The Art of Leaving Margin for Surprises in Church Leadership

As we usher in the New Year, let's shift our mindset - especially for those of us who tribalize with planners, spreadsheet creators, and whiteboard enthusiasts. Today's topic encourages us to explore the beauty and necessity of leaving margin for surprises within the realm of church leadership, a theme further elucidated in today's Healthy Church Staff Podcast episode.

Unleashing the Power of Flexibility in Ministry

Church staff often have a deep-seated love for well-laid plans - sermon series schedules, budget forecasts, volunteer rotations, small group launches, building maintenance, and more. While there's nothing inherently wrong with planning or strategizing, an underlying tension exists: planning too tightly may leave no room for unexpected blessings - the God moments that weren't originally on our calendars.

If we step back and peruse through Scripture, we often find that God's call interrupts the ordinary. Think Abraham, Moses, Mary, the fishermen, and Paul. In each case, God used their plan, but also disrupted it for His purpose. The pattern posits that while God uses our plans, he also interrupts them to shift our focus from control to availability.

Welcoming Divine Detours

Overplanning can be a reaction to prior experience with unforeseen chaos. While good structure is a gift, we run the risk of structuring out the divine surprises. The call in the new year is to incorporate a holy margin into our weekly schedules, team rhythms, strategic plans, and hearts for God to speak in unexpected ways.

Leaving space in your weekly schedule allows for purposeless conversations, spontaneous celebrations of God's work within team rhythms, inclusion of yet-to-happen events in strategic plans, and openness to divine intervention in your heart.

Remember, the Savior came through an unforeseen plan, and so staying open to divine detours can steer our ministry in an incredible new direction.

Anointing Flexibility in Leadership

Here's a truth we often overlook: our flexibility might be more anointed than our efficiency. Our greatest potential contribution to the church this year might not be what we meticulously execute, but what we allow space for God to interrupt. The blessings God has in store usually descend when our plans get interrupted, and we choose to stay open anyway.

Embrace the dawn of this next year, remaining open to the divine surprises God may lead your way. Listen in-depth to this topic on today's Healthy Church Staff Podcast episode. Here’s to eagerly awaiting God's divine detours in 2026.