open thoughts:

1. here's an interesting idea: to get what you want in life you need to be a jerk. if you're too nice, you inevitably end up getting screwed by people who have no problems being jerkish. if you want something, you better be prepared to be unaccommodating, selfish, and narrow-minded - that's the best way to accomplish your goal. if you're too kind, flexible, and unaggressive, you'll end up with the short end of the stick.

2. sometimes christians fail to use simple logic, it continues to amaze me how utterly stupid some ideas are. use some bloody common sense. if it doesnt make sense in any other aspect of life, why would it make sense simply because its a ministry setting? along those same lines, dont use ministry as an excuse to treat people poorly.

3. we need more business principles in the church, or at least people who know what they're talking about. im not saying that if you're not in business you're an idiot, but there's so many things you learn in a business/commerce undergrad that would be so useful in a church setting. how to undergo change transformation, for example, and using appropriate change agents.

4. no more open mics at church. better to dictate what is being said than to have a lunatic up there ranting about this and that.

5. practice what you preach.