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. ...