Finding Joy in the Mundaneness of Ministry

Kathie Phillips

 

Over time, things can become very routine.  We wake up at the same time everyday, brush our teeth (and if you’re like me, you only buy one brand of toothpaste), drink coffee from the same cup, take the same route to work everyday…you get my drift. We don’t even have to think about it – we just do it, sometimes so well, we could do it with our eyes closed.

If you’re in any type of ministry, you very well know that certain aspects of your job can become routine after a while, too.  You know…doing the same things over and over because Sunday (or Wednesday or Friday) is always coming and there are things that need to be done so that ministry can happen.

Some of my responsibilities occur like clockwork.  Here is what is typically found on my to-do list every week:

Sunday:  Game time! All of my weekly prep pays off today!

Monday:  Edit curriculum for upcoming lessons; catch up on email from the weekend; follow-up with notes from Sunday; work on bigger-picture projects; writing

Tuesday:  Email lessons to leaders; handle email; staff prayer; Children’s Ministry staff meeting; return phone calls

Wednesday: Director-Level staff meeting; staff prayer; paperwork

Thursday: Final prep for Sunday; meetings with our family meeting team; staff prayer

Give or take other duties, depending on the time of year, these are almost always on my to-do list.  Do I love my job?  You bet! Can my job tasks become routine? You bet!

“Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.” (Colossians 3:17, The Message)

So how can we find joy in the mundaneness of ministry?

1. Recognize that joy is a choice.  Most of us don’t wake up joyful, especially if our day’s to-do list is long.  So you need to choose joy.  Choose to see each day (and its tasks) as a gift from God.  Choose to live joyfully in the calling God has placed on your life.

2. Realize that ministry means hard work.  Ministry doesn’t just happen.  It takes a process of steps to get from point A to point B.  That oftentimes means long hours preparing for ministry to happen and doing tasks that we might not like to do.

3. Shift your lens.  Think about all of the children and families who walk through the doors of your church each week.  Think about the opportunities you have to help them know, love and follow Jesus.

The work order you put in to have your facility cleaned helps families feel their child is in good, safe and sanitary hands.

The copies you make (or have made) will bring the day’s lesson into focus for many children.

The lessons you edit help ensure that the important things are taught.

The craft supplies you shop for and gather will help children will allow them a tangible reminder of God’s love for them.

The ideas you pin on Pinterest help you present God’s Word as creatively as you can so that each child learns in the ways that suit them best.

The time you spend designing a cool graphic for your communications will help draw families to information.

The emails and phone calls you made helps prepare your volunteers and lets them know you are there for them.

The meetings you attend remind you that as a team, you are all working together for the Kingdom of God.

The crumbs you sweep off of the floor reminded you that children love snack time!

The time you spend in prayer helps you remember the reason why you serve.  It’s about Him, not you.

Join the conversation: What helps you find joy in the mundaneness of ministry?

10 Inspiring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Quotes

Kathie Phillips 1 Comment

In recent months, there has been a heightened sense of racial tension and discussions here in the United States as a result of the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

Today, we honor the life & legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  He was a man whose heart’s desire was that people would not be judged based on the color of their skin.  This is my prayer, too.

Until then, let’s not shy away from having these important discussions about race relations.  After all, we were all made in God’s image, right? (Genesis 1:27)

10 Inspiring #MLK Quotes

Martin Luther King, Jr. statue in Washington, DC
Martin Luther King, Jr. statue in Washington, DC

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

“The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?”

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”

Flashback Friday: My Favorite Online Reads (Week of January 12, 2015)

Kathie Phillips

This Week’s Favorite Online Reads

Here’s a sampling of some of the online reads I enjoyed this week:

{MINISTRY/LEADERSHIP}

10 Questions Children’s Ministry Leaders Should Be Asking by Dale Hudson

4 Sources That Will Spur Your Creativity In Children’s Ministry by Courtney Wilson

It All Comes Down to What You Do Daily by John Maxwell

{ORGANIZATION}

12 Time Management Tips Every Children’s Ministry Leaders Needs to Know by Dale Hudson

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I hope you enjoy reading these articles as much as I did.

Did you read something this week that inspired or encouraged you? Share it with me so I might check it out, too!

{Throwback Thursday}: 120-Day Prayer Challenge

Kathie Phillips

Updated 1/15/15: Originally published in August 2012, this post was written during a time when our church was doing a 120-day prayer campaign.  While the campaign has passed, committing to making prayer more of a focus is always relevant.  Many of my friends have chosen a specific word for the year; why not pray that word back to God daily?  Blessings, friends!

Prayer

Our church recently launched a 120-day prayer initiative, designed to help us commit to a more focused, fervent prayer life.  While we have launched other initiatives this past year, this is one that has really pulled at my heartstrings.  Allow me to tell you why.

I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase, “What’s in the well comes up in the bucket.”  As church leaders, we pour our lives into our the busyness of our ministries and the many, many details that come along with the job.  Sometimes, in our efforts to serve the Lord, we can lose sight of our own walk with the Lord.  We can push our own time with the Lord to the side to check our messages, search for that perfect craft, shop for supplies, attend countless meetings, etc.  But that is extremely dangerous.  Over time, without intentional care and nurturing, our spiritual wells end up empty.

Have you ever felt empty while serving?  I sure have.  Thankfully, I am now able to recognize when I need to take steps to get things back on track.  This 120-day prayer couldn’t have come at a better time for me.

Our church provided ideas and resources for this campaign but God gave me a personal assignment.  For the next 120 days, I will pray one word back to God each day.  I will find a scripture that corresponds with that word and pray that back to God, too.  Then I will identify ways that I need to trust God in that area.  I am keeping these notes on index cards secured by a ring binder clip so that it is portable and easily accessible.

Let me share a synopsis of Day 1.  Day 1’s word was “PEACE”.  I meditated on Philippians 4:6-7, NLT:  “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need and thank him for all that he has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.  His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”  I jotted down specific ways that I needed God’s peace in my life.

I am excited about what lies ahead in the next 120 days and how God will transform my life as a result.  I’ll keep you posted!

What about you?  Tell me how you keep your well from drying out!