Meetings, bloody meetings!

Last night I chaired my final Church Council meeting for the year! Now for a Circuit Quarterly Meeting, a Local Preacher's Circuit Quarterly Meeting, a Church Executive, a few Society Stewards Meetings . . .

What is it that we are so pre-occupied with meetings? I have read a few books and watched training material on how best to run a meeting (the best one I remember, hence my title, was a video "Meetings, bloody meetings!" by John Cleese - without the famous funny walk) and still they do not inspire me.

I also remember that I felt a call to ministry but somehow much of my work seems about having meetings, and the resultant preparation for these meetings.

I have used some of those famous ideas - no seats, no food or anything to drink, no papers - but all to no avail. Some people just like meetings more than others, I guess.

I think I am gonig to plan a meeting to discuss the value and regularity of meetings in our circuit and society. And then I shall plan another meeting to discuss process and procedure, oh, and of course, another meeting to discuss the rules of debate and decision making, and then . . .