Too Ministry-Minded?

I have been a lay minister, even a volunteer "professional" minister, and I know what it is like to constantly put all my actions to question, desperately wanting everything I do to have some aspect of ministry, for I felt I was under a cosmic microscope. I have also heard others steer every venture of the church toward "ministry" because the church needs to spend it's precious time in "ministry" and not "other things". Tonight I heard some of that focus come out and for once I wanted to disagree (to my shock and what would have been their horror -- for I am known to have been a pastor). In our case many of us were looking for relationships with other people who could identify with us. We needed more than what church was providing; we wanted people to do things with after and outside of church; we were looking for deep friendships that would help each other in times of need, without being asked or prodded. After this was established a few also tossed in the idea of "doing ministry" (though I still do not see how this fit in).

What later struck me as highly ironic was after the official/formal part of the meeting was over we hung around and talked, and we accomplished what we were looking for. We were beginning to establish relationships, grow other relationships, and filling our needs for social contacts. The irony was the ministry happened when the meeting was over! Instead of seeking to "do ministry" (which usually means acts of service while preaching the Gospel and otherwise evangelising people) ministry was happening to us, by providing us with a gathering where we could meet our needs! Fellowship was starting, ministry was happening, and all we were doing was conversing about things that have no eternal significance.

This has caused me to think on this subject, for it appears we (I) have a wrong definition of ministry. I want to suggest that ministry is more broad in scope, I want to suggest ministry is meeting the needs of others, period. We cannot argue that people have spiritual needs, but what happens when we eclipse their social and physical needs for their spiritual needs? Can we send a message of love to people (this includes members of the congregation) when we ignore all their needs save their spiritual ones? My own tendency is to give focus to spiritual needs for fear that I would ignore them for the plethora of physical, social, and emotional needs ever present in all of us, but as I see my own needs in those areas neglected I have begun to realize I have been mistaken.

Sometimes the best ministry a person can perform has nothing to do with an overt spiritual need. Sometimes we need to provide care in other areas which will then lead to a greater spiritual ministry. It has taken me many years, but now I finally understand this point, and now I will struggle to find that balance we all need to exercise.