Maximizing Your Effectiveness: How to Discover and Develop Your Divine Design

by Aubrey Malphurs, Carl George (Foreword)

Every Christian wants to know, "What is God's purpose for my life?" Whether volunteering part time or involved in full-time vocational ministry, Christians frequently struggle to find satisfaction in their areas of service.

This book helps readers match who they are--their unique spiritual gifts, passions, temperament, talents, and leadership style--with the ministry area for which God designed them. A practical guide, it takes dedicated Christians step by step through the process of reaching their full potential for Christ's kingdom.

This new edition of Maximizing Your Effectiveness puts multiple tools, inventories, and worksheets in the hands of readers to empower them to minister according to God's unique design and purpose for their lives.

Genres: Leadership, Christian Living, Nonfiction

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2008

Reviews

[Barry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Malphurs does a fine job of compiling a list of resources for the reader. In fact, this book reads more like an instruction manual than it does a book. I think readers ought to use it as an instruction manual and a reference guide more than just as a regular book. In short, this book is meant to be used, not just read. In this regard, it is a good book.

However, Mr. Malphurs does get a bit carried away with the instruction manual feel and loses the feel of a regular book. I'm guessing most readers will read it as a regular book, and they might be disappointed in how it reads as a result. Also, the premise of this book seems to be that everyone has a deep-down passion that is waiting to be uncovered and unfurled. I imagine that anyone who reads and uses this book and yet doesn't discover their deep-down passion will come away feeling worse than when they started. "What's wrong with me?" they might think. Perhaps not everyone has a deep-down passion for some aspect of ministry, or if they do, maybe it's much smaller than the ones Mr. Malphurs trumpets. If one's deep-down passion is to keep green the plants in the front of the church, this book is overkill.

[Sharayah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some of the assessments in this book are great; I think it would be very good for a layperson. As a seminary student (and someone who knows herself very well), I did not feel particularly challenged by this book. Some of the distinctions made seemed a little arbitrary/unnecessary (gift mix v. gift cluster, ministry mission v. ministry direction). I think ultimately this means that the way this book was organized was just not well suited to my particular brain/learning style/organizing style. There were a few 'scenarios' where we were introduced to characters to illustrate the purpose of each chapter. These felt forced, and the author seems to have some very firm and not-so-subtle opinions on women in vocation/leadership ministries. I found that particularly grating. The assessments at the back of the book were kind of fun, but I would not recommend this book as a whole to anyone who has experience formal ministry training.

[Cary Sawatsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

At times, it almost seems as though the author is going to attempt to do the impossible, to show the reader exactly what his/her life's purpose should be. Considering the magnitude of the task, I believe that Aubrey does a good job of trying to accomplish that task without boring people with everyone else's life purpose. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is considering ministry or getting serious about their faith.

[Garland Vance · Rating 1 out of 5]

I purchased this book so that I could skim its insights on spiritual gifts. I am so glad that I spent the money just to skim it. As I perused the rest of the book it was filled with overly complicated distinctions between mission, vision, ministry direction, etc.

Don't waste your money on this. Malphurs has other books that are very good, but this is not one of them.

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

It goes over the information, but it's really not as life changing as the title would like to make it sound.

[Jeff Noble]

Maximizing Your Effectiveness: How to Discover and Develop Your Divine Design by Aubrey Malphurs (?)

[Neil Hess · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good read, but I felt like some topics were covered ad nauseum. Great for someone looking to get some insights as to where God can use them with a highly self-analytical bent.

[Michael Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty straightforward guide to knowing and understanding your spiritual gifts and divine design. Some good discovery tools in the Appendices.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basic overview and integrates much wisdom from personality studies too. Very practical.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this two stars not because of the content of the book (3-3.5 for content) but because of my own context while reading the book. It is supposed to help people make a lifelong ministry plan. My problem is I'm already working my ministry plan. If I had read this book 8 years ago, it would have been awesome, but right now, it felt more like being forced to sit through kindergarten again as a high school student.

[Robert Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some notable concepts that church leaders should examine such as helping new Christians discover their spiritual gifts first instead of plugging them straight into ministry. However, Malphurs' formulaic approach to discovering one's spiritual calling relies more on intellectual assessment than the calling of the Holy Spirit.