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What is the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Discernment Program?
The Spiritual Gifts Discernment
Program is specially designed to help Catholics discern the charisms of the Holy Spirit
that they have been given. It helps them begin to learn how to use those charisms to serve
God and other people.
What
is a charism or spiritual gift?
Charism is simply the Greek word
used in the New Testament for "favor" or "gratuitous gift". Charisms,
or spiritual gifts, are special abilities given to Christians by the Holy Spirit to enable
them to be powerful channels of God's love and redeeming presence in the world. Whether
extraordinary or ordinary, charisms are to be used in charity or service to build up the
Church (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2003).
How
do charisms or spiritual gifts differ from natural talents?
Charisms, or spiritual gifts, differ
from natural talents in two important ways. Charisms are not "inborn" or
inherited from our parents, but are given to us by the Holy Spirit, whom we received
through baptism and confirmation, two of the three sacraments of initiation. Charisms are
also supernaturally empowered. They are focused outward and enable Christians to bear
results for the Kingdom of God above and beyond our normal human abilities.
As disciples, we offer our entire
selves, including our personalities, natural talents, education, life experience, and
background to God to be used for his purposes. Our natural talents can become wonderful
tools for God's purposes, and sometimes an already existing natural gift is transformed by
the Holy Spirit into a supernaturally empowered charism. But when we serve God, we are not
limited to just the gifts with which we were born! Some charisms may seem 'extraordinary'
(such as prophecy, healing, or discernment of spirits) and others quite 'ordinary' (such
as administration, service, hospitality, or mercy), but all charisms are supernaturally
empowered. We use our charisms together with our natural talents and all that we are to
serve God and our neighbor.
What
is the difference between the seven "gifts of the Holy Spirit"
found in Isaiah 11, the "fruits of the Holy Spirit" listed
in Galatians 5, and spiritual gifts (charisms)?
There are gifts of the Holy Spirit
that we are given to keep and gifts we are given to give away. The traditional "seven
gifts of the Holy Spirit" and the "fruits" of the Spirit are gifts given to
us to keep. They are part of our inner transformation as Christians and provide the inner
"Christ-likeness" necessary for the effective use of our charisms (Catechism of
the Catholic Church, 1830-1832). Charisms, on the other hand, are gifts given to us to
give away. Charisms are always focused outward; they are especially empowered ways by
which God's love and goodness reaches our neighbor through us.
How
many charisms are there?
We don't know. There are three
primary lists of gifts in the New Testament (in Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians
4). We don't have any reason to believe that these lists are meant to be exhaustive. The
Catholic Spiritual Gifts Discernment Program covers 24 of the most common charisms,
including most of those listed in St. Paul's letters. Two other charisms are described in
the addendum at the end of the Catholic Spiritual Gifts inventory. There are additional
charisms that are not covered in the inventory at all.
Are
all baptized Christians given charisms?
Yes, according to both the New
Testament (Ephesians 4) and the teaching of the Catholic Church (Catechism of the Catholic
Church, 951). All Christians are given one or more "long-term" or permanent
charisms, empowered ways in which God uses us over and over again throughout life.
"Long-term" charisms are the kind of spiritual gift that can be discerned
through the Spiritual Gifts Discernment Program, can be deliberately developed, and should
be taken into account when we try to discern our vocation(s) in life.
What
difference can the discernment of their charisms make for individual
Catholics?
- Discerning their charisms gives
many people a new sense of personal purpose and direction as a lay Christian.
Many lay Catholics do not understood that
they have an active part to play in the Church's mission and are excited to discover that
God is calling them to and equipping them for a unique work of love in the world.
- Discerning and exercising one's
charisms can be a wonderful catalyst of spiritual growth.
Few things nurture faith in God's loving
presence like seeing God's provision and goodness reach others through the charisms of an
ordinary person like you or me. The spiritual disciplines necessary to mature in the use
of a charism change us and help transform us into more Christ-like people.
