CALLING L AB

triangulating your purpose in the kingdom

1! | CALLING LAB
 AN UNDERGROUND TRAINING PLATFORM


! | CALLING LAB
2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 5

Worship 9

Triangulating Your Calling 15

Personality Inventory 21

Strengths (Optional) 25

Vocational Assessment 29

Opportunity Analysis 37

Emotional Evaluation 45

Listening Prayer 53

Counselor Input 57

My Calling 63

! | CALLING LAB
3
IN TR OD U CTI O N
preparing your heart for the lab

! | CALLING LAB
4
 INTRODUCTION

“He has right to interrupt your life. He is Lord. When you accepted Him as
Lord, you gave Him, the right to help Himself to your life anytime He wants.”
-Henry Blackaby

WELCOME TO THE CALLING LAB

The idea of a believer's calling has been discussed countless times over the centuries, especially during
these last few decades. The Who am I? postmodern worldview shapes much of our thinking and the
Christian’s thoughts aren’t exempt. We, especially those in their twenties, often return to the question:
”What was I made to do?" So pervasive is this question, some call it the quarter life crisis. Modern life
inundates us with the "could do's" and "should do's" which are presented seemingly innocent by
friends, family, and sometimes strangers. To make things even more difficult, some of us make up our
own agendas and obligations so overwhelmingly that we can feel pulled any which way. For others,
dreaming is more an estranged practice, like trying to learn a foreign language. Fortunately, these
questions and feeling of purpose aren’t outside God’s plan. In fact, these longings and considerations
come into our mind because they are a vestige of God’s original intention for humanity. We see this most
clearly as we survey the pages of scripture and notice the repeating theme of calling throughout the
entirely of the bible. Our task is to take these questions and come to understand them in light of God’s
direction and plan. This is where the Calling Lab comes in.

! | CALLING LAB
5
The Calling Lab has been designed as a tool. It’s an instrument that will assist you in discerning the voice
of God amidst the other voices demanding your attention. Throughout this Lab, you’ll be working
through various aspects that will enable you to understand your unique calling God has for you. Some
have left this Calling Lab with an better understanding of what the need to to next to further understand
their calling. Others have walked away with a clear sense of what God is leading them into for the next
season of life. Still others have come to discover their life calling. But, whatever the outcome, it is an
immense privilege to spend time with our Creator God and we could not ask for a better way to spend
the day. Still, God is a good Father who likes to give good gifts and our calling easily falls into that
category.

Take a moment to watch the Introduction video on the website.

G E T P R E PA R E D F O R T H E L A B

Before we start, spend some time writing down how you’re coming into this Lab. Inventory your
thoughts, emotions, fears, etc. Write down everything that is filling your mind. Try to explore every
thought rummaging in your head. Consider anything that might get in the way of you hearing from God.
This could be a challenging relationship, an approaching deadline, coming off a troublesome week,
wrestling with a reoccurring, habitual sin, or the like. Write everything down in the space below. This
arrival exercise is meant to set aside time for you to interact with God concerning your heart and mind as
you begin.

! | CALLING LAB
6
Give all of this to Jesus. Go through each of the items listed above and surrender them to him, asking
him to remove them from you for the Lab. Ask Jesus to rip out of your mind anything that might draw
your heart away from him.

Spend some time meditating on Psalm 86:11

“Teach me your way, lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an
undivided heart, that I may fear your name.”

One of the biggest deterrents to hearing from God is our tendency to already be resolved to an answer
before asking God his opinion. Be honest with yourself and try to bring yourself into a neutral position
before God. Take a moment to ask God to help you surrender your agenda and plans, trusting that he’ll
give them back if they are in his plan for you. Use the space below to journal your time.

Before you move on, say ‘Yes’ to God. Our submission to him and his calling on our life should not be
contingent on what it is. God is our good Father who knows us better than we know ourselves. Whatever
calling God has for us is best, and it is the only place we should ever want to find ourselves. Don’t move
on to the next section until you tell God ‘Yes’ to whatever he has for you.


! | CALLING LAB
7
WOR SHIP
fixing your sight on the one who calls

! | CALLING LAB
8
 WORSHIP

“Worship is the submission of all our nature to God.” - William Temple

G E T FA M I L I A R W I T H T H E T O P I C

We who follow Jesus have a privilege owned by few. We believe that Jesus' life, death and resurrection
made a way for us to commune with God directly. Now, we can turn to God and worship him without veil
or the need of an human intermediary. His holiness is offered to us to behold, first hand. And in this
process, we’re transformed. Paul says it best when he writes:

And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the

same image of one degree of glory to another.

! | CALLING LAB
9
To overlook or detour from this pursuit, which we commonly call worship, is to commit one of the
greatest losses to the wholeness of humanity. Worship is an avenue to be blessed and, at the same time,
bless God.

Yet, one of the greatest blessings we could ever dream of is the reality of hearing from God. It is one
mind blowing truth to speak with God, a whole other to realize God reciprocates within that
conversation. Worship includes, but is not limited to, speak, crying, singing, meditating, waiting,
listening, delighting etc. (and not necessarily in that order). The only appropriate way to begin the
discovery of our calling is to come in worship before the one who gives us this calling.

Take a moment to watch the Worship video on the website.

R E S P O N D T O T H E M AT E R I A L

As a way of preparing your heart, spend some time in worship through God's word and prayer. Take a
moment to complete the small bible study below and follow the prayer exercise.

Spend the first few minutes inviting God into this experience. It most likely goes without saying that we
can’t hear from God unless he speaks. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and make the voice of God clear as
you interact with his word.

