Welcome to the Mariners Church Life Group Leader podcast. This weekly conversation is designed to equip and resource youth to build a healthy life group community that studies God's word, practice the spiritual rhythms, and changes the world together. Hey, life group leaders. Welcome back to our leader podcast.
This is Dallas here, and I have a special guest, Tiffany, with us. Hello, Tiffany. Hello. Thanks for having me.
How she is our next step pastor. And before we begin, I would love for Tiffany to talk to us about equip. We have probably been hearing about equip. You've seen on social media.
You've probably gotten emails from multiple people. You've probably got emails from our team about it. And it's happening next week. What do we need to know about a group?
Absolutely. I love talking about a group because it's going to be a killer night. And it's more than just an event. It's to set you up for success in the future as a volunteer.
And so at Mariners Church, we love volunteers. We want to celebrate, care for, and also develop volunteers and equip them to do what God's called them to do. So life group leaders, you're doing something amazing. We want to come alongside of you and equip you so that you have the tools that you need to lead the life group that you are leading in.
So we're going to have fun. We'll hear from Eric Geiger, but you're also going to get to be in a breakout that specifically going to give you some amazing tactical tools on how you can be equipped to lead your life group even better. Great. That's my feel.
I'm in. I'll be there. I'm hanging out with me, live group leaders. We can be there.
We have our own breakout. We're really excited. There's just something special about getting all people under the same roof that, regardless of if we did nothing besides just gathering our people, which is like weekend services. But there's something about getting all of our leaders in the same room that's just a magical experience.
And then on top of that, developing. Oh, man. I mean, because it's not just Irvine. I just talked to Van from Oceanside.
He's bringing a bus up here. Y'all weekend, we can drive 10 minutes. He's driving from Oceanside. That's right.
It's going to be amazing. Get to a quip, register, and you can, when you go through registration, just hit Life Group Leader and a few serve on multiple areas. Great. Life Group Leader hit the other areas that you serve on.
Kids on the weekend or guest services. Great. Super, super glad that you do that because most of our Life Group leaders are serving everywhere. And we were so, so excited about that.
Happy for that for our church. Because I think our Life Group leaders are some of the best leaders that we have, but I'm biased. Amazing. I'm biased.
Amazing. But we are jumping into a week two of our series, Life Making the Most of It. And today, we're hitting the most of your gifts. And there's a reason I have Tiffany on this podcast.
Because our passage is 1 Peter 4, 10. And Tiffany, there's been something in your life that has happened recently. Yeah. Maybe a life changing experience.
I've heard you talk about this verse. Give us a little bit of a glimpse of this specific verse and how you've experienced it the last couple of ones. Totally. So I had the privilege of going on a faith adventure at Sequeña with Christian Mungai and some other people.
And it was incredible, which by the way, as we were there, we got to see some of the amazing works that worked at 20 series, did. And so anybody in 20 series, shout out, we saw the play grown at some movies, yes. So anyway, but it was a faith adventure. We got to visit partners and see what God is already doing in Kenya.
Early on in the trip, one of the verses that God brought to mind was 1 Peter 4, 10. And it says, just as each of you has received a gift, use it to serve others as good stewards of the varied grace of God. And this verse has just so been in my spirit, like even throughout the whole trip, every time we would visit a partner and we would see how God has wired this partner, what God was doing in the life of this partner, I was blown away at how they were living this verse out. We got to meet people like Anne and Andrew who, because Anne went through route it.
She actually quit her job and started a business where she can employ artisans from the slums and different areas around Kenya where they're under resource and they don't have the ability to provide for their family. And so she trains them and has this business that now has Kingdom Impact. And it was all because she talked about calling and God called her in that group experience. And when I look at Anne, I think, man, she is such a picture of someone who's received a gift, like she was in the fashion industry, she already was gifted in a particular way.
And she uses it to serve others. And when she does that, she is literally displaying the grace of God to the people around her. It's the most beautiful thing. There's so many stories I could tell you, Dallas, but just one more that I got to tell you about.
And when we went to this place called the living room, and it was outside of Nairobi, it was like in this village, I mean, not a lot of people have even heard of this place. And we met this partner named Julie. And Julie, she's been in Kenya for a really long time. And it was incredible to meet Julie and then to see the good work that God has been doing in and through her, she started the first hospice care.
And we got to meet some of the patients that were there. And as I heard Julie tell story after story of how God used her to meet people in some of the hardest moments of their life, as they are dying, as they are sick, she is showing love and care for these people who, frankly, by a lot of people, are forgotten and thrown away. She says, no, no, no, no. You are made in God's image.
