"Donna, will you work on the mission program?"

"Well, I guess so."

"Good. It's all settled then."

That's a conversation almost guaranteed to lead to disaster—unmet expectations, missed deadlines, overspent budgets, and angry, disappointed, or burned-out workers.

Consider the questions not addressed:

What does work on mean? Chair a committee? Serve on a committee? Do all the work?

What does mission program include? A particular project now underway? A conference? The total mission effort for the church?

When is this program to be done? On a continuing basis? For a year? By next Thursday?

How much time will I need to put into the program in order to be effective? Will the fact I can attend only evening meetings be a problem?

To whom will I be responsible? The minister? The board? The Sunday school superintendent?

Are there volunteers lined up? Is there a budget to work within?

Do I need special skills or information that I don't have yet? Where can I get those?

When these questions aren't asked ...