Introverts, Extroverts and the Church Environment
Introverts, Extroverts and the Church Environment
By Pastor Chip Woodall
Christwalk Church is ALL about family! There is no doubt that the redeeming love of Jesus has drawn family after family to be a part of the ministry, but in this blog, I have several questions for us to consider.
What does Christwalk Church look like to someone who has never really had family because of circumstances in life?
What does Christwalk Church look like to someone who is very quiet and withdrawn in personality?
As we are moving toward forming Community Groups and expanding our Women’s and Men’s Ministries, we need to take a closer look at people and how they best form relationships and decide to get involved.
It is becoming more and more apparent through the Family Stays that we are hosting at Christwalk in the Valley that there are definitely Introverts and Extroverts at Christwalk.
If you are not certain as to which personality type you are, here are a few character traits of both extroverts and introverts that might help you decide.
Extroverts:
Prefers to be with others more often
Seeks verbal interaction most of the time
Usually communicates by talking
Prefers more surface talk and less detail
Acts first and then thinks about it
Introverts:
Prefers to be alone more often
Prefers quiet situations as avoids interaction
Usually communicates by writing or drawing
Prefers depth and detail
Thinks first and then acts on it
This topic is very important for church leaders to look at when forming ministry groups. The reason is that most ministry tends to take place in an extroverted environment, so how can Introverts find their place?
Introverts tend to need to take a week off ever so often to get away from the extroverted church environment, so give them space amidst your retention screening. Mentally the introvert can recalculate, get alone, think about things and come back and serve accordingly. We just need to look at how our paths run to the many areas of service and how understanding we are as people travel these paths.
If you come to Christwalk ten minutes late to avoid the lobby greeters…you might be an Introvert.
If you leave during the prayer time to avoid the alter or any conversation after church, you might be an Introvert.
If you avoid coming early and lingering longer after service…you might be an Introvert.
If you always have gone to a big church so you can disappear in the crowd…you might be an Introvert.
If you save the seat to your left and right with stuff, so no one can sit near you…you might be an Introvert.
If you hunt down every person to meet and talk to, so you can get involved…you might be an Extrovert.
If you want to open prayer, sing a solo once a month and close the alter, you might be an Extrovert.
If you want to give your testimony every Sunday, you might be an Extrovert.
What needs to happen is the leadership of Christwalk must begin to recognize these things and understand that we cannot make everyone be something they were not created to be, but we can offer ways for Introverts and Extroverts to fully function inside the environment of Christwalk Church.
We are all created in His image, but He also obviously likes a variety of people and personalities.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27 ESV
People are different for His purposes and plans…God created enough Introverts and Extroverts at Christwalk to get the job done!
Remind yourself this today!
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
Pastor Jonah, Bekah as our local missionary and Chris our students leader are all needed at Christwalk to teach large groups, but Simon another local missionary and Tony, one of our men’s leaders do an equally good job teaching people one on one or in smaller groups.
Gail Heaton holds the Office of an Evangelist at Christwalk, and she can go out and gather lots of people and bring them in, but if we do not have enough quiet space, one on one people to lead them and clean them up, those we gather will not bare fruit!
Barbara and Margaret, our greeters, can get Connect Cards from visitors, but it may take an Introverted person to help write post cards and send out welcomes to several of the new people. And then, couples like Shayne and Tammy can contact the same people to intentionally invite them to lunch or dinner. This is when we will see who is Introverted and who is Extroverted.
Introverts and Extroverts can both find ways inside Christwalk Church to serve. We just have to understand both personality types before we start pushing them in any direction.
As Extroverts in a predominantly Extroverted Church Environment…we need to be reminded that Introverts need to find Community Groups, Participate in Family Stays and Disciple People all the same but it may take leadership and other Extroverts recognizing the need does exist inside Christwalk as well.
Here are a few simple suggestions for both Extroverts and Introverts:
Live out the Christian Life in a way that is sustainable to you as God shapes you!
Extroverts need to stop trying to force the Introverts to be someone they were never created to be…however, think of creative ways to make them feel comfortable to get plugged in and involved.
Introverts need stop isolating when there are comfortable ways to serve and find community amidst the Extroverted Environment.
Understanding, embracing and implementing several of the suggestions in this blog will help our Christwalk Community Leaders to be more effective leaders in the days ahead.
This gives room for our Women’s and Men’s Leaders to really be effective in the days ahead as well.
Use good judgment when learning to work with people and watch and listen as they begin to express their personality type and open up to you.
We must allow them space to be conformed to His image, not other people’s expectations!
In the Bible Recap we have been reading about Moses who was used to lead Israel but had lots of Introverted Personality Traits. He got really nervous speaking in front of lots of people. He twisted his words and stuttered…but Moses was a voice for the people of Israel with Aaron’s help. What a great ministry team! Moses stayed true to who he was, but with help he led a whole nation as an Introvert.
Introverted Leaders may not look the part but if called by God they can be effective by understanding how to delegate to more extroverted personality types to accomplish the mission.
Let’s work together church-wide as both Extroverts and Introverts and watch God help us reach the nations with the gospel.
