and the resources (the assets) God has already given us, as a church, as individuals and as a local community.

OUR AIM

Our aim with this book is to inspire you to recognize your gifts, and to use them to glorify God, help yourself and your neighbors – and to give you the tools to be able to do so. This book supplies examples on how people have been using their talents in both rural and urban settings. We hope this can serve as an inspiration for you and your church to serve God and your community.

BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL

 Gives opportunities to serve God, the church, one’s neighbors and community

 Encourages creativity

 Recognizes God-given gifts

 Improves self-esteem

 Can improve people’s living standards

BENEFITS TO THE CHURCH

 Builds relationships

 Spreads the love of Christ

 Helps find resources

 Raises the church’s profile

 Enables the church to have a positive influence in their community

 Raises awareness of how to practice the gospel in the community

BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY

 It brings people together

 Helps people recognize each other’s abilities and gifts

 Improves life quality