Jump directly to the Content

Ministry Staff

I was new to the church and so was my position. For the first time in its 14-year history, this 3,000-member congregation had called someone to concentrate on adult programing.

At first, it seemed that they needed not a minister but a "fairy godmother."

During the interview process, I discovered there was no consensus on my responsibilities. The senior pastor wanted me to develop small groups. The personnel committee and church administrator wanted me to guide adult education and to strengthen existing ministries while also developing new programs. The congregation was looking for someone, anyone, to develop ministries they felt had been neglected.

As I began to meet the members, one-by-one they would say, "You know what we really need around here is ______," filling the blank with a new ministry. They wanted ministries to couples and parents, men and women, support groups, leisure activities, you name it. Everyone had his own idea of what the church needed most, but few offered to help. ...

March
Support Our Work

Subscribe to CT for less than $4.25/month

Homepage Subscription Panel

Read These Next

Related
Womanizers and Nazis
Fallen stars
Womanizers and Nazis
How do you deal with tainted spiritual heroes?
From the Magazine
I Hated ‘Church People.’ But I Knew I Needed Them.
I Hated ‘Church People.’ But I Knew I Needed Them.
As I attended my second funeral in three weeks, two Christians showed me a kindness I couldn’t explain.
Editor's Pick
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
What Christians Miss When They Dismiss Imagination
Understanding God and our world needs more than bare reason and experience.
close