Trinity Types

Another aspect of your design is something that Arthur Burk has suggested, following a pattern of three possible design types. The term “Trinity type” is just something I coined, so don’t try searching that on the SLG site! None of these reflect how close you feel to different members of the Trinity - that has more to do with your history & experience. This is about your essence, and how you reflect aspects of one member of the Trinity in particular.

1)    Community types

2)    Dominion types

3)    Synergy types

It’s perfectly okay to take time, even years, to explore this part of your design. Most of us will see aspects of all three of these in ourselves. You could be 60% Community, 20% Dominion, and 20% Synergy, or some other combination. I think that I am 70% Synergy, 20% Dominion, and 10% Community. I would say that my husband is 60% Dominion, 30% Community, and 10% Synergy. So have fun exploring your own design!

The following is a scenario that I use to help you move toward pondering which of those types you might be. Here’s the scenario:

Recently, my husband drove to Kentucky to help out with the after effects of a series of huge killer tornadoes. The whole area was devastated, much destruction. Many people needing basic life supplies like food, water, toilet paper, etc.

The ministry Paul worked with was operating from a makeshift area set up from a large structure, like a warehouse, that was set up to receive supplies & then distribute them to people who were streaming in. A local ministry was heading up the effort. Many volunteers had driven in from all over the country.

Imagine you are there, and that you walk into the building. Do you:

 1)    Immediately notice that a woman in the corner with two children is crying, and doesn’t seem to know how to find the help she needs here. There is a group of teenagers who are trying to put supplies on shelves, but aren’t sure who is supposed to be directing them. Another group from the ministry is outside talking, apparently oblivious of what is happening inside. No one is making eye contact.

 Your instinct is to get the crying woman connected with the people from the ministry who can help her get what she needs. You comfort her, and lead her over to the right people. By the time you leave for the day, you have helped the different groups to work together, and everyone seems to be comfortable relating to each other as a community. As you walk out the door, you glow in the knowledge that they are all talking with each other, planning the next day. They are learning each other’s strengths, and you look forward to the way that they will be even stronger as a group tomorrow, able to help more tornado victims.

OR

2)    Immediately notice that there is a high level of chaos in the room. People are doing aimless jobs, whatever they personally think should be done, but there doesn’t seem to be any leadership. Big boxes of donated supplies are sitting in corners. Some of the shelves are stocked, and some are empty. A long line of tornado survivors are waiting to be helped, but there doesn’t seem to be any kind of forward movement, and one person is at the counter trying helplessly to keep up with the heavy demand.

Your instinct is to first begin working to re-establish the flow of people being helped. You suggest to a group of teenagers that they can work together at a second counter and increase the speed of aid being given. You suggest a couple of things to the woman at the first counter, and help her get the efficiency flowing more quickly, so she is able to process things more speedily. By the time you leave for the day, the shelves are being restocked by volunteers who now have a plan and direction, and you have roughed out a map of the supply shelves, and how to lay out the area for the best flow. You are happy with the increased efficiency of offering help, and you already have ideas for tomorrow, how the process of receiving and giving supplies can work even better. When you get back to your hotel room, even though it is late, you write some notes down on a page so that you don’t forget. You make a couple of lists of things to do in the morning, that will help the ministry project to work even better.

 OR

3)    Immediately notice that it is extremely hot inside the building, that there are two industrial-sized fans at the front door, but that they are not plugged in. You walk around and find several extra-length extension cords, and ask the ministry leader whether it is okay to plug in the fans. He looks at you blankly, shrugs, and says, “Sure, whatever!”

Once the fans are plugged in, and people are gratefully feeling the cool breeze of the fans, you look around and take stock of what is there. You see that there are Styrofoam coolers sitting by the checkout table, open and empty, and stacks of water bottles next to them. There is no ice. As you see one of the ministry people heading out to the store, you ask him whether he could get a couple of bags of ice.

Your instinct is to take stock of the tools and resources that are there, and to ascertain what is missing. By the time you leave, you have been able to fill in some of the gaps.

You also notice that the back right hand side of the room has a really nice feel to it. You spend some time in that area, soaking in whatever aspect of the land you are feeling. It feels like a good spot to pray, and you suggest to the ministry team that they might want to pray for people back in that corner. They tell you later that it made a big difference in the power levels of their prayer.

 After leaving for the day, you pass by the groups of people, and head out into the back of the property & spend an hour in quiet, just sitting against a tree and letting the land minister to you, before heading back to your hotel room.

 ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *~

1)    If you related most strongly to number 1, you may be a Community type. Community types are often called by God to build into communities of people. Prayer ministry, teaching classes, starting groups or helping to develop groups of people are often ways that the Lord works with someone in the Community design. Helping people to work together well, helping them to reconcile with each other and love each other are often gifts that the Lord gives to Community people.

 Often, Community people are very grieved when relationships are broken, and long for reconciliation. This can also take the form of people who feel that their relationship with God is broken, and who need to be reconciled with the Lord.

Introverts and extroverts can both be Community people (or any of the three types).

2)    If you related most strongly to number 2, you may be a Dominion type. Dominion types are designed to bring the dominion of God’s kingdom strongly into existence, in every arena. This often looks like an instinct to work very hard, from first awakening until falling asleep. Dominion people are often very good at finding the most efficient way to do a project, to help resources and people work together for the best result.

 Dominion people are often very deeply affected by situations in which others have come into a form of powerlessness. Things like human trafficking, child or wife abuse, animal cruelty, etc. are issues that often deeply impact Dominion people. The Dominion person often longs to help release re-empowering to those who need it, and to restore the flow of Jesus’s kingdom on earth in dominion to them.

3)    If you related most strongly to number 3, you may be a Synergy person. Synergy people are designed to engage with all of God’s resources and tools, to assess what is present and available, what is needed, and how to restore the “missing links” in order to establish the best flow, the best synergy.

Synergy people often have a special understanding of the earth, the land, the unseen aspects of both (things like portals, lines, etc), as well as other aspects of creation, such as stars & atmosphere. They often enjoy working with things relating to the creation, helping it also to achieve God’s design of synergy.