- Understanding our charisms can
free us from the need to compare ourselves with others and from judging others because
they are different from us.
Participants regularly comment about how healing an experience it is to discern
their gifts. Those who judged themselves for not measuring up to someone else's standard
are freed by recognizing that their giftedness and calling may be different. Those who
judged other Christians for having different priorities are able to relax and recognize
the validity of the many calls within the larger Body of Christ.
- Every charism represents a call
from God. Becoming clear about the charisms that you have been given can greatly clarify
decision-making.
A
lot of energy is released for service as individuals begin to acknowledge where they are
not gifted and begin to concentrate on the areas where they are called and gifted.
- Understanding your charisms
helps prevent unnecessary failure and burn-out.
Charisms of the Holy Spirit enable us to be
exceptionally effective for the Kingdom of God. It is unusually energizing and fulfilling
to exercise a charism and we are much less likely to burn out if working in the arena of
our giftedness.
- The discernment of charisms can
help individuals understand and name what they are already experiencing.
After interviewing hundreds of average
Catholics, we have discovered that many lay Catholics are having remarkable experiences of
God, which they don't understand, can't put into perspective, and don't feel that they can
talk about with anyone else. Gifts discernment enables lay Catholics to begin to see that
some of these experiences may be signs of a charism and helps them name and begin to
responsibly exercise these gifts for the sake of others.
Who
can benefit from the Spiritual Gifts Discernment Program?
- Discerning the charisms we have been
given can be an exciting and fruitful experience for nearly all baptized adults,
young and old, lay and clergy.
- Those with limited experience in
living as a committed Christian (young adults or those who are newly baptized or have
recently returned to the practice of the faith) will gain an exciting perspective on their
new life as a follower of Jesus and will be prepared to recognize the charisms as they
emerge.
- Mature Christians will have
the chance to sort through their experience and discern the ways in which God regularly
uses them to bless others.
- Understanding one's own charisms and
being able to help others discern theirs is an essential pastoral skill for those
called to leadership or ministry in the Church.
Gifts discernment is particularly
attractive and useful for people in transition:
- Young adults discerning career
direction or vocation;
- Catholics discerning a call to
religious life or the priesthood;
- Adults who are entering or
"returning" to the Church and are trying to understand what it means to live as
a Catholic;
- Single men and women seeking to make
the best use of their freedom;
- Those who are unemployed or
contemplating a career change;
- Men and women in mid-life;
- Adults who are coping with the loss
of a spouse or other significant relationship;
- "Empty nesters" whose
children have left home; and
- Older adults nearing or at retirement
age.
How
does helping individuals discern their charisms affect the larger
Christian community?
- The discernment process helps
individuals cease to be anonymous to the leadership of the community and to each other.
In our large Catholic
parishes and institutions, it's easy for individuals to come and go without being noticed
and to believe that they have nothing to contribute. The personal interview is a most
critical part of the discernment process because it gives individuals the opportunity to
share their experience of being used by God with the leadership of the community. The
small groups enable Catholics to talk to each other about something that is seldom named
in our communities: how does God use us to bless others?
- The discernment of their gifts
draws people from the periphery of the community to the center.
Some of our most gifted people are sitting,
unrecognized, in the back of the church. Many lay Catholics emerge from the gifts
discernment process with a much stronger sense that they have something important to give
to the larger Christian community and the world. Catholics who sat quietly on the
sidelines start taking new risks and others emerge as leaders of new initiatives.
- Discerning the charisms of the
community makes it possible to move our ministries from being "vacuum-driven" to
being "charism-driven".
Our communities are filled with
organizational and pastoral "needs" that we usually try to meet by recruiting
anyone who shows any interest - or who, perhaps, is just unable to say "no".
