Is Ministry Wearing You Out?

Every Monday I used to wake up feeling hungover, but the cause wasn’t drinking…it was youth ministry. As a 20 something I could bounce back but as I got older I realized things had to change.

Ministry will wear you out because it’s messy. You are dealing with real people facing real life and it can drain you if you don’t instill the right habits. If you want to stop feeling tired and last in ministry you need to:

TAKE A REAL DAY OFF

When your week lacks rhythm it is easy to lose focus. When you lose focus it is easy to get overwhelmed. Taking a day off allows you to recalibrate.

You need at least one day off a week and it needs to refuel and refresh you. It needs to be consistent, meaning the same day every week. Schedule it in and protect it.

PRIORITIZE LEARNING OVER DOING

If you aren’t learning then you aren’t growing. As soon as you stop growing your capacity to:

• Dream big
• Problem solve
• Teach others

will become limited. You’ll stay focused on old systems and structures that will hold you back and leave you frustrated.

Make learning a priority by allocating parts of your budget to professional development. Sign up for conferences, read books and study other leaders.

STUDY THE ART OF DELEGATION

The responsibility of leading a ministry can feel debilitating. As leaders we tend to believe the lie:

It’s Lonely At The Top

But, it doesn’t have to be. We need to find men and women who can help us:

• Manage others
• Tackle goals and problems
• Advocate and recruit
• Stay focused on what is most important

Those people exist in your church. The way you find them is by making the time to get to know them personally.

• Invite them out for a bite to eat or a cup of coffee.
• Initially make the meeting about getting to know them.
• Thank them after you chat with an email or note
• Continue to build the relationship

Over time you will build trust and you’ll feel more comfortable asking them to do more.

INVEST IN YOUR PHYSCIAL WELL BEING

Are you healthy? As leaders we need to make sure we are not only strengthening our wisdom but our bodies as well. Now, I’m not claiming to be perfect but I know when I’m not:

• Getting enough sleep (7-8 hours)
• Eating right
• Working out regularly

Then I’m not going to be at my best. Youth ministry might not be the most physical task but a tired body leads to a tired ministry.

SETTING GOALS AND THINKING BIG

I once asked the pastor of a church I was consulting, “What do you think is the biggest obstacle to your church’s success?” He responded:

“I don’t think my staff is dreaming big enough.”

Tired people are not motivated because they’ve lost sight of the big picture. Think about how excited you were as a kid when you thought about:

• Christmas morning
• The trip to Disney World
• The first snow of the year
• Your team winning the championship

It involved imagination and big expectations. You had plans of what you were going to do with each of those situations.

When you set goals and take the time to dream big you give yourself the ability to be inspired which leads to inspiring others.

GETTING TO KNOW GOD A LITTLE BIT MORE EACH DAY

In the end we need His grace. If we aren’t growing with God then we will lose sight of what we are being called to do.

On top of your rest and investing in your physical health you need to make sure God not only fits in your schedule but comes first. Continue to rely on Him and He will give you what you need to do this for a long time.