Your Kingdom Assignment is always for someone else. I call these people your “Tribe.”
You know your spiritual gift and how God designed you to relate to others. You know your special “God-Frequency.”
(See this blog post to learn about your Design and this post to learn about your God-Frequency.)
Who are the people you serve with this stewardship of God’s grace?
Here are five questions to help you identify your “Tribe” - the people to whom your ministry is directed.
1. Do I have Kiddos that I’m raising?
If so, then there is your primary tribe. God has placed them in your lap—literally—and given you the responsibility of building into their little lives truths about the Lord, so serve them well. But they won’t be there all the years of your life, so be on the lookout for people outside of your inner circle and for your future tribe. While serving your kiddos now, God is also training you future service to other tribes.
2. Am I drawn to a demographic?
You may find yourself naturally attracted to a specific group of people: senior adults, children, single adults. I can’t imagine it, but I know some people love to work with middle schoolers. (My own kiddos were middle schoolers once!) Perhaps you have been designed to serve special needs people, or people with particular problems such as overcoming addictions.
3. Where might I focus on the discipleship continuum?
I imagine a continuum of Christian maturity that runs from newborn Christian to seasoned mature Christian, something like this:
Your Kingdom Assignment might apply especially to one segment of this discipleship continuum. If your assignment involves evangelism, for example, you will be dealing with people on the far left end, before they are born into the Kingdom. If your assignment involves training other believers in evangelism, you might be dealing with more mature disciples. We can always find people who are not quite as far along in their discipleship as ourselves.
4. Who needs what I’ve got?
Your Kingdom Assignment will meet a need within the Body of Christ. If you know your “God-Frequency”, which is a facet of God’s nature that you are designed to reflect, you can ask yourself “Who needs this particular aspect of God’s nature right now?” Who needs wisdom? Who needs encouragement? Who needs help doing their assignment? Who needs comfort? This is how your little light shines!
5. How can I bloom where I’m planted? (Who's in my area of the garden?)
If you’re looking for a place to begin, I highly recommend the small group that you attend. (You DO attend a small group, right?) This is where the life of the Church buzzes and flourishes. Can you help teach? Are you the organizer who can make things happen? Can you encourage members of your group? One of my favorite quotes is by author Josh Hunt who says, “All good ideas degenerate into work.” That work should not fall only on the teacher. The Church Small Group (whatever name you call it) is a microcosm of the Church. It’s where we do the “one anothers” that are commanded in the Bible— love one another, serve one another, bear with one another, encourage one another, etc. It’s the foundational venue for your Kingdom Assignment! So think of your small group as your Tribe and get started releasing God's nature amongst them!
Knowing your tribe helps you to focus on where to put your attention and energies. I can say “no” to the blessed little middle schoolers (they are someone else’s Yes) so that I can say “yes” to Warrior Women. You are my Tribe, you hungry women who love the Lord fiercely and yearn to give Him your best. Who makes up your Tribe?
Your Church needs you. Your Tribe needs you. What are you waiting for?
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