A little something

Last night we had a great meeting here at the Portico. Our leadership gathered to consider our mission and how we can best serve Christ in this time and space. One of the important questions that was raised had to do with how we look at what we do. How we spend our time and energy as the church says something about our priorities and our role as stewards. In a sense, it was a question about success and efficiency. But these words lose a degree or two of clarity when it comes to church work. Ministry is often an imprecise business.

One specific question had to do with mission priorities. Some churches have a few programs that are identified, embraced and funded by large portions of their congregations. Others tend to have many, smaller ministries that are driven by the handful of people who are passionate about them. Our church tends toward the latter.

Personally, I like this model. I like the idea of saying yes to mission ideas brought forth by our membership. I especially like connecting people with service opportunities that they are excited about. The downside, of course, is that not everyone gets involved. Doing missions this way tends to create programs that are more meaningful to those involved but often less glamorous to the larger fellowship. Sometimes the church doesn't even know that these ministries are going on. Therefore, leaders consistently face resource challenges. The programs can look and feel as though they are barely hanging on. This, in turn, invites derision from those not directly involved. And yet, for the people that they serve, these ministries provide extraordinary blessings. The same is often true for those who are doing the serving.

I suspect that the question introduced last night at Saint Francis will be increasingly important for many churches and non-profits. As the needs around us escalate, the funding and man-power will likely feel stressed. This gives rise to decisions that no body likes to make.

My hope here is that God will continue to show us where we need to focus our attention and energy. I look for passionate lay people to continue to bring their ideas and their energy to the service of Christ. Through this, we will be able to do something. And as a friend said last night, "The little something that we do is still more than nothing."