"This will be the year."
That's what I would tell myself every January, every summer, and every fall. That mantra was about growing the ministry beyond where it already stood. I'd go into those seasons with a lot of enthusiasm, only to get stuck in a sea of paperwork, emails, and week to week planning. At times it felt like we were working hard just to survive.
Those moments happened when I forgot a principle a friend of mine told me long ago. He was a successful business owner, and he said, "Sometimes the best thing you can do is WORK ON the business, instead of IN the business."
What he meant is if we don't spend enough time on the bigger picture, the five-year plan, we'll always feel like we're falling behind. Worse, we might find ourselves going in a direction that puts the ministry in decline.
To go from survival to a ministry that is sustainable, healthy, and filled with joyful moments, you need to work on the big picture. That starts in three places.
BUILDING THE TEAM YOU WANT AROUND YOU
This is the first place to work on the ministry instead of in it. We all need volunteers, and recruiting matters, but recruiting is only a portion of building a healthy team. Identifying the roles you need to fill and the type of leaders you want around you is essential.
Instead of just looking for catechists or small group leaders, consider creating positions that assist you with administrative tasks, strategic planning, advocacy, and fundraising. Look at people with skills in running teams and big picture planning.
Those roles might seem secondary, but they strengthen your leadership core. Once that core is strong, recruiting others and expanding the program becomes second nature.
DEVELOPING THE PROCESSES THAT KEEP YOU FLOWING
This is the second place. Along with your team, you need systems that help your ministry flow even when you are inaccessible. These systems might be onboarding and training your team, planning out the calendar, evaluating the ministry's health, or reviewing resources.
To develop the right processes, you need to understand your ministry's vision, mission, values, and purpose. Why does your ministry exist? What's the purpose you want to serve? And how do you all get that done?
I know that might seem excessive, but these systems create the clarity and accessibility your ministry needs to expand.
EMBRACING THE OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AND LEARN
This is the third place, and it starts with you. Prioritizing your own formation is not only necessary for success, it shows you care about your own well-being. Ministry can take a toll, and investing in your own growth is what prepares you for the road ahead.
Learning how to manage others, communicate with clarity, grow in your own spirituality, and build stronger ministries will help you build a sustainable foundation. The best leaders I've met are the ones who take time to read, listen, and learn. It's not a luxury to prioritize your formation. It's necessary.
If you want to build a thriving ministry, you need to build yourself up as a leader. Find regular times, monthly, quarterly, annually, to step back from the busyness. Get together with others who can guide you, especially if your team isn't formed yet. Prioritize the time you spend working on the ministry, so it can do what God has called it to do.
If you need help doing this, have the conversation with your pastor, reach out to your diocese, or set up a call with us HERE.