We love you. We are going to be with you until the end. And as I look at Julie and as I look to her staff, I mean, tears were just flowing out of our team because she is literally displaying the very grace of God in such a tangible way. In moments where we want to fix everything, where we want to say, no, we can figure out how to make this person better.
When we can't and we come to the end of ourselves, the beauty is we, by just showing dignity and loving them like we are called to do, we get to display God's grace to people. And it's so beautiful because God doesn't need us. Like you can just play his grace to humanity in any other way, but he chooses to use people like you and me, like broken people who don't have it all together. And he says, hey, I want to display my grace to other people through you.
And so seeing them just say yes to God and use their gifts and these different avenues. Man, it was so beautiful. I was so impacted. That's so great.
If you've never been on a faith adventure, you should go on a faith adventure. I went to Kenya last year and I didn't everything you said, I'm like, yes, yes, yes, yes. But there's something that happens on a faith adventure and specifically for your life, your leaders, even going down to Mexico for a day, so easy. You can do it.
Make the most of your time go, go do it. And but to transition, like hearing your story as you talk about Julie, she gets to be that to speak life into people. And I think of our life, your leaders, like you get to do that this week in your group as you have discussions, you get to be that person that can speak life of, no, you're gifted, no, you have a gift, no, you have purpose and you you get to be that person through it. So as we interact now with some of the questions that are provided in the curriculum, like why do God give spiritual gifts to the church?
That's one of the questions that you're asking your group like, okay, why are there spiritual gifts? How is it being used in the church? Why is that important? Like, maybe you could help a life good leader have a really good answer for that or what to look for and answer as different people start asking that question.
Totally. Man, that's a first off. It's okay. Would you hear that to be like, okay, that's that's a big question.
And honestly, like, why does God give gifts? Part of me is like, I don't know fully why he does that. Other than he's just so good. Like he doesn't have to, but he like the way he's wired you, he took the light in giving you the gifts that you have.
And he can't wait for you on a rabbit. He can't wait for you to use it and connect your gifts with his purpose. And so I don't know. I honestly don't know.
That's why I can think of is that God's just so gracious to us. Yeah. And I think there's beauty in that question and that answer to that question for you, Tiffany, because so many times as leaders, and this is I'm relating to you as a life group leader right now, because I get asked questions and I have to have the humility to say, you know what, I don't know the answer to that question. And a life group leader is I think you can do that to just have the humility and said like, we can, we can be a used car salesman and we can make something up or you can have the humility like, you know what, I don't know if I know the answer, but let me just speak from my heart.
And I think that's a beautiful response to that question and left group is that something I think we could adopt. Now, hopefully this weekend, everybody fills out has filled out a card. Like I want to volunteer. I want to use my gifts.
What do you say to the people and maybe someone in the group that's brought up? Now, like, I don't know, I don't know where to where to even start. I don't know how I'm gifted. Like, what do you, what do you say to people on the weekend who say, I don't even know where to start.
Sometimes people are looking for this pathway. Like, what do you, what do you tell people? Totally. I think, I think the first thing that you want to do in those conversations is a firm that they're even curious.
Yes. And so it's not a small thing that someone would be vulnerable enough in your group to say, I want to do this. I just don't know. Um, and so to stop and say, hold up right now, you are interacting with what God might have for you by even asking the question.
I'm so proud of you for wrestling. Yeah. And the rest will sometimes people feel defeat in a wrestle, but really, it's to me when I see someone wrestle, I actually see that they're like still in because to not wrestle is to give up or to not really like truly try to dive into something. And so I affirm that they're even asking the question.
The second thing that I do is, um, sometimes when it comes to church stuff, people can think that there's like real life and then there's like spiritual church life and it's like these two separate things, but they're not separate. And so try to demystify it by saying, okay, let's, let's get to know you a little bit. What are you really good at and just start the conversation? What do you love to do?
What do you do at work? What do you do at work? Where do you thrive? Like just different things like that.
What do you draw? Like, and so what you can do is start to ask them about themselves. You're helping them with the self discovery. And then we're going to start to say things and you might, you might notice that they really love leading meetings and really just making everyone feel welcome.
They're going to start to say things that will reveal their heart and reveal like their gifts. And so you want to get them talking just enough to reveal what that is. And so let's say Dallas is like, man, I love it when I get to host meetings in my office because I have a coffee machine. I want them to feel welcome.
I want them to feel like ease. Well, I immediately know in that moment, Dallas has a gift of hospitality. Dallas wants, he cares about how other people feel. And so you've got to be able to unpack what that is and then look at the landscape of the church and what would it look like for Dallas to use that gift within the church to know people who walk into church to be all welcome and seen.
