Does your church use committees? Or have you found a more efficient system in which to do ministry?

I have 2 points to make about committees:

1- They kill the progress of thinking/doing/growing/moving/expanding. Every good idea has to pass through at least 1 group of people who will dissect it to death until the original idea (usually created by the person knowing intimately the audience to introduce it to) is nearly unrecognizable and therefore is without the purpose given it. Plus, it may not even PASS through the committee, because I’ve seen church meetings where they TABLE something for further discussion when it’s needed NOW! I also ran into a problem today and this week with a whole bunch of people trying to throw their plans onto a group that they have varying degrees of connection to. Who the heck is in charge?? Give one or 2 people lead and let them seek out helpers who flesh out the ideas or help carry them out. You can’t plan something you’re not in charge of!! Especially if you’ve never been involved, but now is a good time to jump in…very frustrating and deathly to ministry.

2- A committee seems to have become a place for people to conceal themselves within the walls of “committee planning.” As long as we have a formalized document to show people and 10 hours of brainstorming, we have something great and worthy to stand upon and show to new members, survey takers, or synod/district executives. Then…since you’ve worked so hard in committee, why should you have to actually go DO SOMETHING? That’s what other people are for. Now, not everyone is like this, but doing it takes a lot of time and energy and desire to see things happen.

I pray we all make ministry happen no matter what is holding us back!!

You’re probably wondering what the heck is the meaning of my title?  Well, I just had to quickly tell a story of the funniest thing of the week so far!  We’re studying different properties of addition:  commutative, associative, and identity properties.  The students have to solve and give the property name.  Here’s what one student had written after EVERY answer on his paper….ASS. PROP.  hahahaha!!  I laugh every time I look at it.

Before I jump in, let’s define what the Invisible Church is:  it has no denominational boundaries, walls, pews, banners, carpet, church constitutions, boards, etc.  It simply has a shared book:  The Holy Bible- and a shared belief: That Jesus Christ died on the cross for the salvation of the world and it is only through faith in Him you will receive Eternal Life in Heaven with Him.

So why am I writing about the Invisible Church’s Hymnal?  Because- if you go to any denominational church (i.e. Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc.) you’ll sing a few of the very old, classic hymns we all share, but most will be specific to writers from your denomination.  It’s hard to sing with other Christians!  What’s happening today in Christian Worship Music today?  A few years ago, I noticed all of these bands were writing and selling TONS of Worship albums.  They became the thing to do as a Christian artist.  Some musicians WERE worship leaders turned artists (and many still lead worship at their home churches).  For example:  Matt Redman, Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Caedmon’s Call, Third Day, David Crowder Band, Charlie Hall, Jeremy Camp or Chris Rice.  If you go to any Contemporary (I don’t like the term, but for lack of a better one…) Worship Service ANYWHERE, you will hear many of these artists’ songs being sung.  It doesn’t matter what denomination you were raised in, when these artists’ bridge the denominational gap, they have united the Worldwide Invisible Church of Jesus Christ upon a single catalog of songs we all know:  our 21st century hymnal.