Think about the church that you’d like to serve. What are ten things that you’d like to be true about that church? I will list ten that I came up with as a sample but it would be best if you made your list of ten first and then compared them to mine. Don’t attempt to prioritize the list, at least at first. Simply list them as they come to your mind. At least for me, it is when I get past five that I start probing some deeper truths for myself.

Here is my list:

1. I’d like the members to be active in their worship participation.
2. I’d like the membership to be committed to mission outreach.
3. I’d like them to be willing to take some risks in that outreach, beyond their comfort zone.
4. I’d like them to be a congregation of tithers.
5. I’d like them to be serious about us listening to God’s call for the particular congregation.
6. I’d like them to actively study the Scriptures for a deeper understanding of the faith and our call.
7. I’d like them to be playful even as they are serious about the faith.
8. I’d like to see each member to see their personal faith as part of the faith of the congregation and always be open to dialogue.
9. I’d like them to see the church’s ministry as part of the larger ministry and therefore seek multichurch ministries.
10. I’d like all of us to be humble about our assumptions and always seeking to be open to God’s new word for us.

Make your list, compare it to mine, and then reflect on what all of this says about your current ministry.