There are so many ways to use your time and talents for God, so where do you begin? Sometimes a church has a vacant position that needs to be filled, but those positions don't always match up with your giftedness or desire. So what do you do?

In my opinion, passion almost always outweighs need. It's usually a mistake to get involved in a ministry because there is a need. When people engage in a ministry that they are not passionate about just because "it needs to be done," the following dynamics occur:

• The one doing the ministry becomes frustrated. He or she serves out of guilt or obligation, which are not as powerful motivating factors as love.

• The task is not accomplished well.

• People passionate about that particular ministry who might otherwise lead it are not given the opportunity.

• Changes in ministry cannot occur. Churches occasionally get in the habit of continuing uninteresting and irrelevant ministries because "we've always done it that way." When an opening occurs, the positions are automatically filled with new dispassionate people. Perhaps it's time to ask if a ministry has run its course, or at least if the same purposes can be accomplished in new ways. When the horse is dead, dismount!