Take a moment to read Ephesians 2:8-10, meditate on the passage and work through the following
questions:

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of

God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in

Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

! | CALLING LAB
10
What do you immediately notice about this passage? Write down your first impressions.

Write down some thoughts concerning the relationship between creation, salvation and our calling.

The idea of “works” is brought up twice in these three verses. What do we learn about our works?

! | CALLING LAB
11
What do you think it means that we are called to “walk in the good works?”

What does this passage cause you to want to do differently in your life?

Respond to God in prayer. Take some time to debrief your thoughts on the passage and ask him to
affirm or correct your thinking.


! | CALLING LAB
12
 The word ‘workmanship’ in the greek is marvelously designed as the crescendo of all
poiéma which refers to that which is made, creation. Humans are the most exquisite work
one’s craftsmanship, a work piece. However, in of art as we bare the image of God. This Lab is
certain contexts the word refers to an artist’ curated from beginning to end to help us
work of art. Poiéma is where we get our better understand how God has created us
English word poem. In greek mythology, and know what the good works are that we
poiéō denotes the creative activity of a deity. were created for.
This is the lens in which we need to consider
this text. But, where we go wrong is when we treat this
process like a tool only for introspection.
If you have ever visited an art exhibit before, Spending this much time considering yourself
you know that you tend to find one piece of can easily be a moment of arrogance and
art to which your more drawn to than others. pride. As we look at ourselves and consider all
Maybe you find it curious, alarming, insightful, the remarkable ways God has made us, we
beautiful, or the like. Whatever the appeal, must not lose sight of the artist. Otherwise,
you tend to stop and stare, notice the this exercise becomes nothing more than
intricacies, wonder what they mean, ask indulging our narcissism.
questions, linger, imagine and enjoy the piece.
Then, sooner or later, you being to realize that Pause often during the Lab to remember God,
the art has an artist. Suddenly, your fascination giving thanks to him for his work in creating us
transfers from the piece to the creator. You and remaining with us during the telling of our
become humbled to know that someone, story. Pray before each section and delight in
somewhere, dreamt this piece and created it. his presence as it has been with you during
The awe shifts from the art to the artist. This is the entirety of your life. This Lab has the
the process we need to find ourselves in as we potential to be a sweet, vulnerable, and
begin the Calling Lab. intimate moment between you and God, if
you ask him to search you, know you, and
We are God’s poiéma, his art, his poem. We make that knowledge known to you. Finally,
are beautifully crafted by the Great Craftsman. be sure to keep notes on your experience, like
Fashioned together in our mother’s womb, we field notes, to help you make sense of your
are breathtakingly shaped by God, time working through the Lab.

! | CALLING LAB
13
 TRIANGULATING YOUR CALLING

TR I A NG UL AT I N G
YO U R CA L L ING
fixing your sight on the one who calls

! | CALLING LAB
14
 TRIANGULATING YOUR CALLING

“We are called to an everlasting preoccupation with God.” - AW Tozer

LEARN ABOUT THE TOPIC

There are two primary methods of study and research: inductive and deductive. Inductive studies begin
with the pieces and works it way up to find the greater themes and ideas within those particular details.
Deductive begins at the higher level idea and works it’s way down to to put together specific pieces to
make sense of the beginning theme. This lab is fashioned together in a deductive manner.

When working through a deductive study, it’s helpful to look at each piece of the greater scheme before
moving into the specific pieces. Working through each element of the lab will be more fruitful if you first
see all the elements side-by-side telling the bigger story. So, for the final piece of this introductory
section, we’ll examine the Lab at a birds-eye level to see the curriculum holistically.

! | CALLING LAB
15
The Calling Lab is organized around a very unique model which is designed to illustrate the inputs and
clues of our calling in a visual manner. Watch the Triangulating Your Calling video on the website to
get acquainted with the model we’ll be using.

R E S P O N D T O T H E M AT E R I A L

Emotions
lity

Vo
na

ca
rso

onti
Pe

Calling

Prayer Counselor

Opportunity

THE OUTER TRIANGLE: The objective state of our person which shows us the more concrete indicators
of our calling

Personality Inventory: Discovering the type of personality that clarifies who you are
Vocational Assessment: Discovering the role God designed you to fulfill
Opportunity Analysis: Discovering the experiences that have helped shape you

THE INNER TRIANGLE: The subjective sense of our person which serves to clarify the more abstract
clues to our calling

Emotional Evaluation: Discovering the areas we are naturally drawn to

Listening Prayer: Discovering the words God is speaking to us
Counselor Input: Discovering the advice of our mentors and leaders

! | CALLING LAB
16
At the end of this booklet you will find an empty triangle graphic. Use this graphic to record your
findings along the way. This will be helpful during the process of discern your calling. Being able to look
at one single illustration and see all the information you’ve acquired along the way will greatly aid in your
final discovery.

In his book, “The Call” Os Guinness muses over the idea of calling. Take a moment to read this excerpt.

In more than thirty years of public speaking and in countless conversations around the world, I
have heard that issue come up more than any other. At some point every one of us confronts the
question: How do I find and fulfill the central purpose of my life? Other questions may be
logically prior to an even deeper than this one - for example, Who am I? What is the meaning of
life itself? But few questions are raised more loudly and more insistently today than the first. As
modern people we are all on a search for significance. We desire to make a difference. We long
to leave a legacy. We yearn, as Ralf Waldo Emerson put it, “to leave the world a bit better.” Our
passion is to know that we are fulfilling the purpose for which we are here on earth.

