Don't Press

An enduring principle of mine in ministry has been: don't press people into positions, and don't let them press themselves into positions. Absolutely not -- and yet so many Churches do it. There are spiritual reasons for this: the calling must come from God, and God's calling is confirmed by the Body. The practical aspects matter, too, although they are less important. Among them: one doesn't want an unwilling or tired worker (not to speak of those around them), and people are not the best at recognising their own gifts, or their own motivations.