Photo from IMDB website
You won’t actually have a TV character in your church this Sunday, but you will probably have several people who identify with Rachel.
Rachel has the gift of hyper-focus. She can pay attention to minute details through one of the five senses at a time. She might look at something and zoom into the microscopic level, or hear something from rooms away. Rachel lives in the details of life.
Those with Rachel’s ability to focus on the details might miss the big picture at times. They might even feel like middle to late adapters as far as change, but it is because they are waiting to see if the details are taken care of. Listening to them is important.
Just like Rachel is a valuable member of the Alphas team, so are the detail people of your congregation.
However, they need your help. Detail people might get lost in the minutia of life. Part of that tendency is one for control. Detail people have a tendency to care about…well, the details – and those of us who glaze over the little things drive them nuts. This frustration might cause some to control projects to make sure things get done right.
Rachel has overcome this by learning to tune things out. She uses ear plugs, for example, to drown out the world and give herself mental space. In a similar way, many in your congregation need to learn to tune into God and let His voice direct them. Can you help your “Rachels” learn to trust God? When they see details that don’t work, teach them to take those issues to God and ask for His perspective.
Rachel might love ministry jobs such as organizing, cleaning or creative achievements. She is also probably quite compassionate and, in my experience, the detailed ladies are some of the best prayer warriors. Rachel is also a valuable part of the ministry team, bringing a perspective that others miss.
You might need to help her trust and respect those who aren’t so detailed (and vice-versa). A solid understanding of God’s use of people from all backgrounds can help each of us see our own strengths and weaknesses as part of the greater fabric of the Body of Christ, knit together into something much greater than ourselves.
Can you help Rachel, with her unique viewpoint, find her place in the Body of Christ?
Can you value her input and help her take her place in the fabric of your church?
Can you help her tune into God and hear his voice above all the other noise?
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The people in this “Coming to Your Church This Sunday” series aren’t real – even those who are designed from television characters. They are a compilation of people we have known, read about, heard of and heard from throughout the years. Their purpose is to help church leaders get to know those in their congregation and those who might walk through the door. If you see yourself in them, you just have a lot in common with the rest of the human race.
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