Recently, I shared my story of a huge transition in my ministry career in the September/October 2012 issue of Children’s Ministry Magazine.
You can read the article here. I was featured alongside my sweet friend, Danielle Bell. I’d love for you to take a look!
Poor attendance for an event that you’ve poured hours into. Feeling unappreciated. Being let down. Broken promises. Being overlooked. Feeling stuck. Not getting your budget increased. Not having a budget. Lack of volunteers. Lack of committed volunteers. Have you ever dealt with any of these scenarios in your ministry?
Earlier this week, I lamented about a recent disappointment. The truth is disappointment is a very human emotion, even for leaders. Even for ministry leaders. Please hear me: I am not saying that God isn’t present in the midst of our disappointments. And in no way am I talking about someone with a constant, complaining spirit. What I’m talking about is a real human emotion that all of us have felt at one time or another. Just because we are church leaders doesn’t mean that we don’t feel this very real emotion.
What ministry leaders need to realize is that it’s okay to feel disappointed. People fail us; we fail people. While we strive to offer the very best ministry that we can, we will experience shortcomings and unmet expectations. And that’s okay.
What we have to fight against is believing the lies from the enemy when we allow disappointment to linger. When we allow Satan’s lies to become truths in our heads, that is where the problems begin. He will have us believe that we’re worthless; that what we’re doing is pointless; that we’ll never attain the dreams that we have; that God can’t use us; that we’re really not good at what we do because if we were, we’d have “this” or be “that”.
My dear friend, I want you to know that the enemy (Satan) uses those moments for our detriment but God wants to use them for our benefit. The Bible says, “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My (Jesus’) purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” ( John 10:10)
If you are feeling discouraged today about things that aren’t going right in your ministry, talk to God about how you feel. Ask Him to help you rebuke the lies of the enemy and walk in the confidence that He has called you. Trust that He will equip you to do the work He has planned for you. The road won’t always be easy and won’t always be filled with high moments, but the highs as well as the lows help you to be the leader that God intends you to be.
Walk in confidence knowing that “God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.” (Philippians 1:6) And that’s a promise!
How do you deal with disappointments in ministry?
Many of my ministry colleagues are returning home today after five days in Chicago for Group’s KidMin 2012 Conference. I was heartbroken that I had to cancel my registration at the last-minute, as I thoroughly enjoyed attending last year.
As I reflect on the “conference that wasn’t”, my mind was flooded with things that I learned as a result of NOT attending the conference. Here’s the shortlist:
The bottom line is that we all have disappointments. It’s how we deal with them that show what we’re made of. And I was reminded just how tough I am. Besides..if God wills, there’s always next year!
Are you a fan of meetings? Many people are not. Many times meetings are perceived as cold, impersonal and pointless. In our time-crunched world, no one wants to waste their time sitting in meetings. But did you know that you can have effective meetings? Here are the essentials to keep in mind:
PURPOSE: Why are you calling the meeting? If you don’t have a goal in mind, cancel the meeting. Your attendees will thank you for it.
AGENDA: Create an agenda and if possible, get it attendees ahead of time. This will help them know what will be discussed, come prepared with information and ideas and allow for focused discussions. Keep your agenda concise so that you stay within your allotted time.
COME PREPARED: What supplies will you need? Computer? Projector? Wi-fi access?Dry erase markers? Make sure that any audio/visual equipment is working properly. Have extra copies of your agenda, writing paper and pens on hand.
APPOINT A RECORDER: You can jot down notes here and there, but appoint someone else to record the notes. This will allow you to focus on what is being said and keep the group on track.
BRING A CREATIVE ELEMENT TO YOUR MEETING: Are you holding a brainstorming meeting? Cover the table with paper and provide markers or crayons for attendees to doodle or jot down ideas. Do you want your attendees to “think outside of the box”? Provide a tactile object such as play dough or an Etch-A-Sketch(C) to channel creativity.
HONOR THEIR TIME: Nothing turns a meeting attendee into a meeting skipper more than starting late or holding them longer than they expected. Honor people by beginning and ending on time. Ending five or ten minutes earlier than expected is even better.
SUMMARIZE WHAT’S BEEN DISCUSSED: Review action points and what you need to follow-up on. Make sure that everyone leaves knowing what has been accomplished and what they are responsible for. If you plan a follow-up meeting, this information should be first on the agenda before tackling new tasks.
What would you add to the list?