“So you’re saying we need to play the long game when it comes to Confirmation preparation, right?”
That question came up on a recent podcast I was on, and it’s stuck with me. Not just because it’s true for Confirmation prep—but because it’s true for everything we do in ministry.
Whether you’re starting something new, leading a team, or trying to shift a culture that feels stuck, the temptation is to look for fast results. We want to know that something’s working—and quickly. But real growth, the kind that actually sticks, isn’t instant. It’s layered. It’s thoughtful. And it’s often slower than we’d like.
That’s why I’ve come to believe that one of the most important mindsets in ministry is this: PLAY THE LONG GAME
BUILDING SOMETHING STRONG STARTS SMALL
In my early years of ministry, I made some mistakes because I wanted everything to change at once. I didn’t always think through the order of things—the steps that needed to come first so that everything else could grow.
There were moments early in my ministry where I knew: If I don’t start with this, I’ll never get where I want to go.
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I had to learn public speaking—not because I loved it, but because it was the best way to cast vision.
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I had to get comfortable with the parish database—not fun, but it helped me communicate better with families and volunteers.
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I had to create evaluation systems—because you can’t improve what you don’t measure.
And most importantly, I had to build leaders—one at a time. Not just delegate tasks, but actually invest in people. I needed to trust them. They needed to trust me. And that trust is built in the day-to-day, not just the big moments.
TRACKING THE JOURNEY MATTERS TOO
Another shift I made was learning to track my progress—not just the program’s, but mine as a leader.
For me, that’s looked like journaling. Sometimes it’s blog posts, sometimes it's a notebook in my bag. I’ll jot down what went well, what I’m learning, what I’d do differently. Those small reflections become a kind of ministry memory—helping me see what God is building over time.
You don’t have to be a journaler to do this. You just need a way to reflect and remind yourself why you’re doing this work in the first place.
CLARITY ABOUT YOUR “WHY”
Playing the long game doesn’t mean you just do what you’ve always done and hope it leads somewhere. It means you work with clarity. You know what you're building toward, and you name that clearly.
That’s where something like the MCODE™ Assessment can be helpful. It gives you language around what drives you—how you’re wired to lead, where you thrive, and the kinds of outcomes that matter to you. If you’re going to stay in ministry for the long haul, you need to know how you show up best.
And you need people around you who help you stay grounded in that vision. People who can check in, ask hard questions, and encourage you to keep going when things feel slow.
WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN PRACTICE
If this is resonating, here are a few ways to start playing the long game in your own ministry:
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Invest in learning something that will serve you down the road. That might be a tool, a leadership habit, or a spiritual practice that deepens your own formation.
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Build up one or two leaders at a time. Don’t worry about launching a full team. Just focus on helping someone grow.
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Create a rhythm of reflection. Whether that’s journaling, voice notes, or a simple end-of-week question like “What did I learn?”—build that into your rhythm.
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Clarify what outcome you’re aiming for. Don’t just focus on what’s not working. Ask, “What kind of ministry are we becoming?”
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Surround yourself with people who challenge and support you. These are the voices that help you play the long game when you’re tempted to chase quick results.
You don’t have to have it all figured out today. But the way forward isn’t through quick fixes. It’s through faithfulness—layer by layer, leader by leader.
So, what’s one thing you can do this week to take a step toward ministry that lasts?
I’d love to hear from you: What’s one habit, decision, or mindset shift that’s helped you play the long game in your ministry
Drop it in the comments—you never know who you might encourage.