What happens when you organize ministry?

Mike Bishop over at The Mustard Seed, makes an excellent point: sincerity and the most noble of intentions often spark some incredible ministries that later succumb to "death by organization."

The church does a ton of ministry every day. A large percentage of that ministry occurs through programs that were envisioned by a person or persons. This person(s) more than likely gave all their energy to this idea, at least for a while, until the idea became organized. What I have observed, is that something devious happens during this gestation period. A ministry to poor, inner-city kids starts with a CEO driving around handing out groceries and playing basketball with the kids on their turf. He is filled with energy for what God is doing, the simple connections being made between himself and these who are so unlike him. They fall in love with his simple generosity and attention. Soon, the kids rally around this man as a father-figure and representative of God's kingdom. He says, "How wonderful! Look what God is doing! But there are so many, and I am only one man…" A shift occurs. He begins to look for others to help his ministry. An organization is formed, a staff hired, programs put on the calendar. Pretty soon, the man is a CEO again, the kids are eating lunch and playing basketball on his turf that he built…with his picture neatly hanging on the wall.

Could this be the reason Jesus never taught His disciples how to develop church programs or organize themselves into specialized ministry teams? Their greatest impact would be felt when individual believers infiltrated their culture with the power of the Gospel, touching lives one at a time. It would happen in homes, the marketplace, anywhere people gathered to "do life" and they would never be the same, remaining in their unique cultural context as another point of light or grain of salt.