Turning the Page: Navigating the New Year for Church Staff
As we draw close to the New Year, many of us in leadership roles within the church might find ourselves stuck in a peculiar mindset. We start off the year with a new calendar holding identical meetings, embark on a new series accompanied by an all-too-familiar fatigue, and set up new goals shadowed by the same drama. But here's the truth most church staff might overlook: You're not going back to square one.
Building on Past Experiences
On today's Healthy Church Staff Podcast, we unpack the misconception that the New Year is a chance to reset or start from scratch. In truth, ministry isn't linear, and it certainly doesn't reset every 12 months.
Here's the reality you need to embrace: Everything that unfolded in the past year – the things that worked out, didn't go as planned, or weren't attempted – wasn't wasted or insignificant. Each experience has shaped you and your team, showing you what to revisit and what to steer clear from in the future.
Not Starting Over, But Starting Deeper
Entering a new year in ministry isn't about starting afresh. Instead, it's about beginning deeper, leveraging the learnings, the scars, the strength you discovered over the previous year, and the certainty that God is still at work. If you view the New Year as starting at point zero, you might overcompensate and overwork, trying to prove yourself. But when you recognize you're starting with deeper roots, you'll approach things with added humility, trust, and willing to take more risks, given your stronger anchor.
A Call for Reflection and Anchored Beginnings
Perhaps you're stepping into the New Year already feeling exhausted and burdened. The pressures of starting strong may already be creeping in. However, there's no rush. The best way to start off the year isn't necessarily to start fast, but to start anchored.
Such anchoring could mean reflecting on God's workings in the previous year and uncovering learnings from experiences that you didn’t even recognize as significant at the time. Understand that come January 2022, you're not resuming "ministry as usual." Instead, you're entering as a deeper, wiser, and albeit a tad more broken leader – one who is even more usable.
As you traverse into the New Year, take the time to acknowledge that you aren't the same leader as last January. God isn't pressing you to reset your leadership but urging you to dig deeper.
Reflect on the past year and identify areas of growth and lessons learned. For more insights on navigating the New Year as a church staff member, listen to today's Healthy Church Staff Podcast episode. Here's to a more mindful, reflected, and fruitful year ahead!
