The question took me by surprise.

Had it come from a young pastor, I might have known how to respond. But the minister sitting across the chrome and formica table in the small-town cafe was no rookie.

"What should I be doing in my church?" he asked again.

Conventional wisdom would have pointed him to preaching, prayer, and pastoral care. But he was already doing those things. His struggle was deeper: not how to perform ministry skills, but in what direction to point them.

"I'm not a visionary, not a type-A personality," he explained. "I don't have grand ambitions or the inner drive to stretch people to accomplish great things. I'm a pastor. I enjoy talking with people about God, Scripture, life, death, their families, and their character."

From my conversations with members of his church, I knew this pastor was well-liked.

"He's real," said one.

"We can tell he loves us," said another.

Jerry's frustration?

"I feel like I should be doing something more. But what? Where should I be putting my efforts?" ...