Has this season left you feeling spread thin and worn out? I see you, ministry leader. I hear you and I get it. In a nano-second, the pivot was made to completely different and new ways of ministry. You took off in a sprint right out of the ‘lockdown’ gate. Families in your community have been ministered too, encouraged, prayed for, equipped with resources and engaged with your digital presence. But…you may be left feeling like an athlete who has been injured on the run and needs to be carried across the finish line. Ministry leader…it is ok to bend and stretch but please don’t break.
A ‘marathon’ was never meant to be run at your ‘sprint’ pace. I heard a church leader recently describe the ‘ache’ in their heart as if they were “suffocating or starving.”
Friends. I am holding space for you in this season. For the burdens, the missed longings, the stress, the fear or concern, the nagging voice trying to tell you that you aren’t doing enough and for all the many ways you are serving and ministering to families that may feel like a far reach from your natural gifting or passions.
This race…err…THIS SEASON, just LIKE a long-distance race, requires endurance. If you are finding just now, that you ran out of the gate a little bit too fast and that your endurance is waning for the long distance still ahead, it’s not too late for a new strategy.
Refuel, Regroup & Resume.
What are the things made you feel energized prior to the pandemic? Take a minute and jot some of them down before you read any further.
Here are some of the things that I’ve noticed have helped refuel, or energize me over the years:
- time ‘off the grid’ with my family
- REST
- exercise
- brunch with a friend(s)
- sitting by the ocean
- connecting on a personal level with the team I lead
- hearing/celebrating stories of ministry wins
- connecting with kids/students/families
Once you know what the things are that energize you…DO ONE OF THEM.
Find a way to pause everything else and make that ‘thing’ that energizes you…happen.
One thing that is different about a marathon versus a sprint is that during a marathon, you have to ‘refuel’ at regular intervals during the race.
Ministry leader, bend and stretch but please don’t break.
What regular interval can you build into your routine for refueling? Perhaps there is one day a week where you block 3-4 hours of time and you plan in advance to do something just for the purpose of re-energizing and refueling your soul.
I would imagine that there are creative ways you can accomplish just about any/all of the activities on your list, even in this season.
It is ok to take time to refuel. In fact, it is necessary if you want to have endurance that lasts for the entire race.
No one wins (except the enemy) if your ministry becomes a casualty of this season.
“So we’re not giving up. How could we? Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 MSG
5 Action Steps to help you Regroup BEFORE You Resume.
1) Worship & Read your Bible.
Spend some time (in the sunshine if you can!) with God. Be still and listen. Second Timothy actually tells us that Scripture is intended to help everyone be competent and equipped for every good work. Sit there for a few minutes. A little bit of vitamin D and a whole lot of Jesus and the truth of Scripture are necessary for strength and endurance.
2) Spend time with a Mentor, Counselor or Coach.
Friends are great for helping carry the load, but a mentor, counselor or professional coach are likely more equipped to offer wisdom, honest perspective and recommendations for next steps. You cannot pour anything out of an empty container. If you are struggling in this season, sharing with someone (outside of your organization) that you can trust and speak freely too, may be one of the wisest decisions you can make.
3) Learn something NEW – Just for FUN!
Now, I get your initial reaction to this step. Come on…I just spent MONTHS learning a whole slew of new things; streaming, Zoom, digital small groups, video editing, etc. (AND IT WASN’T FUN.)
If you found those things to be FUN, energizing and helpful for your mindset, then you get to S.K.I.P this step.
Otherwise, I would encourage you to choose something that is NOT necessarily related to your ‘job’ but something that you have wanted to learn, do, or accomplish on a strictly personal level. Something that you have been putting off for a while. Map out a plan, set a goal and start taking steps towards it.
4) Find a Ministry Partner.
Spend some time identifying someone, that leads in a capacity similar to yours, that you can link arms with. A ministry partner is someone with whom you can share strategies, ideas and encouragement. Sometimes it can serve as a ‘pick-me-up’ just to know that you are not alone. Your situation is not an anomaly.
But also, when we feel like we are in the throes of disparity and discouragement, it can be difficult to turn on the creative, problem-solving side of our brain.
You know what I’m talking about. It’s the ability to look at a situation and say ‘well this stinks…BUT, let’s try this, or let’s do this.’ At our best, we can focus on finding creative solutions for challenges rather than letting the challenges cripple us.
Comfort never pushed/produced/forced/pivoted anyone towards the next, best, creative solution. Discomfort, frustration and being ‘strong-armed’ (due to a season out of our control), can…if we let it. Connect with a ministry partner who ‘gets it’ and is willing to come alongside you.
5) Commit to authenticity and empathy.
This can feel like the most challenging step of them all. You see, this call-to-action is not about being authentic and empathetic towards others, it is about being authentic and empathetic towards YOURSELF. (In other words, refraining from holding ourselves to an unreasonable expectation that we would never hold someone else too.)
Be willing to speak out loud, in an honest and authentic way the true nature of where you are at. You have probably sat across from others during your time in ministry and listened to stories of hardship and despair. You have probably cried alongside, prayed for, and walked with people through difficult seasons. Allow yourself to receive that same level of care.
You are not LESS THAN for needing support in this season.
You ARE: “God’s masterpiece, created in Christ Jesus, so you can do the good works he planned long ago.” (Eph 2:10)
Remember, this season is like running a marathon, not a sprint. Refueling needs to be intentional and at regular intervals. This is the time to give your body, mind and heart some rest and an extra dose of energy.
Regrouping happens when we intentionally take action steps that help shift our mindset towards the season ahead.
What is one instance that you can recall during your time in ministry where God worked out the details to a challenging situation that you could have never worked out on your own? Take a minute and watch this short video I recorded in May, 2020.
If you missed the full post ‘Remembering Why It Still Matters‘, you can check it out HERE.
You are not alone.
This season requires us to bend and stretch but please don’t break. Praying for you, ministry friend, as you find your marathon pace and refuel, regroup and resume.
“And let us keep on running the race marked out for us. Let us keep looking to Jesus. He is the one who started this journey of faith. And he is the one who completes the journey of faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-3 NIRV