We usually view other people's jobs in their glamour moments. We see a surgeon appreciated for a dramatic and successful operation. We see his Mercedes parked in front of his plush home and think, It would be great to be a doctor. We forget about the difficult years of education, the late-night phone calls, the patients who don't survive, or the families that sue.

We see a basketball coach carried off the floor after winning a championship, and we sigh, "It must be rewarding to be a coach." We don't think about lengthy practices, tedious game films, agonizing defeats, or players angry about their lack of playing time.

We may see the minister of a rapidly growing church in much the same way. We see the increased attendance, the expanding influence, and requests for speaking engagements, and we think, How rewarding to minister to a growing church.

For twenty-four years I have been privileged to minister to a growing church. It has been wonderful to watch a church grow in two decades from 125 ...