Rahm Emmanuel once said, “You should never let a good crisis go to waste.” Despite the fact that I don’t particularly resonate with the man, there is a nugget of truth contained in that idea. I would say it slightly differently: “You should never let a good opportunity go to waste.”

Something happened just recently in the Loveland, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Frisco, Colorado, congregations. Like many areas, we experienced the departure of the pastor. There was no pastor to take his place, and the seven elders got together to discuss, “What do we do now?”

What was so refreshing was that no one said, “I’m in charge,” or, “This is what we will do.” Rather, there was a calm combined with peace and a desire to simply take care of what needed to be done. We volunteered with the attitude to give way to another if anyone else wanted to do it, or we joined forces and shared the responsibility. Out of this “crisis” arose some new and open thinking.

I don’t know who suggested it, and it does not matter who did. The ideas grew and burst forth based on their own merit. Someone recommended that we ask the male brethren in the church if they would like to have a speaking seminar. The purpose of this seminar was to prepare them to present sermonettes in the four local churches.

Develop Your Gifts

The motivation behind this has been clearly spelled out in scripture all the time. Sometimes, like a person who is colorblind, we simply don’t see what is right in front of our eyes. Let me ask a question: Does God expect us to develop our talents? Does He expect us to develop our gifts? The answer is yes, of course He does! In Paul’s letters to both the Romans and Corinthians he encourages them to serve God with their “spiritual gifts” (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11).

A careful reading of both these sections of Scripture clearly identifies the brethren having various kinds of spiritual gifts. These ought to be used properly, cheerfully and for the benefit for all.

Due to a certain approach based in history and tradition, all too often very few opportunities existed for brethren to be able to really explore a potential talent. I am reminded of the German poet Goethe, who wrote, “Treat a man as he is and he will remain as he is; treat a man as he can and should be and he will become as he can and should be.”

Resultant from the loss of a pastor, new opportunities opened up for the development of talent in the membership and we began to treat people as we thought they could be. A simple announcement was made at church services. The result was amazing, with 29 men signing up for the opportunity to explore their talents in a sermonette class. So far, after two meetings and much positive encouragement, we have shared some basic speaking information, invited individuals to e-mail their ideas for development, listened to four presentations, and  we see much potential growth on the horizon. This after only two meetings, once each month!

Four elders oversee the program and each takes turns to give speaking tips and conduct meetings. All men in attendance evaluate sermonettes, and enthusiasm abounds. As individuals grow, they will be given speaking assignments in one of the three churches (two men have already been offered the opportunity). It has been amazing and encouraging to see the untapped desire burst forth like the buds on a tree in the spring.

At the same time, the ladies have begun a discussion group. They decided to read a UCG booklet each month and then discuss it as a group. They also desire to be taught some of the tips for speaking and gaining confidence in a relatively new environment.

An overarching goal belies all of this: We should all be able to answer for the hope that lies within us and be able to confidently explain our beliefs to others. Who knows when an Aquila and Priscilla opportunity (Acts 18:24-28) will come our way? Apollos was a man who was eloquent in the Scriptures. Despite this, there was something about which he was “colorblind.” Two brethren took him aside and “explained to him the way of God more accurately” (verse 26).

Clearly, Aquila and his wife Pricilla knew enough to “educate” Apollos in the first place. Apollos had enough humility to listen and learn. Later he became very helpful to Paul.

You never know when an opportunity will present itself. Don’t think of yourself as a bump on a log. If you have a talent, then get going on developing it. Opportunity knocks, and opportunities can’t be taken over.

God expects us to develop our abilities in whatever areas they may lie. Let’s roll!