The ePersonality© Assessment
The two most important days of any person’s life are first, the day they were born; and second, the day they learn why. – Mark Twain –
OUR SLOGAN: “Temperament First, Giftedness Second”
Why do we say, “Temperament First, Giftedness Second”? Is it because we don’t value Spiritual Gifts? In reality, that’s not true at all. Rather, it’s because the Bible talks about temperament first and emphasizes how important it is for humans to be made in the image of God. For example, Genesis 1:27 says, “God created mankind in his own image; in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Consequently, this verse means that being made in God’s image means we reflect certain parts of His nature.
Also, the Bible teaches that God is one being with three distinct personalities: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. Subsequently, each one of these divine personalities interacts with people in different ways and has specific roles. Therefore, understanding temperament first helps us see how we reflect God’s nature and how we then interact with others.
When we look at people, we notice a wide variety of traits and abilities. For instance, some people show traits like God the Father, with strong leadership skills. On the other hand, some are more like Jesus Christ, being creative and passionate about helping others. Additionally, there are those who reflect the qualities of the Holy Spirit, focusing on building relationships and providing comfort.
Accordingly, this idea connects well with temperament theory, which suggests that people show different parts of God’s nature. So, by recognizing these different traits, we can see how various aspects of God’s character are reflected in the unique qualities of each person.
Some Church Leaders Misunderstand Personality
Temperament theory is based on Biblical teachings, not psychology. So, it’s important to know that temperament theory actually came before modern psychology. At first, it was a theological idea that showed how our human design reflects the one God in three persons of the Trinity.
Consequently, as time went on, sociologists studied human temperament and created assessments to categorize how people are designed. Then, in the 20th and 21st centuries, psychologists made different tests to check the accuracy of these assessments. So, while the foundation of temperament theory is theological, it has also been explored and supported by both sociology and psychology research.
About the ePersonality© Assessment
We created the ePersonality© assessment based on a proven four-quadrant model. Just like other well-known personality assessments, ours generates 16 different temperament types. However, what makes ours unique is that we designed it specifically for Christians. With this intention, the ePersonality© assessment helps identify how God made your people to serve Him and others. Because of this focus, the assessment is very accurate.
It makes sense: God knows the “good works” He prepared for us in advance (Ephesians 2:10), so He gave us everything we need to do His will (Hebrews 13:20-21). In other words, “Everything good” includes our personalities. That’s why people feel the happiest and most motivated when they serve in a way that matches their God-given personality.
Therefore, professional church leaders will help their staff and volunteers find their place in ministry, respecting how God designed each person to serve. To support this, the ePersonality© report includes the following information…
- A ministry-relevant title
- Profile bulleted highlights
- A description of who God made you to be
- What you can contribute to the ministry
- And, how leadership can best support you.
The last bullet point, which is about how leadership can best support you, is really important for getting people involved in ministry. Why? Because over many years of working with churches, we have learned that not everyone needs the same kind of support. Also, your personal style of support, based on your temperament, might not be what others need, whether it’s emotional help, resources, staffing, or something else.
So, wise leaders will take the time to learn about their team members. Then, they will use this knowledge to provide the right kind of support that fits each team member’s needs.
How God Sees Us
There is often a big difference between how God sees us and how we see ourselves. With this in mind many people have shared with our staff about their struggles with low self-esteem. This is a common problem, but it’s also very sad. Our views of ourselves often come from negative influences, both human and demonic, that try to make us feel powerless. However, if we really understood how God sees us and His purpose for creating us, we could then trust Him to equip us through His Spirit to do the good works He has planned for us (Ephesians 2:10).
That’s why tools like the ePersonality© assessment are so important for churches, staff, and members. When your people understand themselves in line with God’s intentions, they can see how He designed them to serve. So, with this understanding, they can confidently say no to roles that don’t fit them and focus on growing into the unique calling the Holy Spirit has placed in their lives.
In the same way, pastors and church leaders should view your people as bundles of potential, each made by God for a special purpose. Your staff’s mission isn’t just to fill spots in your church’s programs, but to help nurture and develop your people to fulfill God’s call on their lives. By doing this, the gaps in your programs will naturally be filled, but now by the right people who have the right temperament, gifts, and ministry calling.
The Oppositional Statements
The ePersonality questions assess temperament based upon how one scores through four distinct categories of two related oppositional statements…
- How I Relate to People…Independant or Social?
- How I Process Information…Concrete or Abstract?
- How I Process Decisions…Head or Heart?
- How I Relate to the World Around Me… Systematic or Adaptive?
16 ePersonality© Reports
Select the titles below to view samples of each one of our sixteen reports. Of particular importance, beyond reading the actual report, is to take note of how the four oppositional categories are scored on the bar graph.
The ePersonality© Administrative Report Sample
OUR PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY
To learn more about our philosophy of ministry, please visit our Ministry Philosophy page for greater details than presented on our Discipleship Tracking by NextSteps page.
MADE FOR A MISSION©
Our Equipping Resource for Church Staff
Made for a Mission© is designed to help church leaders use our mobilization assessments effectively. All in all, this training gives you important insights that you might not discover if you use our assessments without this support. For example, it will teach you how to understand the unique data results and spot individuals who could pose risks to your ministry.
Welcome to “Made for a Mission©,” a resource crafted to assist church leaders and individuals in unlocking their purpose and ministry calling. This guide empowers readers to comprehend the divine intent behind their creation and ministry calling, facilitating the development of a personalized life mission plan. Understanding personality, and how it impacts other ministry areas such as Spiritual Gifts and Leadership Styles, is crucial to effective mobilization of church congregations. Geared towards fostering a team-based ministry approach, this book is an invaluable tool for pastors, church staff, and lay leaders seeking to enhance their skills in team building and ministry mobilization.
Learn About Our Cheat Sheets
AssessME.org offers a quick reference guide we call “Cheat Sheets” to help your church staff to quickly learn and utilize our various Ministry Mobilization Assessments and their related profile reports.