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!!