All other standards of success - wealth, power, position, knowledge, friendships - grow tiny and
hollow if we do not satisfy this deeper longing. For some people the hollowness leads to what
Henry Thoreau described as "lives of quiet desperation"; for others emptiness and aimlessness
deepen into a stronger despair. And an early draft of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers
Karamazov, the Inquisitor gives a terrifying account of what happens to the human soul when it
doubts it's purpose: “For the secret of man's being is not only to live… but to live for something
definite. Without a firm notion of what he's living for, men will not accept life and will rather
destroy himself and remain on earth…. “

This issue, the question of his own life purpose, is what drove the Danish thinker Soren
Kirkegaard in the nineteenth century. He realized that personal purpose is not a matter of
philosophy or theory. It is not purely objective, and it is not inherited like a legacy. Many a
scientist has an encyclopedic knowledge of the world, many a philosopher can survey the vast
systems of thought, many a theologian can unpack the profundities of religion, and many a
journalist can seemingly speak on any topic raised. But all that is theory and, without a sense of
personal purpose, vanity.

Deep in our hearts, we all want to find and fill a purpose bigger than ourselves. Only such a
larger purpose can inspire us to heights we know we could never reach on our own. For each of
us the real purpose is personal and passionate: to know what we are here to do, and why.
Kierkegaard wrote in his Journal: "The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really

! | CALLING LAB
17
 wants me to do: the thing is to find the truth which is true for me, and to find the idea for which I
can live and die.”

In our own day this question is urgent in the highly modern parts of the world, and there is a
simple reason why. Three factors have converged to fuel a search for significance without
precedent in human history. First, the search for the purpose of life is one of the deepest issues
of our experience as human beings. Second, the expectation that we can all live purposeful lives
has been given a gigantic boost by modern society’s offer to the maximum opportunity for
choice and change and all we do. Third, fulfillment of the search for purpose is thwarted by a
stunning fact: Out of more than a score of great civilizations in human history, modern Western
civilization is the very first to have no one agreed-on answer to the question of the purpose of
life. Thus more ignorance, confusion - and longing - surround this topic now than at almost any
time in history. The trouble is that, as modern people, we have too much to live with and too
little to live for. Some feel they have time but not enough money; others feel they have money
but not enough time. But for most of us, in the midst of material plenty, we have spiritual
poverty.

…Purpose can be found only when we discover the specify purpose for which we were created
and to which we are called. … Apart from such a calling, all hope of discovering purpose (as in
the current talk of shifting “from success to significance”) will end in disappointment. To be sure,
calling is not what it is commonly thought to be. It has to be dug out from under the rubble of
ignorance and confusion. And, uncomfortably, it often flies directly in the face of our human
inclinations. But nothing short of God’s call can ground and fulfill the truest human desire for
purpose.

…What do I mean by “calling”? For the moment let me say simply that calling is the truth that
God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything
we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his
summons in service.”

Spend a few moments to reflect on this excerpt and write your thoughts below. If you’re working with a
group, share your thoughts together as a large group.


! | CALLING LAB
18



O UTE R TR I ANG L E
In this section we’ll look at the three elements that make up the objective state of our
person which shows us the more concrete indicators of our calling. We’ll explore our how
our personality, vocation and past experience affect our calling.

! | CALLING LAB
19
 PERS ONALITY INVENTORY

PER SON A LI TY
IN V E N TO RY
the qualities that make up your character

! 20 | CALLING LAB
 PERS ONALITY INVENTORY

“Personality is only ripe when a man has made the truth his own.” - Soren
Kierkegaard

G E T FA M I L I A R W I T H T H E T O P I C

The term “personality” comes from the latin persona, which was used to describe a theatrical mask
wherein actors would become disguised in order to portray different identities. A person’s personality is
what we learn to, at first, ascribe as their “person.” We come to believe a person is their personality. This
aspect of our character is so pervasive that it can become the defining element of our entire being to
complete strangers. Our personalities are the forerunner to the first impression, and often are the
determining factor of whether someone will continue to develop a relationship with us. Our personalities
are a vital and significant part of who we are.

Extensive psychological research has been attempted over the last century as the behavioral sciences
have grown more in popularity. Most of these studies concern themselves with the categorization,

! | CALLING LAB
21
typology, cognition, motivation, behavior and the like. However, today we will be looking at your
personality and observing how this relates to the understanding of your calling.

Personality seems to be something God personally delights in. Personality seems to be a reoccurring
factor in each person God chose to use to unfold his receptive plan throughout history. For example, it
appeared that Abraham had an issue with integrity as seen from his time in Egypt, yet the account of
offering Isaac flies in the face of this defect. Moses was timid and a man of fear as seen from his reaction
to God’s words from the burning bush, yet God used him to deliver the Israelites. Peter was childish,
Matthew was reckless, Thomas was skeptical, yet God used these men to build his movement. There are
times where God picks people despite their personality flaws to do something that directly counteracts
their deficiencies.

However, not all personalities were used in the opposite fashion. David was courageous and poetic and
God chose him to lead his people. Isaiah was willing and bold and God capitalized on this to bring a
word of rebuke and repentance to his people. Paul was zealous and passionate; God leveraged this to
plant churches and spread the Gospel beyond Jerusalem and Antioch. Personality can have weaknesses
that God reforms, but it can also have strengths to be utilized for his purposes.

You have a certain set of values, convictions and character traits that are unique and make you unlike any
other. You find certain activities more enjoyable than others, your temperament varies at differing levels
from others, your attitude strikes different people in varying ways, and therefore you have a different
perspective from any other person. Your personality sets you up to be natural at something that others
aren’t. Your calling highly rests on this truth.

Take a moment to watch the Personality Inventory video on the website.

R E S P O N D T O T H E M AT E R I A L

It is critical that we have a understanding of our personality and can think of it in an objective manner. To
do this, we need to invest time in taking a personality test. We have provided you with two free
personality tests on the website. Feel free to invest in the paid version of these personality tests, as you
will then have more thorough and accurate results to work with. Take time to finish an inventory and write
your result below.

