Just out of seminary, my concept of ministry wasn't, I suspect, all that unusual. Real ministry, I believed, happens in the pulpit, in the prayer meeting, on the doorstep of the unconverted. Real ministry is overflowing sanctuaries, published books, and "a presence" in the city. Real ministry requires imaginative and bold leadership. Real ministry is dynamic, energetic, and vital.

And then there is committee work-not exactly ministry, but sort of. After all, someone has to assign Communion servers, delegate the pulling of weeds, budget for crayons and glue, and decide who will bring hot dogs to the all-church picnic.

As for me and my ministry, however, I will serve in greater courts. I will make a name for myself . . . er, I mean, for our church . . . I mean, for the Lord. Yes, for the Lord.

Escaping committees

One of my first ministry goals, then, was to escape committee meetings, not an easy task upon first arriving at a church. Lay people, who spend a lot of time in committees, have an ...