I am revisiting Briggs and Hyatt’s book on Eldership and find myself challenged by the lead question: “How would you define ministry?”

The working answer for Briggs and Hyatt: meeting people where they are and journeying with them to where God wants them to be. 

They have a list of what ministry is not to reaffirm that definition:

It is not waiting for people to come to us and then journeying with them. That’s how we think of church in America. (I wish it would stop.)

Ministry is not meeting people where they are and being content with that condition. That’s simply friendship.

Ministry isn’t meeting people where they are and then journeying with them to where I want them to be. That’s manipulation.

And my favorite: it’s not meeting people where they are and journeying with them to where they want to be. “That’s Oprah with a little bit of Jesus sprinkled in.”

Let the journey be to God. Let the journey begin where you are. Let’s walk together.