! | CALLING LAB
22
Complete a personality inventory provided on the website. You’re welcome to do more than one. The
more you do, the more insights you’ll gain into your personality.

What did your results say?

What do you agree with? What do you disagree with?

What did you further learn about yourself and your calling from this (or these) tests?

Go to the back of your book and write down what you discovered about your
calling on the PERSONALITY side of the ‘My Calling’ triangle.


! | CALLING LAB
23
! | CALLING LAB
24
 STREN GTHS (OPTIONAL)

“Hide not your talents, they for use were made, What's a sundial in the
shade?” - Benjamin Franklin

This assessment tool is not free. You’ll need to purchase the book ‘StrengthsFinder 2.0’ to gain an access
code and use that code on the StrengthsFinder site to take the test. A link is provided on the site.

G E T FA M I L I A R W I T H T H E T O P I C

Next, we have the opportunity to refine our personality by looking at our strengths. If our personality
answers the question “Who?” then our strengths answers the question “How?” These two facets come
together to make a recipe of sorts. The combination can make an incredible statement about our calling.

Our strengths are the skills in our life that seem to be what we’re best at and they always start as a talent.
A talent is a naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling, or behavior that could be productively

! | CALLING LAB
25
applied to a given context. A great number of talents naturally exist to you, each of them very specific.
They are among the most real and most authentic aspects of your person. Your specific set of talents is a
major part of what makes you a unique person, and that uniqueness holds great value for you and those
around you. And your talents work in various combinations each time you do something very well, in
your own unique way.

R E S P O N D T O T H E M AT E R I A L

The great value in your talents is not merely that they help you achieve, but they help you achieve levels
of excellence. Talents are, in a way, a vehicle to your strengths. Your greatest talents are inextricably
linked to your top achievements and to what you do best. Your talents make you exceptional. Therefore,
coming to know, understand, and value your talents is directly linked to achieving your calling.

Simply said, a strength is the ability to provide consistent, near perfect performance in a given activity.
Just as a diamond on display in a jewelry story start as diamonds in the rough, strengths start as talents.
Just as rough diamonds are found in the earth, talents are found within you. But while diamonds are
refined with blades and polishing wheels, strengths are produced when talents are refined with
knowledge and skill. When we refine these strengths, we will begin to experience satisfaction,
fruitfulness, vitality, and longevity in ministry.

Take a moment to take your strength’s finders test. You must first purchase the book Strength Finders
2.0. Then go to strengths.gallup.com (the link is provided on the website) to take your test. The book
will help you understand your strengths. Alternatively, we provided a link to a free, knockoff version of
the strengths finders test. You’re welcome to use that site, but be aware that the results are not verified.

On the website there is an additional resource you’re welcome to download for reference to your
strengths. This resource has a short description on all of the different types of strengths identified by
Clifton. You’ll notice that there are 2 titles per strength. One is the title used by Clifton, the other is the
word used by the free site to refer to the same strength.

! | CALLING LAB
26
What are your top 5 strengths?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Were you surprised by these strengths? How so?

Where have you seen yourself operating in these strengths in the past?

How do your strengths help you understand your calling? How do you see your strengths giving clarity to
the personality typology you received from the previous session?

Go to the back of your book and write down what you discovered about your
calling on the PERSONALITY side of the ‘My Calling’ triangle.


! | CALLING LAB
27
VO CATI ON AL
AS S E SSMENT
the gift of your role in the church and world

! | CALLING LAB
28
 VOCATION AL ASSESSM ENT

“A job is a vocation only if someone else calls you to do it for them rather
than for yourself.” - Tim Keller

G E T FA M I L I A R W I T H T H E T O P I C

Small talk so often begins with a discussion about what we do. One of our first measures of
understanding a person has to do with knowing what they do. In fact, when we don’t know what
someone does, we feel like we don’t really know them. It may not be intentional, but many social
structures have much to do with work, titles, and status.

When we ask this question, or when we are asked this question, it is most likely in reference to what “9
to 5” job a person holds. What you do for pay is not the only vocation you have been given. You have a
vocation within the church, within the kingdom. Each of us has a role to play and a task to be faithful to.
We find the perfect model of these roles within Christ.

! | CALLING LAB
29
In Jesus we see several different roles he assumes during his 3 years of incarnation ministry. There are
vibrant images of Jesus calling Jewish leaders into question and rebuking the systemic injustice found in
the religious order. We also see the reverse side of him speaking sweetly and tenderly to women,
equating himself to a shepherd, reinstating Peter after his denial, gathering children before him and
calling all his disciplines to embrace a faith like theirs. Jesus also directs the majority of his attention to
those who are lost and sick, in order to bring the Kingdom to those who have been marginalized and
forgotten by the ruling powers. There is a rhythmic movement of Jesus going into environments where
he can teach through long and exhaustive discourse, parables, conversations and the like. The entirety of
Jesus’ ministry could be described, and Jesus himself described it, as him bringing the Kingdom of God
to earth and instituting a new covenant with the whole world. These are the palpable roles Jesus takes
on.

We could narrow Jesus’ work down to 5 functions. We see the labor of an apostle, prophet, evangelist,
shepherd and teacher perfectly summed up in Jesus, completely rounding out his work on earth. As the
image of the invisible God, Jesus modeled these 5 roles for us and shows us how God himself would
have ministered out of these roles. Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews were waiting for and the one that
the world needed. Jesus accomplished his mission through these 5 positions.

