Have you ever had all the tools and materials you needed to do a project, but you just didn’t know how to use them or where to start? That’s frustrating and probably makes you feel like the project isn’t worth it, or wasn’t meant to be. But sometimes all it takes is someone showing you how to use those materials, or giving you the instructions and walking you through the process, and suddenly it all becomes clear.
That’s exactly why we have Eagle’s Nests for our 48 Days Eagles Members four times each year. Eagles Nests are small groups focused on a specific topic, giving Eagles someone to walk through the experience with as well as a how-to guide. As our 48 Days Eagles Members kick off the first Eagles Nests of the year, I thought it would be great to share one Eagle’s experience from 2021.
Rich Avery is a pastor who also had dreams of being an entrepreneur so Jon Sanders’ Eagles Nest, “Your Business as Ministry,” was a perfect fit. He also was able to jump into Daniel Crandall’s Eagle’s Nest, “Presenting Well On Video. The combination of these two nests helped Rich develop both the practical skills he needs to spread his message and the mindset to craft it.
Rich told us that this is helping him apply the spiritual gifts he’s had for a long time. One of his top spiritual gifts is giving which, for him, has two aspects, “1. Finding great joy in giving to people and causes you care about, and 2. Having the ability to create surplus wealth that you can give away.”
While he has long known he has this gift, he told us, “as a pastor, in my church anyway, there is no opportunity to create ‘more.’ I could work 45 hours a week or 65 hours a week, but the pay is the same. And I could innovate and create new ways for people to come to church or grow in their relationship with Christ, or new ways to bless and serve our community and world, but the pay is the same.”
This made Rich question why God would give him the spiritual gift of giving with those two aspects.As he told us he was thinking, “Why would God give me half a gift? Why give me the joy in giving but not give me the ability to create surplus wealth so I can give even more away?”
But in the “Your Business As Ministry” Eagles Nest, Rich was reminded that, “this gift is mine to develop. God provided the seed, but I’ve got to plant it, water it, and nurture it so it will grow into all it is intended to be. I believe God wants me to develop my entrepreneurial side so that I can more fully live out his calling for my life, and serve and bless more people.”
And for Rich, the timing and combination of this Nest and the Video Nest couldn’t have been more perfect. In the “Your Business As Ministry” Nest, he watered that seed through developing his mindset towards entrepreneurship and business, and in the “Presenting Well on Video” Nest, he worked on practical skills that will help him spread his message to those who need to hear it.
Rich told us, “I’d been wanting to create a podcasting/video studio in my home office area for a long time, with a nice background, but I wasn’t sure how to get the look I was going for. I had bookshelves, but they were dark and cluttered. Daniel showed me how to de-clutter the bookshelves, add color, and use light to brighten things up. I am so glad I took this class! And I’m ready to go now and create my video content.”
Like how Rich learned to craft his perfect background, sometimes all it takes to jumpstart us into building the work and life we love is someone showing us how to rearrange what’s already there, and where to shine the light.
The spiritual gift of giving has always been inside of Rich, and now he knows where and how to put it to work so he can fulfill his purpose. If you’re looking at the gifts, passions, and talents you have and not seeing how you can apply them—don’t give up! Those gifts are there for a reason and you, like Rich, can learn to nurture them so that you can build the work and life you love.
