Inviting Ministries

Making disciples begins with inviting people to explore faith and continues through helping people develop discipleship skills and a maturing faith even as they are sent into the world to invite others. It begins with making every person who walks through our doors feel welcome and inviting them to explore faith.
Discipleship to Jesus always propels us into the world. “Serving in love” means caring for people. The focus of God’s initiative through the church is best understood through ministries of mercy and justice. Ministries of mercy are focused on alleviating human need. Ministries of justice address the systemic or root causes of evil in the world. Ministry must move beyond one’s own needs and even beyond the needs of a particular congregation.

Gifts & Talents

Gifts and Talents are skills or abilities we all posses. Some of us are good at music, others at teaching, writing or hospitality. Using our gifts in Ministry is the method we use to give back to others what God has given to us. Here are Gifts and Talents defined in a way which can be understood and used to further our Ministries at Brecksville United Methodist Church.
Administration - the ability to understand the immediate & long range goals and to devise & execute effective plans for the accomplishment of these goals.
Creative Arts - the ability to use ones hands, thoughts & mind to further God's kingdom through creative, artistic means.
Creative Communications - the ability to communicate God's word through a variety of art forms.
Discernment - the ability to perceive and evaluate whether what is said or done is of God or not of God; seeing the difference between truth and falsehood.
Encouragement - the ability to reassure, strengthen and affirm those who are discouraged or wavering in their faith.
Faith - the ability to see the light at the end of the tunnel even in the face of extreme difficulty; extraordinary confidence in God's provision & help in the face of adversity.
Giving - the ability to discern material or financial needs and then meet those needs generously and cheerfully.
Helping -  the ability to work behind the scenes to relieve other Christians of detail work.
Hospitality - the ability to meet strangers and encourage them to feel "at home."
Knowledge - the ability to study and analyze large amounts of information and communicate the fruits of the study clearly and accurately.Leadership - the ability to see God's vision, articulate God's vision and motivate others to follow voluntarily.
Manual Crafts - the ability to use one's hands and ideas in the area of maintenance & upkeep of God's physical buildings.
Mercy - the ability to feel genuine empathy and compassion & helping persons who are suffering through deeds of love and service.
Missionary - the ability to adapt easily, and with joy, to culture & lifestyles other than one's own for the sake of the gospel.
Service - the ability to see things that need to be done and do them gladly.
Shepherding - the ability to reach out & care for the spiritual well being of an individual or group as in encouraging persons in their Christian walk.
Teaching - the ability to communicate the Christian faith so that other people can understand.
Wisdom - the ability to have intuitive insight into the ways of God and life situations with the result of applying knowledge to concrete situations to forward God's work.
Writing - the ability to put thoughts and ideas into words that will be meaningful and relevant to those who read them.