Four words that hold the power to move someone from the sidelines into the midst of what God is doing. You are looking for the God-given gold in someone, a skillset, a leadership quality, or something simply worth celebrating about a person.
I see in you this ability.
I see in you this passion.
I see in you this leadership quality.
I see in you this potential.
I see God in you when…
With these four words, you get the sacred privilege to call out a gifting in order to send them into whatever God may have for them.
It might sound something like this, “Tom, you have an amazing laugh! Every Sunday, I know it’s going to be a good day because you are so full of joy and have such an amazing sense of humor. Would you pray about joining our greeting team? Your joyful heart and laugh are so needed to help newcomers feel welcome and at ease”.
Perhaps you are acknowledging a passion and the conversation may go something like this, “Beth, when you pray for people without enough food, I see in you that God has really given you a true heart and compassion for them. Have you thought about serving at the local food bank on Mondays?”
Maybe it sounds something like, “Elaine, I see you with your grown children and your grandchildren and I am always struck by how evident it is that every single one of them loves Jesus. I see in you a gift for making faith simple and fun. And your children and grandchildren are proof! Have you ever considered sharing your gift with other families at our church?”
Or perhaps it looks like, “Wow! Sarah…I see in you a gift for connecting and gathering other people. You almost always have lunch plans on Sunday with someone new. That is an incredible gift and one that some people just don’t have. I would love to see you lead a small group this season.”
Essentially, you are acknowledging a unique, God-given quality within a person. You get the chance to affirm and build them up and celebrate this part of them. And then invite them to participate in the life of the community by using that gift. Many times, people don’t know they are gifted, don’t understand that not everyone can easily do the thing they naturally do, or don’t know that a community could be served by their particular gift.
If you don’t know where to start, ask God. He knows your congregation inside and out, better than you know them. Ask Him to give you eyes to see and ears to hear. Ask Him for the ability to supernaturally see giftings and temperaments, leadership qualities, and character traits.
Stand in the back of the worship space on a Sunday and ask God to highlight someone to encourage and to call out their giftings so that you can call them into mission. You might be surprised at who God highlights and how He can use that particular person.
This week, ask God to give you the opportunity to have one ICNU conversation with someone. Ask God for wisdom, knowledge, and insight into a person’s particular giftings and the words to call them out and into something bigger than themselves.
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Huge thanks to Dave Ferguson and Warren Bird, two leaders who first introduced me to the concept of ICNU. Check out their book here.
Katie Evans 