The Gift of Craftsmanship
“The gift of craftsmanship empowers an individual with ability to use their hands to create great projects. If you have the gift of craftsmanship challenge yourself everyday by seeking out ways you can build better and bigger things. Look for ways you can grow within the field by not only learning how to construct from the instructions, but also discovering ways to create the blueprints. Get educated and seek out the advice from other professionals who share a passion for the field.”
This spiritual gift can lend itself to creating beauty and functionality in your church and be a helping hand to persons in need. Think of the many things your church pays for that those with this gift can contribute ⎯ throwing pottery communion ware and baptismal fonts, making candles for the altar, making soap and other cleaners, creating banners and paraments for the altar, knitting prayer shawls to distribute, building flower stands and tables, repairing things around the church and more.
This gift gives you a chance to mentor others in your craft. Being able to give someone the gift of being able to contribute to a ministry or mission is something they will be able to pass on to others. It can also be used to raise up issues that need to be addressed.
For those of us who do not have the spiritual gift of craftsmanship, we are still called to exercise this gift with the possibility of gaining skills in this area. So here are four ideas to spark creativity in your life while using some of your God given spiritual gifts:
1. Let’s Get to Craftivism
Craftivism is a word and movement for those who may not have the voice or temperament for activism, but who also want to be a gentle activist. It is the idea of using a craft to send a message to those who can make changes for the sake of justice or those who can join the fight. It might be cross-stitching a small banner with a quote that gets people thinking about the subject such as homelessness, equal pay for equal work, etc.
2. The More the Merrier
Plan to get the whole church involved in a project to make a banner or paraments for the church. Since this would be an intergenerational event, make sure your plan is broad enough for every age. You might use handprints to make a banner about the need for everyone’s gifts. Or have everyone draw a themed picture and transfer these onto fabric to make a wall hanging. Or have everyone cut out a fish to be placed in a fabric net to symbolize that we are all to be fishers of people. The ideas are endless and don’t have to be original. Check out Pinterest and other websites.
3. Back to School
Invite an artisan to your church to demonstrate or teach their craft. This could be hosted for church attenders or for the community. Most crafters are glad to demonstrate, and it can also be a lesson in using your gifts. It may also be a skill that others might learn to help them get a job.
4. Love and Peace
Choose some sort of small craft⎯ textiles, woodwork, etc.⎯and plan to blanket the church community with them. Make them a love or peace themed project. You could decide to leave it at the front door of people in the community or leave them in random public places. Either way, the giftee will know that God loves them and that you are praying for peace in this world.