For us, we need to remember that no disciple is greater than his master. Meaning we must look toward
Jesus’ example to help us understand what role we’re called to play as we function in the body of Christ.
Paul comments on these roles in Ephesians 4:

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:

“When he ascended on high,

he took many captives

and gave gifts to his people.”

(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?

He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the

whole universe.) So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors

and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,

attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

! | CALLING LAB
30
This passage will serve as our rubric for our vocational typology. We’ll consider our fit within the work of
the kingdom as described by Paul in Ephesians 4.

Take a moment to watch the Vocational Assessment video on the website.

R E S P O N D T O T H E M AT E R I A L

What are your general impressions after reading Ephesians 4?

What do you notice is the reason we are called to these different offices?

What would the church look like, or what does the church look like, without all 5 of these vocations
flourishing within a community?

! | CALLING LAB
31
What could a community look like if all 5 of these were perfectly working together in harmony?

Take a moment to take your APEST test. You’ll find a link to the test on the website.

Use the space below to write about your results. What do you think about how you tested?

Alan Hirsch, an international missiologist, teaches that a Christian doesn’t hold just one of these roles,
but most, if not all. However, some are much stronger than others (or perhaps some are much weaker
than others). We’ll use the model below to illustrate our strongest to weakest roles. Add your strongest
role to largest rectangle on the left, and your second strongest in the second to largest rectangle, and so
on…

FIRST SECOND THIRD FOURTH FIFTH

! | CALLING LAB
32
Quick note: This vocational theology does not belittle or undermine your work outside the church. On
the contrary, your APEST results should inform your entire life, not just what you do when you’re with
Christians. Your APEST will shed light on how you lead, how you do mission, how you work, how you
play, etc. Whether you participate in full-time ministry or have a career outside the church, your APEST
score should bring clarity to your entire life.

Go to the back of your book and write down what you discovered about your
calling on the VOCATION side of the ‘My Calling’ triangle.


! | CALLING LAB
33
FURTHER RESOURCES TO CONSIDER

APOSTLES extend the gospel. As the “sent ones,” they ensure that the faith is transmitted from one
context to another and from one generation to the next. They are always thinking about the future,
bridging barriers, establishing the church in new contexts, developing leaders, networking trans-locally.
Yet, if you focus solely on initiating new ideas and rapid expansion, you can leave people and
organizations wounded. The shepherding and teaching functions are needed to ensure people are cared
for rather than simply used.

Core Vision Impulse Effect Focus Character Concern

Adventurous and
Viable future and futuristic
Pioneer Propagate With this help
expansion of the Architectural/
Entrepreneur Missional Reproduce increase capacity
Christian systemic
Architect Multiply for mission
movement sensibility,
emphasis on risk

PROPHETS know God's will. They are particularly attuned to God and his truth for today. They bring
correction and challenge the dominant assumptions we inherit from culture. They insist that the
community obey what God has commanded. They question the status quo. Without the other types of
leaders in place, prophets can become belligerent activists or, paradoxically, disengage from the
imperfection of reality and become other-worldly.

Core Vision Impulse Effect Focus Character Concern

Existential
Strong intuition
Guardian of God orientation: of right and
Will this help us
covenant keeping wrong,
Incarnational Incarnate embody God’s
Questioners of movement emphasizes
concerns
the status quo aligned with God integrity,
obedience &
mystery

! | CALLING LAB
34
EVANGELISTS recruit. These infectious communicators of the gospel message recruit others to the
cause. They call for a personal response to God's redemption in Christ, and also draw believers to
engage the wider mission, growing the church. Evangelists can be so focused on reaching those outside
the church that maturing and strengthening those inside is neglected.

Core Vision Impulse Effect Focus Character Concern

Relational &
Connector to People to come communal Will this help
cause Attritional know God and Emphasis on bring people to a
Aggregate
Recruiter Attractional join the novelty, sociality, point of
Entrepreneur movement playfulness and conversion
celebration

SHEPHERDS nurture and protect. Caregivers of the community, they focus on the protection and
spiritual maturity of God's flock, cultivating a loving and spiritually mature network of relationships,
making and developing disciples. Shepherds can value stability to the detriment of the mission. They
may also foster an unhealthy dependence between the church and themselves.

Core Vision Impulse Effect Focus Character Concern

Nurturing & How will this

Nurturer Community living
communal, affect
Humanizer healthily in the
Communal Integrate emphasis on organization &
Sustainer love of triune
healing, people in
Social integrator God
wholeness community

TEACHERS understand and explain. Communicators of God's truth and wisdom, they help others
remain biblically grounded to better discern God's will, guiding others toward wisdom, helping the
community remain faithful to Christ's word, and constructing a transferable doctrine. Without the input of
the other functions, teachers can fall into dogmatism or dry intellectualism. They may fail to see the
personal or missional aspects of the church's ministry.

Core Vision Impulse Effect Focus Character Concern

Intellectual &
Mediator of
Awareness and philosophical How does this
wisdom
integration of Emphasis on line up with
Trainer-educator Instructional Explicate
truth, especially curiosity, theology &
Theological
revealed truth learning, scripture
formation
knowledge

! | CALLING LAB
35
OP PO RTU NI TY
AN ALY SIS
our story, our identity, and our calling

! | CALLING LAB
36
 OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS

"No idea short of God's call can ground and fulfill the truest human desire
for purpose and fulfillment.” - Os Guinness

G E T FA M I L I A R W I T H T H E T O P I C

In Skippy Dies, a novel by Paul Murray, there is this exchange between the main character, Howard, and
his friend. Howard says, “It’s just not how I expected my life would be.”

“What did you expect?” the friend replies.

“Howard ponders this. ‘I suppose—this sounds stupid, but I suppose I thought there’d be more of a
narrative arc.’”

