By Cindy Jansen

In the body of Christ, not everyone is a hand, a foot or an eye. Thank goodness! Imagine the chaos if we all had the same role, trying to do the same thing. The Apostle Paul put it perfectly– “If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be?” (1 Corinthians 12:17). God created us with unique strengths, and He meant for us to use them. But how often do we, as a church, lean into those strengths—really let people shine where God has gifted them?

Secular research backs up what Paul preached about the beauty of diversity in strengths. Gallup’s Clifton StrengthFinder assessment, for instance, shows that people are more engaged, productive and fulfilled when they focus on what they do best. In fact, Gallup studies have found that individuals who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged at work and three times more likely to report an excellent quality of life. Imagine what could happen if we took that same approach in church!

The Mental Model: The “Zone of Genius”

Think of each person’s “Zone of Genius.” This concept comes from Gay Hendricks, who describes it as the area where our skills, passion and unique God-given abilities come together. Imagine four zones:

1. Zone of Incompetence – Tasks you’re not good at and don’t enjoy.
2. Zone of Competence – Tasks you can do, but plenty of others can do just as well.
3. Zone of Excellence – Tasks you do well and enjoy, but that don’t make the best use of your unique gifts.
4. Zone of Genius – Tasks you do exceptionally well, that energize you, and reflect your true calling.

As a church, we often keep people busy in their Zone of Competence, just to fill a role. But when we place people in their Zone of Genius—where they thrive naturally—we honor the gifts God has given them and create a ministry that’s both powerful and fulfilling. Imagine a musician who’s asked to run the church’s tech department (Zone of Competence) instead of leading worship (Zone of Genius). The results probably won’t be great for the person—or for the tech team! Or imagine asking the church’s resident “numbers person”—the finance-savvy accountant—to lead the children’s ministry. Now, they might be incredible at budgeting and spreadsheets, but corralling a roomful of energetic kids? That might not be their Zone of Genius! Sure, they’ll give it their best, but their strengths would be far more impactful if they were, say, helping with stewardship classes or managing church finances. By letting people serve in their true gifting, we not only honor their strengths but also keep the kids (and the accountant) happier.

Using Strengths for the Glory of God

Romans 12:6 reminds us, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.” When we encourage each other to serve from our strengths, we reflect this biblical truth. 

Practically, this can mean:

1. Identifying Gifts – Take time to understand each person’s strengths. Tools like StrengthsFinder or simple conversations can help uncover hidden talents.
2. Encouraging Growth – Support people in developing their strengths, not just filling needs. Empower your youth leader with public speaking practice, or let the natural organizer run the next church event.
3. Delegating with Purpose – Let people serve where they feel called. It’s a relief to know you don’t have to be a one-size-fits-all leader!

So next time you’re tempted to assign the quietest person in the church to lead worship (just because they’re available), think again. God’s already done the hard work of equipping each of us uniquely; our job is to help people find their Zone of Genius, where they can serve Him most fully and joyfully.

* To learn more about purposefully engaging members and their gifts in ministry work, discover the Member Ministry System with a free webinar Tuesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. Register here. 

About the Author

Cindy Jansen

Email: [email protected]

Cindy Jansen is a leadership facilitator and coach with a firm in Brookfield, WI. Working solely with leaders at all levels, Cindy helps them build their skills and impact the lives of the people whom they serve. Prior to working solely in leadership development, she worked in the field of human resources for 18 years.

Raised in the WELS, Cindy attended Lutheran schooling through 12^th grade.  She graduated from UW-Whitewater with a degree in sociology, and then continued to Cardinal Stritch University, where she received her Masters of Business Administration. As an active member of Christ Lutheran in Big Bend, Wisconsin, Cindy is involved in her church, school and Personal Member Ministry team. Cindy lives in Mukwonago with her husband, Travis and children: Colton, Evangeline and Boyd.

Faith Unleashed and Cindy have partnered to deliver customized Christian leadership training. Cindy recognizes that her passion and leadership knowledge can be leveraged for the benefit of God’s kingdom, and more specifically for leaders in the local church. She is committed to providing in-person, online and recorded leadership training as well as individual and team leadership coaching.