I have a friend who can read individual names out of the white pages during a Sunday morning sermon and people end up giving their lives to Christ.  His undying passion is leading crowds to Christ.  I have tried it myself, and it doesn't seem to work as easily for me (or at all).  I have a friend who is gifted and natural at building systems in order to reproduce growth.  I have built a couple of systems in my day at great time and resources, they seem to flourish in a blaze of glory on the chopping block.  I have a friend who has the ability to motivate and persuade people which creates unstoppable momentum.  I have a friend that leads worship as if the angels in heaven were living vicariously through his voice.  I have a friend who is extremely intelligent and can reconstruct obscure and difficult concepts making them easy to understand.  I have a friend that has mastered the ability to connect unrelated and uninterested parties in order to accomplish unity and vision.  The diversity of people is astonishing.  Have you ever wondered what part you play in that diversity?  Or better yet, looking at others, have you ever wanted to be someone else or desire to have a bit more of their gifting?  I think a few of us have pitched our tents in that place.  Let's take that path a step further.  Have you ever expected others to adhere to your passions and giftedness?  Have you ever become frustrated when someone didn't follow through with your expectations?  Have you ever been confused at how someone could lose passion, while you were committed?   
     In his book, A Contrarians Guide to Knowing God, Larry Osbourne writes "Gift Projection takes place whenever we begin to project our own unique gifts and calling upon everyone else, as if our assignment should be their assignment, and our strengths their strengths.  At its core, it's an arrogant assumption that my calling is the highest calling, and my gifts are the best gifts."  Wow!  As a pastor and leader how many times have I unknowingly projected my calling and gifting on other people?  At times in the past I would become frustrated with people and their inability to accomplish what I had called them to.  I have experienced many years of ministry where I had run over people and served up a share of guilt to make them do what I think is best for them-- the things that have worked for me.  Scary, isn't it?        
     So let's say I am called and passionate to serve in cross-cultural missions.  Let's say I have personal issues because people don't get as excited about missions is I do.  Maybe they are fine with staying in Jerusalem (home).  Is it my duty to project my gifting/passions on other people?  Let's say I end up convincing you to serve because there is a hole to be filled.  Maybe you were falsely motivated because you were empathetic to my convictions and motivated to action by my drive by guilting.  In this situation the problem could be that you didn't have any convictions of your own....so what happens then?  Being in the church a few years I have seen many people take on other peoples callings and convictions.  There are many people who struggle to have a passion for something--so they end up doing anything and everything without thinking.  Don't get me wrong and don't miss my point..I believe cross-cultural missions are extremely valuable and most should experience it.  I am just using it as an example here.  Seriously, who wouldn't feel guilty at the need to leave the familiar to go share Christ with other cultures, it is an immense job. 
     So what if I don't want to do that? Is that a bad thing?  Does it mean that I don't care or acknowledge the need?  Does it mean I can't participate in other ways?  If I can convince you to do something should you do it?  If all the Christians left to go somewhere else, what then? (these are the crazy questions I ask myself!)  For me traversing through the jungle with my daughter on my back isn't something I need to do at this point in my life. It wouldn't work for us..is that okay to say that?  My family isn't created that way, is that okay?  I know some people are definetly called to cross cultural missions work.. I am not.  Can I say I don't want travel the world to be a missionary and not feel like a heathen?  For the gift-projectors it isn't okay for someone to say that.  They want to project their gift on everyone.  Does this sound like you?   What is the passion or gift you are projecting on others?     
     You see my family is passionate about serving and loving our neighbors.  We are passionate about having our kids in public school.  As a family unit we believe our calling is to be a light in the darkness of the public school system.  We think that it would be tragic if Christians left the public school system.  We are worried and sickened to think what would happen if we all huddled safely in our churches.  Where will public schools be in ten years if all the Jesus influence was pulled out today?  Can my family be a part of changing and shifting culture and hold fast to our convictions while changing things from the inside?  Yes, I believe so.   We live in conviction about this.  We believe strongly its best for our family and who we are and how God has created us to be.  We want to be a supporting part of the secular community.  We want to extend our reach as far as possible.  Do all families feel the same as we do?  Should I expect them all to share our conviction and passions?  I know what your thinking...does that mean we think homeschooling kids is a lower calling or outside of God's will?  Absolutely not.  Or maybe we think homeschooling families believe we are outside of God's will?  I hope not.  Because each family and individual is created differently to accomplish what God has called them too.  There is that diversity thing again.  You get the picture?
      Osbourne continues in his book "For all of us who have ever been on the receiving end of a gift projector's well placed drive-by guilting, there's no reason to feel guilty or inadequate for being who God made us to be, or for doing exactly what he called us to do.  God pleasing spirituality is found in pleasing him -- not everyone else."  
     For me, I want to stop projecting what I think is most important and help others discover what God has called them to.  I want to give people at Real Life Boise the tools they need to accomplish what they have been created for.  If your are wired to be a missionary, then lets disciple and train you to be a missionary.  If you are passionate about homeschooling your kids, then lets discover the best way to do that and learn the best possible way to serve God that way.  What it comes down to is this I am passionate about not being a "personality" centered church but a "values" centered church.  Join me. Be Free. Live your conviction and help others discover theirs.  if you don't have conviction don't seek after another mans...seek Him and I guarantee that He will answer.
Chew on that for awhile and see what you come up with.