Featured Where could I serve?

I've been pondering this question because I know I want to get more involved now that I'm more stable.

To start, I have bipolar disorder, and stress can easily trigger episodes for me. Suffice it to say, serving in children's ministry from elementary school downward would likely just cause more problems than my service would help because children stress me greatly. I'm not really a "youth" kind of person, but I'm not completely opposed, as long as God leads.

For a variety of reasons, I'm disqualified from ministry, so anything on pastoral staff or in the deacon body is off-limits. I also don't meet the standards for Sunday School teachers, either. I'm not actively involved in the disqualifying behavior, but, IMO, my past behavior and my current illness make me unfit to be in that level of responsibility.

I know I have eliminated several options, but I am open to serving in an assistant capacity, a background role, or something similar.

What would you suggest that I check out?

 

If you mean spiritual gifts, excluding those for which I am no longer qualified to use, I would say mercy is my main gift, by far. Service would also be included.

I want to improve my evangelistic obedience, but I know that I don't have a spiritual gift in that area. I just need to be more obedient to God's commands.

If you have something else in mind, I will probably need some clarification.

P.S. In reference to my first sentence, I was mostly referring to the gift of teaching. I've served in ministry before, and I always felt I could preach with accuracy, conviction, and clarity. It was similar when I led Bible studies. But since my "fall" and onset of bipolar disorder, it feels as if God has at least made the gift dormant in public areas for qualification reasons. I can use it at home, though, and I do contribute in Sunday School as a participant. But it's far from what I used to be. Some of that may be the disorder's effect on my brain, though.

 

I'm trying to increase my prayer time, so I don't mind prayer. What I want to do, however, is to directly help people. I'd love to pray WITH someone in addition to praying FOR someone.

My general temperament is that of a counselor (I even did a full-time residency in a hospital as a junior chaplain for a semester after college). As I've become more aware of my own inadequacies and failures, I'd love to be able to help other fellow-strugglers (to borrow a term from somewhere), if only by my presence.

I do appreciate your suggestion, though. I think it's a good one that I might want to build on.

 

I wouldn't mind doing anything my medication would permit. I probably couldn't do outdoor labor for more than brief periods because lithium makes a person very sensitive to heat.

But I would do a chair-set-up team, if my church needed it (we have pews).
Sound tech--I'll have to think about that. I'm not sure I have the knowledge, but I'm not sure how much they might train. This could be an option.

Cleaning and vacuuming are fine by me. My first job as a teenager was as a janitor.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

I think I would probably be a bit out of place, but it's something to consider.

I would primarily like to serve (or serve through) my local church.

 

I would be open, if the church is. They might not yet want to put me in that spot, though.

 

Read my post again. I'm seeking to improve my obedience in that area. I just don't have a special spiritual gift for it. I'm not saying I dont want to do it. I would love to do it more. I was just being asked about my gifts.

I know it's for everyone. I simply have to work harder because it's not a spiritual gift of mine. I wish it were.