Jane A. G. Kise - Lifekeys: Discover Who You Are

1996, 2005 by Jane A. G. Kise, David Stark, Sandra Krebs Hirsh

Published by Bethany House Publishers
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www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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Ebook edition created 2010

Ebook corrections 07.10.2014

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Cover design by Eric Walljasper
Text illustrator: John H. Bush, Minneapolis, Minnesota

To the people of Christ Presbyterian Church,
especially those who have participated in our classes
and enriched these pages through their insights,
experiences, and suggestions.

LIFEKEYS RESOURCES

LifeKeys: Discover Who You Are
LifeKeys Discovery Workbook
LifeKeys Leadership Resource
Find Your Fit: LifeKeys for Teens
Find Your Fit Discovery Workbook
Find Your Fit Leaders Guide
SoulTypes
Work It Out

Other Books From
LifeKeys Authors

Growing People Through Small Groups
(by David Stark and Betty Veldman Wieland)

Christ-Based Leadership
(by David Stark)

For more information: www.lifekeys.com

JANE A. G. KISE, EdD, is a freelance writer and consultant, specializing in team building and school staff development. She also teaches seminars and speaks across North America on prayer, constructive use of differences, and unlocking our lives for God. She is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen books, including Finding and Following Gods Will, Did You Get What You Prayed For,Working With Purpose, and SoulTypes. Kise is also a frequent contributor to Guideposts and other magazines. She holds a BA from Hamline University, an MBA from the University of Minnesota, and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas. She and her family live in Minneapolis.

DAVID STARK is director of Changing Church Forum, a ministry of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. He is also vice president of BusinessKeys International. He divides his time among three roles: pastor, business consultant, and trainer, and is coauthor of LifeKeys,LifeDirections, and author of Christ-Based Leadership and his own small group materials, People Together and Growing People ThroughSmall Groups. Stark holds a BA in biology and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary. He and his family reside in Minneapolis.

SANDRA KREBS HIRSH has authored or coauthored more than ten books on psychological type, including LifeTypes and Introductionto Type in Organizations, which has sold more than two million copies. She heads a management/organizational consulting firm, in addition to coaching individuals and writing, and is much in demand worldwide for her expertise in human resources and organizational development. Hirsh holds graduate degrees in American studies and industrial relations. She lives in Minneapolis.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This project grew out of the efforts of a whole team of people. We would especially like to thank:

Richard N. Bolles, for reading the manuscript and providing us with key suggestions.

Judy Gentry, for her partnership with us in the early stages of developing these materials.

Charette Barta, for her encouragement in shepherding LifeKeys toward publication.

Reverend Judie Ritchie, for her help with spiritual direction for each personality type.

Terri Elton, for her energy and enthusiasm in convincing churches to try LifeKeys.

Kevin Johnson, for his editorial support.

Dorothy Cummings, Tom and Terri Gulliford, Victoria Manuel, and Laurel Schnabelmembers of the original team at church.

And thanks to all the people whose stories are told anonymously in these pages for their willingness to enrich this book with their lives.

CONTENTS

NOTE ON THE
SECOND EDITION

When we began working on LifeKeys more than a decade ago, we thought we were designing a class to help people understand who they were and what they might do for God. Since then weve had a lot of surprises, both in how people use the materials and in the ways the materials address issues we had not consciously surfaced. In this second edition, weve had a chance to address some specific needs as well as marvel at Gods hand on our efforts. Here are a few of the surprises.

The depth of discovery. In our very first class, Sandra, who had led business-based career development workshops for years, was struck by the deep level at which people were tackling the materials. With the added faith perspective, people were more honest about their struggles to match who they were and what they might do.

Since then weve had people use LifeKeys in many ways. In this edition, weve developed separate exercises and reflection questions for the most common purposes. These LifeKeys applications are

Volunteer and Service Opportunities

First Career Direction

Midlife Transitions

Retirement Planning

In addition, the LifeKeys Leadership Resource contains ideas for team building, setting organizational direction, and other areas.

Affirmation of many ways to serve God. We could tell story after story of people who didnt think their interests could in any way be used by God. Or who felt that their career paths were separate from what God wanted them to do.

One woman who assumed her lack of college degree disqualified her from the kind of church work she hoped to pursue, decided to apply for a staff position after identifying her passion for childrens ministry. She excelled in the position and soon was given even larger responsibilities.