Hybels and Servanthood

I just finished reading one of the best books on volunteerism I've encountered. It is The Volunteer Revolution: Unleashing the Power of Everybody, by Bill Hybels. Hybels is a master story teller and always motivates me to be a better Christ-follower, leader and pastor. He challenged me here in this book to be do better at helping people make a difference in their world. Several things stood out to me in the book:

• Hybels confesses that he has moved away from a detailed strategy for testing people to determine spiritual gifts and then doing an exhaustive connection process to how those gifts match up with a ministry in their church. He has seen how this takes too long and discourages the volunteer. He has embraced the philosophy of getting volunteers into service and letting them gravitate to that which they do best and like the most. He gives great examples of people at Willow Creek who have done this. I love what he had to say about helping people make a difference, We can cheer them on as they courageously assume new levels of Kingdom responsibility that fill their hearts overflowing. And we get to see the look on their faces when they realize God has used them to touch another human being.(p.12)
• He gives a great foundation for volunteering by pointing to how Jesus gave the greatest example of servanthood and taught his followers that whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.
• Hybels refers to the church with one of his favorite definitions as a "community of blessing," intended to be used by God to pass on His blessing and light into its world; a community blessed by God so that it can bless the world

This is a great book and a fresh reminder of the difference everyone can make by putting others first.