Effective Ministry
I think almost anyone could lead an effective ministry in the short term, but few can lead one over a long haul.
I have noticed many times since I started working at a church two and a half years ago, that I have felt unmotivated to give my job its full attention. I wouldn’t call it burnout, more just a lack of energy and passion for church ministry.
When I fully examined the why, often I had given God little time or space to work within my life in those previous days or weeks. To say I’ve already learned the lesson that I need to give God time and space in my life would be a lie.
I have no doubt that it will be a lesson I will be continually learning as life goes on.
There will be ebbs and flows as with any relationship, but I have a strong desire to learn more of what it means to give God the time and space so he might be my portion and lead me to be an effective leader of the ministry God has placed me in.
Christian ministry is a lifetime calling on each of us, not a short term sprint.
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Tyler Braun.
Do you feel a lack of passion for church ministry, or for the particular ministries your church currently engages in?
I’ve been in my current ministry context for over six years. There are many elements of my own little church I find taxing. The admin stuff…which falls to me…can be stultifying. Our difficulty avoiding neoadolescent psychodrama sucks the life right out of me. But then there are worships, which are joyful, and bible studies, which always leave me fired up and hopeful, and visitations and opportunities for service, which leave me tired in a good way.
I don’t know that I have a specific answer to your question. I would say it is a lack of passion for ministry or even life at times. But again, this all flows from a lack of connection with God.
I get caught up in launching big instead of finishing well.
I think that is the key…not a sprint, but a marathon.
I agree with you Kyle. Its hard sometimes for me to finish well because I get distracted by new ideas. I have learned to surround myself with “doers” because they will help me get the stuff done and keep my head in the game.
I wonder if maybe we use the wrong matrix by trying to be effective, maybe a better matrix would be to ask “am I being faithful?”
I’ve decided for myself it’s more important to ask if I am being faithful to what I understand to be my calling than whether I am being effective or passionate. Those things I’ve found come and go, even when my relationship with God is good.
I like the idea of judging myself on whether or not I’m being faithful because otherwise I can find myself arrogantly thinking that everything in ministry relies on me. (I’m not trying to judge anyone else with this comment, just speak of my own state) And while there is certainly some need to be worried about how good a job I am doing, I also know that my consistency in faithfulness is what is key in the long run.
That’s a great thought on being faithful Bryan. Thanks.
Tyler – Great post, I like the discussion
Bryan -
I really like what you wrote. I agree and at the same time question the passion portion. I think effectiveness we need to be able to measure, but at the same time we typically look at and operate under a much shorter timeline than God does, and ultimately if you are faithful to your call (and your not using “calling” as a cop-out) God is ultimately the one responsible for the effectiveness. On the passion side I have a question though, as Tyler talks about the ebbs and flows being an issue of connectedness or lack there of with God, it seems to me that in my own walk when I am being faithful and thus am connected to God my passion does not waiver. Would you agree or disagree? I ask because you sound like one who is wise so I am not baiting, I am genuinely interested in your thoughts on it.
Jeremy
I’m not sure I have an answer to your question Jeremy. I realize I probably overstated my argument against effectiveness to a certain degree, particularly though what I have in mind is that sometimes the thing God calls us to do may be a “failure” in terms of how successful it was. I have a tentative relationship with measurements of success in that I think they are needed but I’m very wary of allowing them too much input.
As for the passion thing, what I have in mind is the idea of passion as a “I’m stoked to be doing what I’m doing” kind of feeling. When I wrote that, I think I had more in mind how I’m feeling about my calling / what I’m doing. The enthusiasm ebbs and flows, but the gut feeling that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing doesn’t go away. To offer a biblical example, we get the word passion from the narrative of Jesus’ journey to the cross. And yet we have the story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane asking the Father to not have to go forward with what he has to do. Ultimately that Jesus goes through it although there’s some part of Him that existentially doesn’t want to is an example of His passion. So I guess I’d say in that sense of passion I’m all for it. I just want to guard against equating passion and enthusiasm if that makes any sense.
@Tyler, thanks for bringing this up Tyler. I have to fight myself to not write comments longer than your post.
Agreed. I like how you clarified passion and removed it from only being an emotional response (enthusiasm), to see it as the firmness of purpose in knowing what you are supposed to be doing even when the emotion isn’t there.
Jeremy
Needed this today – thanks for the reminder!
Good thought above so far…
@Bryan- great approach you have there, man. I agree wholeheartedly with you in regards to the issue mentioned.
Along with that, I think pride plays a big role (at least for me). It’s easy for me to get disenchanted with it all sometimes, as it seems that a church or individual ministry’s vision can change almost overnight. Pride tells me that all MY hard work/passion/investment/etc. was for naught, and thus completely disregarding a legitimate call that God may have placed on leadership. If I find myself holding on to what I was doing above anything else, then I think the truth of my heart (and relationship with Him) is revealed.