Because we seldom look first at the gifts and call of individuals, our communities often
contain generous and energetic people who have been burned-out or even traumatized trying
to fill "vacuums" for which they were ill-equipped. Discerning the gifts of
individuals helps avoid these problems. When people become aware of their own (and each
other's) charisms, our communities can begin to be "charism-driven".
- Recognizing the charisms of the
community makes it much easier to "recruit" volunteers.
People are much more likely to say
"yes", to be effective, and to find the experience satisfying and spiritually
nourishing, when approached to work in an area of their giftedness.
- Recognizing the charisms of all
fosters co-responsibility between the clergy and the laity in the Church's mission to the
world.
It is the
teaching of the Catholic Church that the clergy and the laity are co-responsible,
responsible together, for presenting Christ to the world. The local parish is the
most natural, most accessible place for the laity and clergy to acknowledge and support
one another in their mutual call. The charisms and call of lay Catholics are their primary
contribution to this collaboration.
How
does the process of gifts discernment work?
There are two parts to the gifts
discernment process:
- The introductory Called & Gifted
Workshop, and
- The Extended Discernment Program.
- The introductory Called &
Gifted Workshop
This
workshop usually runs from 7 to 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night and from 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. the
following Saturday. Normally, it is taught by two presenters. Participants Have the opportunity to:
- Take the Catholic Spiritual Gifts
Inventory;
- Learn the signs and characteristics
of 24 of the most common charisms;
- Learn the five steps of discerning
their own charisms;
- Begin their own discernment process;
- Better understand the critical role
of every Catholic and of the local parish in the mission of the Church to make the risen
Christ present to every man and woman;
- Learn the role charisms play in
collaboration between the clergy and laity; and
- Understand some of the implications
of gift discernment for the life of their parish or Christian community.
All participants in a Called &
Gifted Workshop receive an extensive packet of gift resources, including the Catholic
Spiritual Gifts Inventory, a list of recommended books for all 24 charisms, and
biographies of saints and other great Catholics who have demonstrated each specific
charism in their own lives.
- The Extended Gifts Discernment
Program
This program enables those who have
taken the Called & Gifted Workshop to spend 8 weeks actively discerning a single
charism of their choice. They do this through:
- A personal one hour interview
conducted by a trained interviewer who helps each participant evaluate his or her
inventory results in light of their life experience. The interviewer also assists
participants in: identifying areas that require further discernment; looking at their
work, vocational, or community involvement in light of their possible giftedness; and
choosing a single charism to experiment with for two hours a week for the next
eight weeks.
- The personal report: a printed
summary of inventory results and interview with discernment questions relevant to the
individual, and a reminder as to what gift they have chosen to focus on. (Given to
participants at the first of the extended discernment sessions)
- Eight weeks of experimentation
with a single charism of the participant's choice.
- Four 2½ hour sessions at
intervals of 1-3 weeks which include further presentations on advanced topics, personal
exercises, and small group work. Participants gather in small groups with others who are
discerning the same or a similar charism.
- Session 1 focuses on
recognizing and releasing ways we have learned to control life which can get in the way of
using our charisms.
- Session 2 helps participants
understand how our charisms work together and affect and color one another.
- Session 3 is co-taught by a
priest and a lay person and covers the importance of both the clerical and lay roles and
how collaboration between the clergy and laity is an essential key to the Church's
effectiveness in mission.
- Session 4 focuses on the
important relationship between discerning our charisms and discerning our call or vocation
in life.
What
would it take for my group to sponsor the introductory Called &
Gifted Workshop?
An introductory Called & Gifted
Workshop is easy to put on because we do most of the work for you!
The Siena Institute provides:
- Instructors (2-5) and all content;
- Spiritual Gift Inventories and originals for duplicating information packets for each person;
- Advertising materials (posters, brochures, bulletin inserts); and
- A book table of recommended resources for
participants.
What we need from you:
- Two days, usually a Friday
night from 7 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- A minimum of 40 participants (they
do not need to all come from your parish or organization). The only limits to the number
who can attend are the size of the room in which the workshop is held.
