November Leadership Board Report by Maria Shurik

“We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us…” – Romans 12:6

What is your superpower? What is your favorite nickname and why? Who or what brings you joy? What have you been recognized by others for? What are you most proud of? How would the people closest to you describe you?

Answering these questions will be easier for some than for others, depending on how self-aware you are. Self-awareness is about understanding ourselves through our own lens but also through the lenses of those around us. Knowing our spiritual gifts, or our strengths, is an important foundation for stepping fully into life as a disciple of Jesus. Jesus was surrounded by people who were different from him and one another, but still they lived in community. Each of them had their own gifts and flaws, and were loved just as they were – even if, and no matter what.

In our last Leadership Board meeting, Kristi led our spiritual formation and challenged us to think critically about the labels we put on the world and people around us. The social media algorithms are very good at distinguishing “us” from “them”, “good” from “bad”, and every other harmful dichotomy imaginable. How can we step out of that non-reality and into the nuance of real life as a follower of Jesus? It can start with getting more clarity on what your gifts and strengths are, but we can’t stop at self-awareness. A key step in our faith journey is putting our gifts to work as we find ways to help “His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.”

I encourage you to explore the United Methodist Church’s Spiritual Gifts Inventory tool if you haven’t already done so.

When you are ready to take the next step in putting your gifts into action, and need some guidance about ways to do that through Breksville UMC, I encourage you to reach out to Pastor Heidi or Jenny Gee or or anyone on staff.

Our BUMC community is filled with disciples of Christ. The collective strength of our church family lies in our ability to live and work and gather and serve and worship together in a beautiful (sometimes chaotic) harmony, despite – and because of – our differences.

-Maria Shurik, Leadership Board