This exchange is extremely poignant as we consider the calling on our lives. Over the last couple
decades there has been a growing field in psychology where they consider how we cognitively structure
and mentally organize our stories into narratives. It’s called Narrative Psychology. What they’ve found is

! | CALLING LAB
37
that most of us structure our lives into stories, and one big story. The most simple comment on why we
do this is that our lives are stories. They might not perfectly follow the rules of storytelling, but we are all
living a story.

God is the founder and creator of stories. He reveals himself to us through story, his Word follows a
meta-narrative, and he uses our stories to make our calling known to us. Our stories may not be
something we’re proud of, certainly parts might not be, but God will still leverage our story to help make
sense of our calling. In a sense, God will use our life and our stories to call us to the work he has
prepared in advance for us. It is within the sovereignty of God that our stories will be redeemed within
our calling and restoration will come through our mission.

In any literature class, you’ll learn about keystone writing techniques, certain tools that help an author to
better format a story so that the reader can be kept in anticipation and surprised at the end. These might
be devices like foreshadowing (an event that alludes to a future event), metaphors (a figure of speech the
leads you to compare and contrast certain ideas), or motifs (general themes of a design which pattern
themselves together to reveal certain truths). Our past tend to serve as a kind of foreshadowing that can
illuminate what God might have for us. Within our lives we might be able to find certain motifs that can
guide us through God’s leading and help us to see clearly how God can use our story within our calling.

This isn’t a science, it’s an art. And it’s an art that should be handled delicately. Many of us might not
want to revisit our past, deal with the pains and situation of today. But, if we can be honest with
ourselves and God, he might show you how your past can play a major role in your calling.

To further explore this idea, take a moment to watch the Opportunity Analysis video on the website.

R E S P O N D T O T H E M AT E R I A L

Below is a series of questions to help you determine your unique opportunities. The answers you provide
will lead you to further understand your calling, whether your long term or short term call. As is the case
with every other facet of this Lab, this is not your definite confines, but should help you to see the rare
and specific past and present God has led you through which could greatly help you to understand your
calling.

Take a moment and go through these questions:

! | CALLING LAB
38
PA S T

Where do you come from?

Does that place of origin connect you to a particular group of people? Who?

Have you been through anything in your past that defines you in some way (good or bad) making you a
part of a group of people who have been through or experienced the same thing?

Where have you seen fruit in your life and ministry in the past?

! | CALLING LAB
39
THE PRESENT

Where is your first place (where you find yourself most of the time, this is typically work)?

Your second place (the place you next find yourself most of the time, this is typically home)?

Your third places (the places you go when you aren’t at your first two places, these are typically places
like the gym, the coffee shop, the park, etc.)?

What unique missional opportunity does your presence or access afford you there?

! 40 | CALLING LAB
Of the population that you have access to right now, who would say has the greatest need?

THE FUTURE

Do you have any set plans, courses of study, or opportunities in the future that will effect where you are
or what you could do? As you look over these answers, what stands out?

C U LT U R E

Use the space below to write about your culture. Describe your people group and its customs. This
might take a few minutes, so take your time.

What group of people and/or places are you able to reach because of your ethnicity?

! | CALLING LAB
41
What role might your culture play in discerning your calling?

CONCLUSION

Is there a group of people that emerges for you that you might feel called to because of your story,
access and culture?

Go to the back of your book and write down what you discovered about your
calling on the OPPORTUNITY side of the ‘My Calling’ triangle.


! | CALLING LAB
42
 


I N N E R TRI AN G L E
Now we move on to the three elements that make up the subjective state of who we are,
which shows us the more loose and interpretive clues of our calling. We’ll spend time
considering our emotions, listening for God’s voice, and asking a trusted counsel.

! | CALLING LAB
43
E M OTI ONA L
E VA LUAT IO N
what our gut reactions tell us about our calling

! | CALLING LAB
44
 EMOTIONAL EVALUATION

"Openly revealing our feelings establishes credibility” - Gerry Spence

G E T FA M I L I A R W I T H T H E T O P I C

Emotions are honest.

There is something to be said about someone’s emotions. We can do our best to suppress and never
show our emotions, but the truth is that they are there and they tell us a great deal about who we are.
We can evaluate the things that make us happy, sad, angry, etc. and really come to understand how we
are wired as well as how we ought to live. Emotions tells us quite a bit about our calling.

Too often we find people in ministry who lack an internal fire. There isn’t much passion or zeal when they
are working in their field of ministry. Serving in the kingdom can become a day in, day out sort of
situation. Ministry should never be about punching the clock. One of the greatest ways, and perhaps the
simplest way to remedy this issue is to take a look at your emotions. Noticing what makes us mad or

! | CALLING LAB
45
angry, as well as joyful and peaceful, can be clear indicators as to what we should be fighting against or
for.

Take a moment to watch the Emotional Evaluation video on the website.

R E S P O N D T O T H E M AT E R I A L

For this portion of the Lab we’ll be looking at a series of pictures, grading our initial emotional reaction,
and scoring our overall feelings. The video corresponding to this facet is only a series of pictures which
will remain on the screen for 5 seconds. Don’t study or examine the picture, just look at it, and write
down how strong your emotions were when you originally viewed the picture. For the most accurate
results, do not rewind or repeat any pictures. Simply look at the picture and write your score.

Use a scoring range of 1-5. If you have a strong emotional reaction to the picture, give yourself a 5. If
you have an apathetic reaction to an image, give yourself a 1. Don't think of the 1 as a negative emotion
and a 5 as a positive emotion. Think of it more like 1 as being apathetic to the image and 5 having a
strong emotional response (either positive or negative).

