The Business Side of Ministry?

Do Business and Ministry really have that much in common?  Or are we forcing a business mentality on ministry?  

I understand that all churches have a business side to them.  The bills have to be paid, supplies need to be bought, us pastors need to get paid.  So please don't hear me promoting a 'business free since '93' mentality.  I just often wonder if we rely more on secular business strategy in our ministries than we should.

Are our strategies, leadership structure, training, recruiting, and communication processes built to sell a product or for sharing the Good News?

This is something that I honestly struggle with.  It's easy for me to create a cool program that students will enjoy without even consulting God or following the Holy Spirit.  And when this happens it reveals a lack of trust in God.  Essentially I'm saying that 'what I want to happen is more important than what God wants to happen'.

Now, having a solid business plan and following the leading of the Holy Spirit are by no means mutually exclusive.  But the inherent danger is that we will more and more rely on our own plan, our own strength, our own desires and therefore will rely less and less on God.  The youth group I serve at is on the verge of growing %500 over the next 5 years and I am SOOO tempted to go into business strategy mode and make this the best it can possibly be.  But I know that is the completely wrong attitude to have.

My first reaction should be, 'wow, God has got some crazy stuff in store for us over the next few years, let's do our best to get in line with what he is doing and what he wants to see accomplished.  I should be along for the ride he is taking us on and not the other way around.

How do you handle the tension of this issue in your own life?