- A room large enough to
accomodate all the participants and equipped with:
- A projector screen,
- a digital
projector,
- adequate sound system,
- Tables and chairs for participants,
- A table for registration and packets,
- 2 tables for recommended books and
supplementary hand-outs
- Hospitality: coffee, tea,
snacks, name tags, etc.
- Local advertising within your
parish or organization.
Our instructors are happy to
travel and have done so throughout the United States and Canada. If the proposed
workshop is outside the Seattle area, our team will need to have their travel costs
covered and simple overnight accommodations.
What
would it take for my group to sponsor the extended Spiritual Gifts
Discernment Program?
If you would like your community to
experience the full ten-week Spiritual Gifts Discernment Program we will need from you:
- The help necessary to put on the
Called & Gifted Workshop (see above).
- A facilitating team of ten members
from within your community who will be willing to go through the whole program first
and then help put it on for the larger community. Your team should include at least one
staff member or member of your leadership team, as well as a number of lay leaders. As
many members of the team as possible should have strong listening skills/training in
active listening or pastoral care. Team members with such skills will be trained by the
Siena Institute to do gifts discernment interviews for your community.
- Several small rooms, each with a
table and a couple of chairs in which to hold gifts interviews.
- The room and facilities to hold the
four sessions of the extended discernment program. There will need to be enough space for
participants to break up into small groups of 4 or 5. A screen and overhead projector will
also be required for each session.
- The Extended Discernment Program
costs $40 per person, which includes the one hour personal interview. The whole ten-week
Spiritual Gifts Discernment Program costs $70 per person. Alternate financial arrangements
can be made for the full program. (See the above section on the cost of the Called &
Gifted Workshop.)
About
the Catherine of Siena Institute
The Catherine of Siena Institute is
a program of the Western Province of the Dominican Order. Our mission is to enhance the
apostolic effectiveness of lay Catholics:
- To help lay Catholics become fully aware
of and equipped for their unique and essential role in the Church’s
mission to the world.
- To enable lay Catholics and clergy to
be truly co-responsible for the Church’s mission of helping every woman and
man to encounter the risen Christ.
In order to meet these ends, the
Institute is creating and providing an innovative, parish-based formation that:
- Is distinctly lay in approach,
spirituality, and focus;
- Is deeply rooted in the Tradition and
Magisterial teaching of the Church;
- Helps lay Catholics integrate their
faith, work, and relationships;
- Takes seriously the gifts of the Holy
Spirit given to every Christian;
- Enables each one of us to further
discern God's unique call in our own lives;
- Prepares lay Catholics to be
effective and creative evangelists and agents of change in the world;
- Fosters collaboration in ministry
between the hierarchy and laity; and
- Is geared to the real lives of
working adults.
About
our Directors
Raised as an evangelical Protestant,
Sherry Weddell did graduate theological studies at the Earlham School of Religion (Quaker)
and the Fuller School of World Mission (evangelical Protestant) before entering the
Catholic Church in 1987. She received her M.A. in Adult Education from Seattle University
in 1993. She designed the Spiritual Gifts Discernment Program in 1993 and has since taught
gifts discernment in parishes and to laity and clergy across the United States and Canada.
Sherry wrote the Catholic Spiritual Gifts Inventory, the first Catholic instrument for
gifts discernment, in 1995. She lives in Colorado Springs CO, where she serves as
co-Director of the Catherine of Siena Institute.
Fr. Michael is originally from Illinois. He graduated in 1983 from Michigan Technological University and earned a Master's degree in applied geophysics at Stanford before doing his theological studies at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in Berkeley. Since his ordination 12 years ago, he has worked in Newman ministry and as pastor and associate pastor at Arizona State University, the University of Utah, the University of Oregon, and most recently, directed the St. Thomas Moore center at the University of Arizona.
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Siena Institute. All rights reserved.
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