I think I'll have to agree... riding bikes and going door-to-door may be the single most effective form of ministry. I love it when they come to my house at convenient times. (sarcasm alert)

One of the most memorable sermons I ever heard was from a black pastor and College President during my days at East Texas Baptist University over 20 tears ago. His point was to find your calling and pursue it without distraction. He gave the illustration of walking on a path at night and hearing the chirp of crickets. He likened the crickets to the things that can distract us and get us off the path. I still remember vividly the way he imitated the crickets:
"Chuyp, chuyp, chuyp, chuyp."
When I find no validity to the criticism/unsolicited advice I call it a "Chuyp, chuyp" and keep on walking. Life is too short to listen to the crickets when adventure lies ahead.

Wow, after reading the comments to that article about Mark Driscoll, I can see why he sometimes sounds so defensive as talks about the "bloggers" and "wing nuts." Those people are vicious!

i agree that we should not dress like mormons - wearing a tie w/short sleeves is a violation of the fashion 10 commandments - and passing out tracks is almost as relevant today as black & white tv & 8 track tapes...but "the goatee is of the devil" thing might have some merit. i need to pray about it and do some more research.