Well, maybe it's guest services or maybe I would have a longer conversation. Maybe it's next step. What up? That's my team, you know, whatever it might be.
And so, and so that's, that's how I would start it. And then I would, I would say, Hey, you know what? You don't have to, you don't have to know for certain. Like you can just try it.
Yep. So give them a couple ideas and say, why don't you just test drive it for just a couple of times, see if it's your thing. If it's not, it's no problem. Let's keep exploring until we find your fit.
But I do know there is a fit for somebody and for everybody. So that's about it. I think that is such great wisdom. So you're like stopping people on their tracks.
And I immediately when you said that I thought of multiple conversations I've had this year where people have stopped a conversation just to affirm or not call someone. And I don't even know what to call it. But I remember praying a couple weeks. I was like, well, I don't know what this gift is, but I want that gift because I want, because what has done to my heart, I want to be able to do that to someone else.
Or someone just stopped me in my tracks and said, hold up, let me affirm this. And you know, like I'm not going to let you go any further. I'm just going to stop you right here. And it's beautiful.
In life, your bleaters, you have the opportunity to do that. This is a week in your discussion where you can affirm people at some of the most impactful conversations or when someone has come up to me and said Dallas, I see something in you that you don't get seen yourself or the people who took time to guide me through finding my spot. And I exactly what you said. There's a spot for everyone.
Jump in and just do it. So life, you play just, I think this is a really, really great opportunity for you to have that conversation, but it also starts, it starts with you. Like you have to lead the charge. And if you're not saying, I don't know if I serve anywhere, if you're listening to this podcast and you are like, you are serving somewhere.
So maybe it's having your story ready to go. Hey, here's my journey towards giving. And here's what here's what the Lord has done in my life as I have served. And then you can start, Hey, how many of you are serving?
Where are you serving at? Hey, what, how has God gifted you and use it as a time to just speak affirmation? I totally see that in you. I totally see that you should do something calling us in.
But I think that's, that's really great. And I kind of like the final question is, it's always like this looking, looking out into our world or we're looking in, how can we apply it to our own lives as we look in the world? But like any of these three questions, life, your leaders, like just pick one of them, where do you think God used the gifts he's given you to serve others? Like that's your story.
What if anything holds you back from using your gifts for the sake of others? I think that's a really great question. Hey, what are the things and to me, what are some things you've heard that hold people back from using their gifts? Yeah, I think sometimes they don't articulate some of the root things.
You know, they may, they may throw out home busy or that's just not my thing. Like, so it's, but what's underneath all of that is a fear of not being good enough. Um, some people are like, I don't know that God could really use me because if he really knew what I, like, what my story was and he does, he knows your story. And he still invites you in to serve.
So the fear of not being good enough, uh, the being insecure about like, I don't know if I'm going to succeed if I do this. And then also, um, it feels like an outpouring. And so often we feel like we are running empty. And so now you're asking me to like pour out when I'm not full.
And, you know, what's wild is an inscripture actually says, when you refresh others, you yourself will be refreshed. And so it's a byproducts of serving. You actually get refreshed, which is the most crazy thing. And so it makes sense.
It's linear thinking that you would think, I'm not full. So I can't do this. But if you serve and you serve now and circumstances are perfect, then you're going to see God bless you, even in the midst of that. I've, I've heard some crazy reasons.
I've heard somebody say, I want to serve out and make a difference. But I've got to lose weight first. That's wild. Yeah.
Uh, God can use you chunky off. Uh, and like, it doesn't matter what it is. God can use you. I want to be prepared first.
If you read through the Bible, do you, I mean, the disciples started to be used right away there. I say they were not prepared quite yet, but they were with Jesus along the way and he'll be with you along the way too. So I think listen to those things and then just affirm what you see in them and that they are right. Yeah.
I think this is going to be such a beautiful group experience and a beautiful opportunity for life group leaders. When people have fear, you get to replace that with truth. So, you know, maybe as a life group leader, if I'm leading a group this week, I'm saying Lord, as I'm preparing, Lord, help me to speak truth over the people of my group, or give me words to say, to speak truth over the people who are coming in as they, they tell me about their fears or failures or they tell me a list of excuses. Or may I just call the truest things about them out, the things that you have said about them.
And I think this can be a really beautiful time because people love being affirmed. Totally. It does something to our heart. So I'm hopeful.
I hope you guys have a great, great group experience. I hope you jump in. I hope you inspire people to jump in and we hope you to see what it will. We'll see you at a quick.
Say hi. Yeah. It'll be fun. Thanks for being here.
Thanks for joining us, Tiffany. My pleasure. And life group leaders. We'll see you soon.