Ministry is a translation of the New Testament Greek word diakonia, which means "service." Ministry is service. And ministry as "service" needs leaders--leaders who serve, not leaders who just develop programs, or teach, or organize committee groups. Ministry needs leaders who serve others for the purpose of growing and taking steps toward Christlikeness so that they can become leaders in service who serve the world as the body of Christ "who came not to be served but to serve."
"we are perfectly designed to achieve what we are currently achieving."
Interesting statement, isn't it? It begs us to look at what we are currently achieving in our ministries. Whether we're experiencing "success" in our ministries or not, taking this statement seriously might mean rethinking. It might mean "back to the drawing board." This is potentially a very tough question to face because of what it could tell us about our ministries and what we're not doing well.
In their book, Right Here, Right Now: Everyday Mission for Everyday People, authors Alan Hirsch and Lance Ford make a very thoughtful statement: