See if any of these episodes sounds familiar.

Staffing the Sunday morning nursery had always been tough at one northeastern church, and this summer was almost impossible. Finally Ellen had agreed to do it "if you really can't find anyone else." Not many had noticed that Ellen invariably came into the worship service during the first hymn and sometimes later. Sure enough, when it was her Sunday for nursery duty, there were five or six parents standing around the nursery with their kids waiting for the "staff" to arrive. Ellen eventually showed up, and the parents trooped into the service at the end of the first hymn. The same thing happened every time it was her turn.

A friend, Allen, came home late Sunday night feeling as if he needed a week in the Bahamas. He'd been at church four evenings of the last week and had stayed Sunday evening to see that the church fellowship room was cleaned up after the high school party. The youth sponsors were great with youth, but they didn't realize you ...