Tom and Julie Meekins
Ministry is hard. It can be very lonely. There are often expectations made of ministry leaders that are overwhelming.
Let’s talk about Loneliness first. Don’t be a lone ranger. You may feel like you “should” be taking care of everything within the ministry yourself. You may feel that you were hired to do a job or commissioned to do a job and that you alone should take care of it – ALL of it. Wrong thinking. God created us for community. He doesn’t want us doing ministry alone. We had to learn this truth the hard way. We spent years doing ministry alone. Then, we moved to a different state and shared what we were doing with the senior leadership of our new church. Wow! The difference between then and now is amazing. We now have the support of senior leadership, folks to do ministry with, and supporters. We can give testimony that the ministry God has called us to is much more vibrant with these people in our lives.
Link up with other ministry leaders. There are ministry leaders around the country who collaborate together. If you haven’t already done so, check out KeyMinistry.org. They have great resources for ministry leaders working with people with special needs and/or disabilities.
Find a mentor. Folks who have been doing ministry a little longer than you will most likely have great wisdom to help you navigate your ministry. Find someone who is humbly walking with God and who seeks the Great Shepherd often for direction. You want a mentor who can be a listening ear and who can help you with your ideas.
Create a volunteer team. We often feel lonely in ministry when we feel like we are doing everything ourselves. Recruit a team of folks who can walk alongside you in getting the job done. Train those who are interested and let them use their gifts.
Keep senior leaders updated with your goals, plans, events. When senior leaders see your passion and desire to create and maintain a vibrant ministry, you will sense their support. Give positive and forward moving reports.
Do joint projects with other leaders in your church. For example, sit down with your youth leader and brainstorm a way that you can connect both ministries for an event or a service project or a worship time together. Working together with another leader stirs both of you on toward love and good deeds. You may want to tap into your Seniors ministry leader to create something meaningful for both ministries. Grab a life group, small group, missional community – whatever you call them at your church — to mentor, shepherd, or serve together with your ministry folks.
Organize consistent prayer support. Look around your ministry and see if you can find a parent or a volunteer serving in the ministry who would be willing to start a committed prayer group for you and your ministry specifically.
Are you also dealing with overwhelm? Here are some tips to dissipate that crushing weight.
Move on or Persevere? The first question to ask is… does God want you to move into a different position or does He want you to persevere.
Persevere. Let’s assume for a moment that He wants you to persevere. We encourage you to go to God’s Word and find those passages and stories and verses that speak to God’s sufficiency, His love for you and His people, and His empowerment. You enjoy the work you are doing. You love the people with whom you are working. Receive encouragement from passages such as Galatians 6:9 (ESV), ”And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
Pray and seek God’s wisdom in His Word. Pray often for a specific direction and listen carefully for the Holy Spirit to guide you. You, as a leader, need to spend time in God’s Word. Christ, the Great Shepherd will guide you into being a good shepherd for the flock He has called you to serve through the truth of His Word and communion with Him.
Unpack some other potential causes of the overwhelm.
Take care of yourself. Are you getting enough sleep? Fatigue often stirs up negative thinking and lack of energy. Are you eating food that is healthy?Are you drinking enough water? Are you getting exercise and time in the sun? Are you taking breaks? Are you spending time with people who can build you up?
Evaluate expectations. Are the expectations from others or from yourself too much? Is the task realistic? Are there too many tasks on your plate? Is there someone else who can help? Can you delegate some of the work? Do you need to downscale the task, project, or event in order to do it well?
The important thing for you to know is that you are not the only person in ministry struggling with these things. It is universal unless you are intentional in putting the above things in place. Also, you may already know that there are “on” and “off” seasons of loneliness and overwhelm. Coming back to this list of tips periodically may help those seasons to be short.
As always, if you would like us to come alongside and help you brainstorm your particular situation, we invite you to get in touch with us. You are never alone.
Much love,
Tom and Julie
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HERE’S HOW YOU CAN CONNECT WITH US:
We invite you to connect with Tom, Julie, and Amy through:
Email: champions4parents@gmail.com
Phone: 410-746-9010
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Champions4Parents/
Don’t forget our website: www.champions4parents.com
