Spiritual gifts in healthcare

1. Spiritual gifts in healthcare What are my gifts and how can they be used optimally in the modern healthcare setting?

2. Vision / motivation Up to date evaluation Increased expertise spiritual gifts in healthcare Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

3. Why are the spiritual gifts important in healthcare? • Sick and dying people need every possible blessing they can receive from the Lord • Healthcare workers need God’s unusual enabling as they minister to the deepest needs of suffering human beings. • Our healthcare systems need gifted leaders and workers who fulfil their God-given destiny as they collaborate to solve the serious and complex problems we are facing Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

4. Why use my gifts in the workplace? • Body of Christ ministry, 1Cor.12 • Stewardship of talents/gifts, Matt.25 Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

5. Administration / management Leadership Mercy / compassion Counselling Healings Helps / service Hospitality Intercession Wisdom Knowledge Teaching Voluntary poverty Discernment of spirits Exorcism Which gifts are particularly important in healthcare? all the gifts are needed Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

6. Spiritual gifts • Permanent unusual enabling from God, Rom11:29 • 20+ listed in Rom12: 6-8; 1Cor12; Eph4; 1Cor7:7; 1Cor13:3; Eph3:7; Rom8:26, 27 • Ministry = continued exercise of one or more gifts • Multiple giving: God  me  God; Me  others • All people have talents; only Christians have gifts • Talents can be transformed by related gifts • Gifts do not replace basic Christian responsibilities Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

7. 1 Peter 4: 10, 11 - KJV As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ; to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

8. Principles from 1 Peter 4: 10, 11 • Every Christian has received ≥ one gift • We are stewards of these gifts • Minister to one another in using the gifts • Reciprocity in ministry • Ministry reveals the manifold grace of God • the gifts complement one another • the combined impact is required • Jesus Christ to be central • The praise is His  He is to get the glory • The dominion is His  His kingdom should be advancing through our gift-ministry Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

9. Up to date evaluation of gifts • Complete the questionnaire • Group work: About your manifest gifts • How do you feel about it? • How effective are you in using it in the church, at home, at work? • What would you like to learn about using your gifts in the workplace? Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

10. Principles from Ephesians 5: 15-21 • Wisdom and holiness required, v 15 • Good time management, v 16 • Knowing God’s will, v 17 • Overflow-fullness of Holy Spirit, v 18 • Overflow-ministry, v 19 • Overflow-gratitude, v 20 • Right relationships, v 21 Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

11. Exercise in using your gifts - 1 • Go into same group as before • Question: What do you want to learn about the use of your gifts in the workplace? • Minister to one another in this regard, using your gifts • Plenary feedback about the ministry time Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

12. Some practical tips • Give God the glory for all healing • Know your place and take responsibility • Childlike trust in the guidance of Father • Use kairos moments for ministry • Avoid dualistic polarization • Medicine versus prayer healing • Physical versus spiritual healing • Beware of gift-based tunnel vision Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

13. Gift: Administration / Management • Kybernesis: person in charge of the ship on behalf of its owner • Managers ought to bring order and structure for optimal effectiveness and efficiency while minimizing uncertainty • Danger: Unhealthy controlling; Asking God to bless my beautiful plans; management as master and not as tool Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

14. Gift: Leadership • Prohistamenos: leading by going in front of • Inspiring leadership at all levels is vital in times of complex and frequent change in healthcare • Danger: Going too fast / slow; pride; stubbornness Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

15. Gift: Mercy / Compassion • Diakononos: to run on errands on behalf of another, attending to their needs • Christian mercy and compassion is the heart of true health-care • Danger: Help without heart; underestimating the importance of own walk with the Lord; over-reliance on methods and means; Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

16. Gift: Counselling • Parakaleo  called to draw alongside and to comfort • Not just confined to the hospital chaplain, psychologist or psychiatrist • Danger: Glib application of “universal” counselling remedies; mechanical insensitivity Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

17. Gift: Healings • Charismata iamaton: restoring from a state of weakness / brokenness • Pray for shalom according to the will of God • Danger: Presumptuousness; dualism Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

18. Gift: Helps / service • Antilepsis: bringing relief by taking hold of and supporting • Prudent stewardship of available strength to serve • Danger: Unbelief in God’s ability to use me; over-dependent on praise of others; helping in order to “get” love Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

19. Gift: Hospitality • Philoxenos: fond of guests / strangers / foreigners; making room for g / s / f also in our hearts • Healthcare ought to be a people-friendly place; the hospital should be a home for the sick and dying, not an institution or hotel • Danger: Only helping if a reward is anticipated Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

20. Gift: Intercession • Euchomai: petitioning God with the blessings we want to see others receive • Essential to build prayer altars in every healthcare location • Intercessory teams in local churches to support healthcare workers • Danger: spiritual shamanism; charismagic practices Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

21. Gift: Wisdom • Sofia: to see God’s will clearly in a given situation • Intelligence is a poor substitute for wisdom • Danger: “I am always right”; becoming unteachable Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

22. Gift: Knowledge • Ginosko: to know God’s truth (special, incarnate and general revelation) • We need to be eager knowledge-seekers and distributors • Danger: hoarding facts leads to pride; having information about is not the same as knowing personally Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

23. Gift: Teaching • Didaskalos: the one causing others to accept God’s truth and to put it into practice • Biblical Christian healthcare education required! • Danger: over-analytical; over-emphasis on teacher mode undermines reciprocity in relationships Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

24. Gift: Voluntary poverty • Ptochos: choosing to crouch in a place of need in order to help another who is in even greater need • If we have a heart for the poor, we will not only give out of our surplus or our used stuff • Danger: hypocrisy; pride Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

25. Gift: Discernment of spirits • Diakriseis pneumaton: to thoroughly distinguish between good and evil spirits • Important in psychiatry, dementia, educational environment, political arena • Danger: Judgmentalism Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

26. Gift: Exorcism • Ekballei daimonia: to throw out demons • Not for lone rangers • Becoming increasingly important as pluralism and the new spiritualism advances • Danger: extremes; deception Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

27. Exercise in using your gifts - 2 • Into groups once again please • Question: What is your most difficult problem at the workplace? • Minister to one another in this regard, using your gifts • Plenary feedback time Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare

28. Evaluation of the contents • On a scale of zero to five: • How much more are you now motivated to use your gifts at work? • How much more clarity do you have about your gifts? • How much expertise did you gain in using your gifts? Spiritual Gifts in Healthcare