By Pastor Chip Woodall
Christwalk Church is ALL about family! There is no doubt that the redeeming love of Jesus has drawn family after family to be a part of the ministry, but in this blog, I have several questions for us to consider.
What does Christwalk Church look like to someone who has never really had family because of circumstances in life?
What does Christwalk Church look like to someone who is very quiet and withdrawn in personality?
As we are moving toward forming Community Groups and expanding our Women’s and Men’s Ministries, we need to take a closer look at people and how they best form relationships and decide to get involved.
It is becoming more and more apparent through the Family Stays that we are hosting at Christwalk in the Valley that there are definitely Introverts and Extroverts at Christwalk.
If you are not certain as to which personality type you are, here are a few character traits of both extroverts and introverts that might help you decide.
Extroverts:
Prefers to be with others more often
Seeks verbal interaction most of the time
Usually communicates by talking
Prefers more surface talk and less detail
Acts first and then thinks about it
Introverts:
Prefers to be alone more often
Prefers quiet situations as avoids interaction
Usually communicates by writing or drawing
Prefers depth and detail
Thinks first and then acts on it
This topic is very important for church leaders to look at when forming ministry groups. The reason is that most ministry tends to take place in an extroverted environment, so how can Introverts find their place?
Introverts tend to need to take a week off ever so often to get away from the extroverted church environment, so give them space amidst your retention screening. Mentally the introvert can recalculate, get alone, think about things and come back and serve accordingly. We just need to look at how our paths run to the many areas of service and how understanding we are as people travel these paths.
If you come to Christwalk ten minutes late to avoid the lobby greeters…you might be an Introvert.
If you leave during the prayer time to avoid the alter or any conversation after church, you might be an Introvert.
If you avoid coming early and lingering longer after service…you might be an Introvert.
If you always have gone to a big church so you can disappear in the crowd…you might be an Introvert.
If you save the seat to your left and right with stuff, so no one can sit near you…you might be an Introvert.
If you hunt down every person to meet and talk to, so you can get involved…you might be an Extrovert.
If you want to open prayer, sing a solo once a month and close the alter, you might be an Extrovert.
If you want to give your testimony every Sunday, you might be an Extrovert.
What needs to happen is the leadership of Christwalk must begin to recognize these things and understand that we cannot make everyone be something they were not created to be, but we can offer ways for Introverts and Extroverts to fully function inside the environment of Christwalk Church.
We are all created in His image, but He also obviously likes a variety of people and personalities.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27 ESV
People are different for His purposes and plans…God created enough Introverts and Extroverts at Christwalk to get the job done!
Remind yourself this today!
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
Pastor Jonah, Bekah as our local missionary and Chris our students leader are all needed at Christwalk to teach large groups, but Simon another local missionary and Tony, one of our men’s leaders do an equally good job teaching people one on one or in smaller groups.
Gail Heaton holds the Office of an Evangelist at Christwalk, and she can go out and gather lots of people and bring them in, but if we do not have enough quiet space, one on one people to lead them and clean them up, those we gather will not bare fruit!
Barbara and Margaret, our greeters, can get Connect Cards from visitors, but it may take an Introverted person to help write post cards and send out welcomes to several of the new people. And then, couples like Shayne and Tammy can contact the same people to intentionally invite them to lunch or dinner. This is when we will see who is Introverted and who is Extroverted.
Introverts and Extroverts can both find ways inside Christwalk Church to serve. We just have to understand both personality types before we start pushing them in any direction.
As Extroverts in a predominantly Extroverted Church Environment…we need to be reminded that Introverts need to find Community Groups, Participate in Family Stays and Disciple People all the same but it may take leadership and other Extroverts recognizing the need does exist inside Christwalk as well.
Here are a few simple suggestions for both Extroverts and Introverts:
Live out the Christian Life in a way that is sustainable to you as God shapes you!
Extroverts need to stop trying to force the Introverts to be someone they were never created to be…however, think of creative ways to make them feel comfortable to get plugged in and involved.
Introverts need stop isolating when there are comfortable ways to serve and find community amidst the Extroverted Environment.
Understanding, embracing and implementing several of the suggestions in this blog will help our Christwalk Community Leaders to be more effective leaders in the days ahead.
This gives room for our Women’s and Men’s Leaders to really be effective in the days ahead as well.
Use good judgment when learning to work with people and watch and listen as they begin to express their personality type and open up to you.
We must allow them space to be conformed to His image, not other people’s expectations!
In the Bible Recap we have been reading about Moses who was used to lead Israel but had lots of Introverted Personality Traits. He got really nervous speaking in front of lots of people. He twisted his words and stuttered…but Moses was a voice for the people of Israel with Aaron’s help. What a great ministry team! Moses stayed true to who he was, but with help he led a whole nation as an Introvert.
Introverted Leaders may not look the part but if called by God they can be effective by understanding how to delegate to more extroverted personality types to accomplish the mission.
Let’s work together church-wide as both Extroverts and Introverts and watch God help us reach the nations with the gospel.
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