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One City Church

A Spiritual Gifts Inventory

The Gifted Life

The Holy Spirit has given every believer a gift for the common good and the work of the Kingdom (1 Corinthians 12:7). This inventory is a tool to help you discover how the Spirit has gifted you to serve the body of Christ and bless the city.

A companion to the series Gifts of the Spirit for the Common Good, the Work of the Kingdom & the Glory of God.

76 statements about 20 minutes your answers never leave this device

How to use this inventory

  1. 01

    Pray. Ask the Holy Spirit, who gives the gifts “just as he determines” (12:11), to guide you as you reflect.

  2. 02

    Respond honestly. There are no right or wrong answers. Score yourself as you are, rather than as you wish you were.

  3. 03

    Think about the last two or three years. Recent patterns tell you more than a single moment. If you’re new to following Jesus, some statements about experience may be thin for now; that’s fine. Come back to this in six months.

  4. 04

    Use the scale. For each statement, choose a number from 1 to 5.

  5. 05

    Score your results. At the end, we total each gift and show your top three.

  6. 06

    Seek confirmation. Share your results with a trusted friend or leader, using the “What do you see in me?” questions.

The scale

5

Very true of me

4

Often true of me

3

Sometimes true of me

2

Rarely true of me

1

Not at all true of me

Each gift has four statements: one about what draws you, two about what you’ve done, and one about what others have seen in you.

01

The Speaking Gifts

Christ speaks through his body.

Prophecy · Words of wisdom · Words of knowledge · Discernment · Teaching · Exhortation · Tongues · Interpretation

02

The Power Gifts

Christ acts through his body.

Faith · Healing · Miracles

03

The Serving Gifts

Christ serves through his body.

Service · Administration · Giving · Mercy

04

The Equipping Gifts

Christ leads through his body.

Evangelism · Shepherding · Leadership · Apostleship

Reference

The 19 gifts

Each gift is a way Christ speaks, acts, serves or leads through his body.

The Speaking Gifts

Christ speaks through his body.

  • Prophecy · 1 Cor 14:3

    Speaking a word prompted by God that strengthens, encourages and comforts.

    Try it this month:
    In prayer ministry or your Circle, share what you sense humbly, and let others weigh it
    Where to serve:
    Prayer team, House Party facilitation

  • Words of wisdom · 1 Cor 12:8; James 3:17

    Seeing and saying the godly way forward in a specific situation.

    Try it this month:
    Make yourself available to someone facing a hard decision
    Where to serve:
    Counselling, mentoring, leadership

  • Words of knowledge · 1 Cor 12:8; John 4:16–19

    Insight from God about a person or situation, given for their good.

    Try it this month:
    Pray for one person this week and ask God what he sees
    Where to serve:
    Prayer team, intercession

  • Discernment · 1 Cor 12:10; 1 John 4:1

    Telling apart what is from God, the flesh or the enemy.

    Try it this month:
    Join the prayer team and share what you sense with a leader
    Where to serve:
    Leadership, prayer team, pastoral care

  • Teaching · Rom 12:7; 2 Tim 2:2

    Explaining God’s Word clearly so people understand and obey it.

    Try it this month:
    Lead one Circle discussion or help with children’s church
    Where to serve:
    House Party, Institute, preaching

  • Exhortation · Rom 12:8; Heb 10:24–25

    Encouraging and urging people forward in faith.

    Try it this month:
    Message three people who are struggling this week
    Where to serve:
    House Party, pastoral care, mentoring

  • Tongues · 1 Cor 14:2, 14–15

    Praying and praising God in a language you haven’t learned.

    Try it this month:
    Use it in private prayer; in a gathering, only with interpretation
    Where to serve:
    Prayer team, worship

  • Interpretation · 1 Cor 14:5, 13, 27

    Making a message in tongues understandable to the church.

    Try it this month:
    Join a prayer gathering and ask God for the meaning when tongues are spoken
    Where to serve:
    Worship, prayer team

The Power Gifts

Christ acts through his body.

  • Faith · 1 Cor 12:9; Heb 11:6

    Unusual confidence that God will act, which strengthens others to trust him.

    Try it this month:
    Commit to pray for a specific “impossible” need with others
    Where to serve:
    Prayer team, vision, leadership

  • Healing · 1 Cor 12:9; James 5:14–16

    God restoring bodies, minds or hearts through prayer.

    Try it this month:
    Join the prayer ministry team after Sunday gatherings
    Where to serve:
    Prayer team, pastoral care

  • Miracles · 1 Cor 12:10; Acts 4:29–31

    Acts of God’s power beyond natural explanation, as signs of the Kingdom.

    Try it this month:
    Pray boldly with others, and keep a record of answers
    Where to serve:
    Prayer team, outreach

The Serving Gifts

Christ serves through his body.

  • Service · Rom 12:7; 1 Pet 4:11

    Meeting practical needs so the body can function.

    Try it this month:
    Join a Sunday serving team for a month
    Where to serve:
    Setup, teardown, hospitality, logistics

  • Administration · 1 Cor 12:28; Luke 14:28

    Organising people and plans so a vision becomes reality.

    Try it this month:
    Offer to help organise an event or team process
    Where to serve:
    Events, operations, leadership

  • Giving · Rom 12:8; 2 Cor 9:7

    Joyful, generous use of resources for God’s work and people in need.

    Try it this month:
    Meet one specific need quietly this month
    Where to serve:
    Generosity, fundraising, benevolence

  • Mercy · Rom 12:8; Luke 10:33–34

    Compassion that draws near to people in suffering.

    Try it this month:
    Visit someone who is sick, bereaved or alone
    Where to serve:
    Pastoral care, outreach, benevolence

The Equipping Gifts

Christ leads through his body.

  • Evangelism · Eph 4:11; Acts 8:35

    Sharing the gospel clearly and naturally, and seeing people believe.

    Try it this month:
    Invite someone to Sunday and offer to talk afterwards
    Where to serve:
    Outreach, community engagement

  • Shepherding · Eph 4:11; 1 Pet 5:2–3

    Caring for and guiding a group of people over time.

    Try it this month:
    Help lead or co-lead a Circle or House Party
    Where to serve:
    House Party, pastoral care, discipleship

  • Leadership · Rom 12:8; Mark 10:42–45

    Setting direction and helping people move together.

    Try it this month:
    Take responsibility for one task or project and see it through
    Where to serve:
    Ministry teams, leadership, vision

  • Apostleship · Eph 4:11; Rom 15:20

    Pioneering and establishing new works for the Kingdom.

    Try it this month:
    Talk to a pastor about a new initiative you sense God stirring
    Where to serve:
    Church planting, new initiatives

Every Christian is called to pray for the sick, give generously, show mercy and share the gospel. A gift is a recurring pattern of fruit in one of these areas, beyond what is ordinary.

What do you see in me?

Questions for two people who know someone well, to help confirm their gifts.

  1. 1What does this person do that blesses you or others?
  2. 2Where have you seen God bear fruit through them?
  3. 3Looking at the list of gifts in this inventory, which two or three do you see in them? Why?
  4. 4Where do you think they could serve, in the church or in the city?
  5. 5Is there anything you’d encourage them to develop or grow in?
A note for leaders

This inventory is a tool, and it is neither inspired nor the final word. Use it to start conversations. The surest way to discover gifts is through service, community affirmation and prayer. Encourage participants to serve, to seek feedback, and to remain open to the Spirit’s leading. A high score on the power or revelatory gifts shows desire and experience, and it still needs to be tested in the body with love and order (1 Corinthians 14:29, 40).