· People are constantly expressing disagreement, and they do it right out in the open;

 · The Rector is always behind in her/his work;

 · The Vestry can never seem to make ends meet financially, and they are forever giving money away;

 · New groups keep cropping up and bumping into each other over schedules and competing over volunteers;

 · A number of people miss meetings and insist on spending time with their families;

 · The choir is filled with a lot of amateurs;

 · The kids are noisy and all over the place, including during worship;

 · The Prayer Books are wearing out, the Coffee Hour is crowded and confusing, the front door is almost off its hinges, the electric bill is way over budget, and it seems that an awful lot of people have keys and all kinds of groups are coming and going;

 · The place is full of losers: people who have lost loved ones, people who know they can ¹t make it on their own; people who are losing, but also finding their lives in receiving and giving a lot of love, for Christ ¹s sake.

St Paul ¹s Episcopal Church, Diocese of Western Louisiana.