Here is the order in which you should complete this section:

1. Emotional Evaluation Video

2. Emotional Evaluation Exercise Video

3. “Reflection on the Experience” question

4. Discovery Key

5. Evaluation Questions.

The scoring sheet is on the next page. When you’re ready to begin, watch the Emotional Evaluation
Exercise video on the website.


! | CALLING LAB
46
________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

29 30 31 32 33 34 35

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

36 37 38 39 40 41 42

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

43 44 45 46 47 48 49

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

50 51 52 53 54 55 56

________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________ ________

57 58 59 60 61 62 63

! | CALLING LAB
47
R E FL E CT IO N O N T HE E XPE RI ENCE

Mostly likely there are a couple pictures that were more indelible than the others. That was something
about those pictures that caught your attention more than the others. What do you remember about
those pictures and those details or themes? Take a minute to write a quick reflection those things.

! | CALLING LAB
48
D I S C O V E RY K E Y

Addiction: ______, ______, ______ =

1 22 43 LGBT: ______, ______, ______ =
12 33 54
Athletics: ______, ______, ______ =
2 23 44 Military: ______, ______, ______ =
13 34 55
Creation Care: ______, ______, ______ =
3 24 45 Politics: ______, ______, ______ =
14 35 56
Disabilities: ______, ______, ______ =
4 25 46 Poverty: ______, ______, ______ =
15 36 57
Displaced: ______, ______, ______ =
5 26 47 Prison: ______, ______, ______ =
16 37 58
Elderly/Sick: ______, ______, ______ =
6 27 48 Professionals: ______, ______, ______ =
17 38 59
Ethnic Specific: ______, ______, ______ =
7 28 49 Sex Industry: ______, ______, ______ =
18 39 60
Families: ______, ______, ______ =
8 29 50 Students: ______, ______, ______ =
19 40 61
Foster/Adoption: ______, ______, ______ =
9 30 51 The Arts: ______, ______, ______ =
20 41 62
Home-Based: ______, ______, ______ =
10 31 52 Youth: ______, ______, ______ =
21 42 63

International Ministry: ______, ______, ______ =
11 32 53

Circle your three highest scores


! | CALLING LAB
49
 Here are some suggestions for subsets of each context. Just as the contexts aren’t comprehensive,
neither are these subsets. They only serve to help you narrow down you calling and further discern.

AD DICTIO N
Drug, Alcohol, Substance, Sex, Co-dependency INT ER NAT ION AL MIN IST RY
Any Country Other Than The One You’re In

AT HLE TES
Players, Coaches, Specific Sports, Little Leagues, LGBT
Clubs Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersexual,
Asexual

C R E ATIO N CAR E
Urban Gardening, Environmental Focus, Farming, Waste MILI TARY
Management/Conversion Multiple Branches Of The Armed Forces

DIS ABI LIT IE S P OLIT ICS

Emotional/Behavior Disorders, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Advocacy, Reform, Police Brutality, Systemic Injustice,
Hearing Impaired, Autism/Aspergers, Learning Disabilities, Ministry to Politicians,
Mental Retardation, Cerebral Palsy, Neurological Disabilities,
Down Syndrome, Visual Impairment
P OVE RTY
Homelessness, Clean Water Initiatives, Education, Abject
DIS PLACED Poverty, Slavery
Refugees, Immigrants, Aliens, Undocumented Citizens,
Trafficked
P RIS ON
Jails, Prison, Staff, Juvenile Detention Centers
E LDE R LY /S IC K
Geriatrics, Hospital, Assisted Living Facilities, Nursing
P ROFE SS ION ALS
Homes, Rehab Centers
Work Places, Co-Workers

E TH NI C SP EC IF IC S EX IN DUST RY
Native American, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic/
Prostitution, Strip Clubs, Sex Trafficking, Massage Parlors
Latino, Pacific Islander, Multiracial, White

ST UDE NT S
FA MIL IES Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College,
Mothers, Infants, Fathers, Children, Single Mothers, Divorce,
Drop-Outs
Playgrounds, Mom’s/Dad’s Groups
T HE A RT S
Writing, Poetry, Music, Videography, Graphic Design, Visual
F OSTE R /AD O PTI O N: Arts, Performing Arts
Foster Care, Adoption System, Orphanages, Adults Who Age
Out Of The System
YOUT H
Toddlers, Children, Teens, At Risk Kids, Bullied, Pregnant
H O ME -BA S ED
Neighbors, House Church, Block Parties, Apartment Living,

! 50 | CALLING LAB
E VA L U AT I O N Q U E S T I O N S

Are there one or two focuses that stand out? What are they?

Do you see any themes? How are they related?

Do any of these surprise you? Sometimes, something about the image might catch your attention, but it
isn’t the main idea of the image, it is something else. If a category seems unlikely that it pertains to you,
go back to the video and try to figure out what it was about that image that caused an emotional
response.

What did you learn about your calling from this exercise?

Go to the back of your book and write down what you discovered about your
calling on the EMOTIONS side of the ‘My Calling’ triangle.


! | CALLING LAB
51
LI STE N I NG PR AYER
taking time to listen to wait for our Creator’s voice

! | CALLING LAB
52
 LISTENING PRAYER

“Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” - Soren
Kierkegaard

G E T FA M I L I A R W I T H T H E T O P I C

It may seem obvious, but when we are looking at different aspects of a person’s life, analyzing our
opportunities, consulting evaluations and reviewing inventories, it is far too easy to leave God out of the
picture. So far, we have looked at what God has already done in us as his creation, but we haven’t waited
for his voice. The previous aspects of this Lab are paying attention to God, but maybe it isn’t listening to
him directly. This, of course, is far more important than anything. In fact, this could be the trump card. It
is highly unlikely that God would call us to something that doesn’t match with what he has done in us
already, but we need to be open to what ever he has to say to us.

