Labels

Show more

The Working Genius for Small Churches

As a pastor of a small church, you may be looking for ways to improve the productivity and effectiveness of your ministry team. The Working Genius model is a helpful tool that can help you identify the unique strengths of your team members and leverage those strengths to improve your overall team performance. In this blog post, we will explore how you can use the Working Genius model in your church.

What is the Working Genius Model?

The Working Genius model is a framework developed by Patrick Lencioni that helps individuals and teams identify their natural talents and work styles. The model identifies six types of working geniuses:

  1. Wonder: This involves the ability to think creatively and ask questions that challenge the status quo.

  2. Invention: This involves the ability to generate new ideas and solutions to problems.

  3. Discernment: This involves the ability to evaluate ideas and make good decisions.

  4. Galvanizing: This involves the ability to rally people around a common goal or vision.

  5. Enablement: This involves the ability to support and empower others to achieve their goals.

  6. Tenacity: This involves the ability to persevere through challenges and setbacks.

How to Use the Working Genius Model in Your Church

  1. Assess Your Team Members

The first step in using the Working Genius model is to assess your team members' strengths. You can use an online assessment tool to help you identify the natural talents and work styles of each team member.

  1. Identify the Working Genius Types

Once you have assessed your team members, you can identify which working genius types are most dominant for each person. This will help you understand how each person can contribute to your ministry team.

  1. Create a Balanced Team

When building your ministry team, it's important to have a balance of working genius types. This will ensure that you have a diverse range of perspectives and talents to draw from. Identify which working genius types are currently underrepresented in your team and look for opportunities to recruit individuals who possess those strengths.

  1. Delegate Tasks Based on Strengths

When assigning tasks to your team members, consider their natural talents and work styles. Assign tasks that align with their dominant working genius types. This will help them feel more engaged and motivated in their work.

  1. Create a Culture of Collaboration

Encourage your team members to collaborate and work together to achieve common goals. Make sure that everyone feels valued and appreciated for their unique contributions. Celebrate successes and learn from failures together as a team.

The Working Genius model is a useful tool that can help you build a more effective and productive ministry team. By assessing your team members, identifying the working genius types, creating a balanced team, delegating tasks based on strengths, and creating a culture of collaboration, you can leverage the unique strengths of each team member to achieve your ministry goals. 


As a Certified Working Genius Facilitator I would be happy to discuss this in more detail and help discover more ways to utilize this in your Ministry.


Small Church Guys exists to serve you and your congregation, and we are committed to empower small churches to make a difference in their communities. We believe that no church is too small to have an impact, and we're here to help you fulfill your mission. If you are interested in learning more about how we can support you please give us a call or visit our website we hope to hear from you...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 3: When the Numbers Don’t Add Up – Why God Still Builds His Church

You don’t need a seminary degree to see that churches are closing their doors at an alarming rate. In 2025, Carey Nieuwhof’s Church Trends report estimates that church closures in the U.S. outpace new church plants by a ratio of 3-to-1 . In raw numbers, that’s potentially 7,000 churches disappearing every year. Many of these are small churches. Churches like yours. Maybe you’ve seen it firsthand. That neighboring congregation who sold their building. The pastor friend who quietly stepped away. The older church a few blocks down that once thrived but now barely keeps the lights on. And perhaps—if we’re honest—you’ve wondered: How long can we hold on? If these stats make you feel like the odds are against you, you’re not alone. But before despair creeps in, let’s pause and remember: God is not surprised. He is not panicked. And He is not powerless. He still builds His Church. This Is Not the First Time the Church Has Faced Crisis Jesus didn’t promise His followers that church growt...
Read more

Week 4: No Copy-Paste Needed – The Beauty of Being Your Church

 If you've been in ministry for more than a few months, you've probably felt the pressure: Make your church more modern, more exciting, more relevant. Maybe you've asked yourself: Do we need better lighting? Should I change my preaching style? Is our worship too old-school? Are we behind because we don’t have a full creative team or slick social media? Carey Nieuwhof’s 2025 Church Trends report calls this out directly. He points to the growing fatigue with “just-add-water” church models—the kind where every church looks, sounds, and feels exactly the same. A modern worship band. Three Hillsong or Maverick City songs. A cool logo. An upbeat sermon. Coffee. Kids check-in. Go home. There was a time when this formula “worked.” But in today’s spiritual landscape—especially among Gen Z and Millennials—it’s wearing thin. People aren’t looking for a copy of culture. They’re looking for an alternative to it . Enter: The rise of the non-derivative church. What Is a...
Read more

Church Revitalization: 5 Essential Steps to Renewing Your Church - Wk 3

Week 3: Heart Surgery – Transforming Church Culture & Addressing Conflict Church culture is the unseen force that defines how people interact, worship, and serve together. While theology and mission provide the framework, it is culture that determines whether a church thrives in unity or collapses in division. Many churches that struggle with revitalization do not have a vision problem; they have a culture problem . This week, we will examine how to diagnose unhealthy church culture, resolve conflicts biblically, and create a culture of unity and health. Diagnosing the Health of Church Culture Church culture is shaped by attitudes, behaviors, and unwritten rules that govern how people engage with one another. Here are key indicators of a toxic church culture: Persistent Conflict – Ongoing disputes that are never fully resolved. Cliques & Division – Groups within the church that exclude others. Negative Speech & Gossip – Conversations that spread division instead of encou...
Read more