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ASSESSMENT CENTERS

 Church planters are called to be persons of unusual vision and faith, believing that God can and will work through them, in establishing new local churches. They are required to perform a wide variety of tasks and duties; often working with little structure or encouragement. Not every person is called or gifted to do this kind of ministry. When one who is not gifted or called to this work, nonetheless attempts to do the work of a church planter, frustration and a sense of failure are often the result. Some become disillusioned and leave mission work, and often the ministry as a result. Marriages and families are often adversely affected. In addition, it often becomes harder to establish a new work in an area where failure has already occurred.

Assessment centers are intensive 4-day sessions that are designed to provide an opportunity for evaluation of each participant's “goodness of fit” for church planting. Assessors will observe the behavior of participants during experiential exercises, simulations, and other instrumented activities, and evaluate the extent to which the participant's skills knowledge, abilities and gifts match those required in church planting. Participants are also encouraged to engage in self-assessment as they participate in the various activities of the Assessment Center. Emphasis is also placed on providing feedback by the assessment staff regarding each participant's qualifications. Participants report that the feedback they obtain regarding their gifts and abilities is of great value to them in furthering their ministry.

Specifically, assessment centers have the following features:
  1. Multiple assessment techniques are used.
  2. Assessment simulations and instruments have been tailored to relevant aspects of cross-cultural church planting.
  3. Multiple, trained observers are used.
  4. The data from all assessment exercises and instruments, and all observers is pooled and evaluated.
  5. A single, final, global evaluation is arrived at by the assessment staff for each participant.
Assessment centers are NOT training workshops. However, it is anticipated that participants will acquire new knowledge and skills through the exercises, discussions, mini-lectures, etc. in which they participate. Participants are encouraged to enter into the exercises and instrumented activities with enthusiasm. We have found that while Assessment Centers are very intense experiences, they also provide an opportunity for the participants and the staff to have a good time of fellowship as members of the body of Christ. In addition new lifelong associations are often established.
 
A FINAL NOTE:

There are no selection quotas in Assessment Centers. Nor are you in competition with any other participant. If another person seems to be performing better than you on a particular activity, that doesn't necessarily reflect badly on you. Remember we do not all have the same gifts. To function well, the body needs all of the gifts. Furthermore, the various gifts are gifts to the Church, not to us. Each of us is merely a steward of our particular gifts through which the Holy Spirit means to edify and build up the Church. As we discover each other's giftedness it is an opportunity for us to celebrate in the unity of the body.
For more information contact:

Thomas M. Graham, Ph. D.
719-590-8808
comd@earthlink.net
 
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