One of the original Navigators, Jim Downing, taught on the importance of discerning God’s will. The first
topic he discussed was the necessity of a neutral heart. There is no point in praying for God’s direction if
we already know where we are going and what we are going to do. As we approach God in a time of

! | CALLING LAB
53
listening prayer, do the internal work needed to get your heart neutral. Be willing to go wherever he
wants you to go, and do whatever he wants you to do. At times, becoming neutral takes just as long as
the listening portion. Nonetheless, we would be wise to begin our time with this discipline.

Spend some time engaging God in prayer. The timeline on this portion will vary for each person. Some
people may take a couple hours (and this could be a good minimum), or some could take a couple of
days. However long your time is, make sure it isn’t rushed and that you find yourself in an environment
where distractions and noise are minimized.

Often times, God will speak in pictures, songs, verses or single words. Be sure to not get caught up on
hearing a specific statement or sentence. Remember, God is creative. Moses told Genesis 1 as a song,
Jesus spoke in parables, David wrote in psalms, Solomon wrote in proverbs. God breathed through all
these men and ultimately wrote these passages. God is an artist and he might, or probably will, speak to
you in a similar way.

Take a moment to watch the Emotional Evaluation video on the website.

R E S P O N D T O T H E M AT E R I A L

What did you hear in your time? Did you receive a verse, picture, song or word? What was it?

Does this match what you have been sensing throughout the process?

! | CALLING LAB
54
Is there some follow-up prayer time needed in order for you to continue to flesh this out?

Go to the back of your book and write down what you discovered about your
calling on the PRAYER side of the ‘My Calling’ triangle.


! | CALLING LAB
55
CO UN SELOR
IN P U T
where godly advice has a say

! | CALLING LAB
56
 COUNSELOR INPUT

“Consult your friend on all things, especially on those which respect

yourself. His counsel may then be useful where your own self-love might
impair your judgment.” - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

G E T FA M I L I A R W I T H T H E T O P I C

God’s voice is our primary and fundamental leading in discerning our calling. Whereas prayer tends to
be the primary (and sometimes only) discipline to hear from God, it isn’t the only place we hear from
him. In tangent with prayer, receiving input from another believer is critical. We believe that God has
put his Holy Spirit in his people, and we, therefore, understand that someone who is tuned into God can
have authority in what they advise. Input from a counselor is not just a good idea, it is crucial for
understanding God’s leading. People are an extension of God’s voice.

The book of Proverbs is filled with couplets pertaining to counselors and advice. Consider these
proverbs:

! | CALLING LAB
57
 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. - Proverbs 15:22

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice -Proverbs 12:15

Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war. -Proverbs 20:18

These few proverbs spell out the significance of seeking counsel. However, not just anyone can be
considered ‘counsel’. We need to consider who is truly a counselor to us.

The person you go to should be someone who is mature in the faith and understands the complexities of
what you’re asking them. It is not a good idea to go to a random friend who will not take seriously the
questions you are presenting to them. Furthermore, they need to be non-biased. As much as our
mothers love us, their advice can be biased at times, especially if they are asked to speak into a decision
that could lead us to take a risk. A friend's advice compared to a mother’s advice about us going into a
country where Christianity is illegal and could get you killed might be a stark contradiction. The proverbs
promote multiple advisers, not a single adviser. Seek advice from many non-biased, mature believers
who understand what they are being asked.

Take a moment to watch the Counselor Input video on the website.

R E S P O N D T O T H E M AT E R I A L

(If you attempting a group spiritual discernment process or peer coaching, there is a guide on the
site you’re welcome to use)

Take some time to meet with a counselor, or counselors. Show them your results so far as you’ve been
recording them on the My Calling triangle in the back of this manual. Take your time as you share all the
insights you’ve gained along the way and ask them to speak into the process. Listen closely and use the
following space to take notes.

! | CALLING LAB
58
What advice did your counselor give you?

In what ways does their advice affirm what you’ve been discerning?

In what ways does their advice discourage what you’ve been discerning?

! | CALLING LAB
59
How does their advice help you better understand your calling?

Spend some time in prayer and silence. Take in what they said and write a quick reflection in the space
below to wrap up your time from getting input.

Go to the back of your book and write down what you discovered about your
calling on the INPUT side of the ‘My Calling’ triangle.


! 60 | CALLING LAB
 


C E N TE R TR I ANG L E
Finally, we’ll attempt to put all your insights together to write out a cohesive and memorable
calling statement. Take everything you’ve received up to this point and write about all the
different aspects of your calling.

! | CALLING LAB
61
YO U R CA L L ING
finalizing what God has spoken to you

! | CALLING LAB
62
 MY CALLING

“God does not require that we be successful only that we be faithful.”

- Mother Teresa

FINALIZE YOUR CALLING

Congratulations on finishing the Calling Lab. Before we bring this course to an end, take a moment to
watch the Your Calling Video online.

What follows are the coordinates that should point you toward your calling. The outer edges and inner
triangles should be filled in by now. All that remains is for you to write your calling in the middle triangle.
It might be easy to become overwhelmed by this final task, so take a moment right now and write
something down.

Finish strong. This part of the Lab is what it’s all about.

! | CALLING LAB
63
 ty

Emotions

Vo
li
na

ca
rso

onti
Pe

Calling

Prayer Counselor

Opportunity

There are a few additional exercises on the website to help you stay accountable to what you have
heard from God. We encourage you to head over to callinglab.com and complete these three tasks.

! | CALLING LAB
64