Real Fun

I remember when I was 8 yrs old growing up in South Boston, the funnest thing we used to do was twist the cap off of the firehydrant across the street and fill the street and the school yard with water. Cars would come by and we'd spray them with water, the police would come by and we'd blame the kids down the street. For a while the police would just screw the cap back on the hydrant and we'd take it off during the next heat wave. Then one day, the police put a chain on the cap, and the fun stopped. Wally Sanberg down the street got a wrench and tried to twist the chain off, but it didn't work. Sometimes I think the rules, limitations, boundaries, schedules, and programming put on the ministry of the Gospel is like a chain. It's so easy (especially as a churchman), to assume God can only work on church property during the appropriate times (namely 10am on Sundays and 6pm on Wednesdays).
For example, there is a volunteer in our youth ministry that works with children with special needs (but especially one). The one is a boy that has been abandoned by his parents, and has basically every excuse in the world to act like a tyrant in class (and he does). This boy has slapped her in the face, pulled her hair, and called her dirty names. But, this lady knows the power of God and the need for prayer. She is continually showing this boy unconditional love (the kind that God shows us when we are kicking and screaming), in hopes that one day he will know that love can only come from God (who is love). She is a true missionary.
My point is that I think we church programmers (i.e. pastors, ministers etc.) need to release more of our church members as missionaries (even if it means some programs suffer for the sake of the lost being reached) Our church members already have their own mission fields (work, school etc.), so why do we try and pull them out to fill the roles?
May we take the Great Commission seriously and make disciples rather than recycle weary church-goers. Go get them...Go-Go-Go!!!