Tag: thankfulness

Celebrating Your Ministry Milestones

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This past Saturday was Elise’s birthday! We took time to go to one of our new favorite restaurants, eat yummy cupcakes from our favorite neighborhood bakery, Elise opened gifts, and we got to watch our beloved Hawkeyes win the Women’s Big 10 Tournament. Elise is truly amazing and I am so blessed to share life with her.

This weekend I was thinking about how much Elise has done and been through while serving in ministry. She’s been serving in ministry roles for 20 years, she’s held paid and volunteer positions in churches, she’s walked with countless students, she’s been a mom to so many, and she has given of her time, talents, and heart to bless students and churches. There’s so much to say about her and how amazing and wonderful she is, and there’s no one else I would want to walk through ministry and this life with. She’s my better half, my best friend, she’s walked through the highs and lows with me, and she is my favorite person in the world.

As I was reflecting on this past weekend and celebrating Elise, it gave me pause to ask this question: how are we celebrating milestones in our lives and ministries? Do you remember the good moments? Do you celebrate the good times and the moments you see God work? We often celebrate things in our personal lives, but what about our ministries?

How you celebrate these milestones is up to you, and they will look different from person to person, and they may adapt and change as you progress in your ministry. What is important is celebrating these moments and remembering God’s faithfulness and the high points in your ministry career. But what moments should we look to celebrate?

The first time you speak or preach.

This was a big deal for me on multiple levels. I remember the first time I preached at my first church. It wasn’t polished and my skill set wasn’t where it needed to be. But that church took a risk on me and brought me in to be their pastor. And I remember coming to our current church and our senior pastor saying that my first Sunday on staff I’d be preaching. He was another person who took a risk on me and continues to share his pulpit. These are moments I won’t soon forget and they were moments that helped to define who I am and helped to shape how I lead.

When students follow Jesus.

I’ll be honest: this is one of my favorite moments. When you witness students follow Jesus, especially ones who you have been praying for, it is life changing! Or when the student with questions finally gets the answers they were looking for, those are moments you shouldn’t forget. Pause and take time to write down those moments in a journal or find other ways to chronicle those special times.

Baptisms.

Similar to students following Jesus, I love these moments! We are coming up on our baptism service this semester for our church and we have 18 students getting baptized. Hearing students’ stories, having walked with them, and watching them unabashedly declare that they are following Jesus are awesome moments and ones worthy of celebration. Some of my absolute favorite moments have been baptizing students, and most recently we have baptized students in our special needs ministry and those have been super special. Each baptism I get to be a part of is filled with stories and relationships, and these moments are rich with special meaning.

Work anniversaries.

Pause and consider the reality that people rotate ministry positions fairly frequently. In fact, youth and children’s ministries are still looked at as “stepping stones” to other roles. That means that positions in ministry are ever changing, and being able to stick it out and be present longer than the statistics say is a great thing to celebrate. Celebrate work anniversaries. Celebrate how long you’ve been in your current position. Celebrate the changes you have seen happen. Celebrate what God has brought you through and the ways you have grown in your own development.

Ministry milestones.

This coming school year will be 20 years in ministry. That’s so crazy to think about, and even crazier to consider is that I am now one of the “old guys” in student ministry. Not sure when that one happened! But what an awesome privilege to be serving the church and students for so long. I get to look back and see what God has done, where students are, the growth and maturity in my life, and what God has brought me through.

I have had many transitions in my time in ministry and I have seen God do some pretty amazing things in and through Elise and I as we have served the church together. Looking back we can definitely see God’s hand at work in our lives and ministry and we can pause and reflect on God’s goodness and sustainment throughout our time in ministry.

Special moments.

I love watching my students grow up and now, having been in ministry almost two decades, I have had the privilege of officiating the weddings of former students. I have witnessed students go into full time ministry. Graduates are now serving in our ministry. These are awesome moments in my career and have been so special to be a part of. These are things I won’t soon forget and moments I treasure because they are the ones that truly warm my heart.

Tough moments.

You probably just did a double take when you read that, but hear me out on this. It is often when we come through difficult moments that we see the work God was doing. It’s after we make it through that we see what we have learned, we understand our growth, and we see how God was faithful. So take time to celebrate God’s sustainment and how He’s seen you through. Tough moments aren’t always fun but they help to shape and refine us, so remember and celebrate what God had done in and through you.

What milestones do you celebrate in your career?

6 Ways to Encourage Church Staff During the Holidays

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During this time of thanksgiving, it has given me pause to reflect on how grateful I am for the amazing coworkers I have been blessed with. I truly have a wonderful staff team that is a joy with which to work. We don’t all have the same personalities or same drives and passions–aside from people following Jesus of course–but we all get along and have fun together.

The truth of the matter is that for church staff members, the holiday season is anything but relaxing. We usually end up getting busier and doing more because of all the planning and prep, parties and celebrations, larger than normal attendance, and the typical stress of the season. In the midst of all of these things it can be easy for church staff to get frustrated and forgotten. So how can we–whether we’re a fellow staff member, volunteer, or church attender–help to encourage and bless our church staff?

1. Remember important dates and moments.

Remembering staff birthdays, anniversaries, loss, and other key moments during this season is critical in encouraging them. You are highlighting that they are important and that they are important outside of what they do in and for the church. You are seeing them as a friend instead of just as a church staff member. You are prioritizing relational equity and showing them that they and their friendship matters to you.

This is especially vital for staff members who may be struggling during the holidays due to loss, stress, and busyness. People with key moments and memories during the holidays already feel passed over and forgotten (just ask someone with a December birthday or anniversary), so your ability to remember important events will help them feel loved, seen, and supported.

2. Meet up with them.

Whether it’s grabbing a cup of coffee together, bringing lunch to their office, or inviting them over for a meal at your home, these moments help church staff members feel valued and appreciated. Sometimes all we need is a friendly face and a heart that understands where we are at during the holidays. Don’t make these moments about work, but instead make it about them. Hear their heart. Ask good questions. Listen well. And speak words of encouragement to them. These aren’t times to talk shop but instead to simply be a good friend to them.

3. Speak highly about them and to them.

One of the things I learned in my cohort last year was the skill of precision praise. It isn’t simply saying “good job” or “nice sermon.” It is specifically highlighting what was done well, what was encouraging, and something you noticed that was important. To be able to encourage your church staff by speaking highly to them and giving them precision praise is huge.

Working in ministry means praise isn’t something we receive often. So taking time to specifically praise and encourage our church leadership is a wonderful way to encourage them. But don’t let it stop with just the face-to-face moments, speak highly about them and praise them publicly. If you’re preaching, make sure to highlight how awesome your team is from the pulpit. If you’re working with students, praise your coworkers in front of them. If you’re a church attender, speak well of staff in your conversations and interactions with others.

4. Write them an encouraging anonymous note.

Many of us have been the beneficiaries of anonymous notes, but usually they aren’t the encouraging type. But imagine showing up one morning with a note in your mailbox, under your door, or on your desk that is heartfelt and encouraging. All of a sudden your day changes. Your countenance is improved. You feel seen and valued. Now flip that thought and imagine being able to bring that to your church staff team. People start to feel encouraged. They are walking a little taller. The day seems to be going better. And all because you took some time to write encouraging notes. The power of a handwritten, encouraging note is massive and meaningful.

5. Get them a gift or organize a secret Santa.

One of the ways that people feel seen, valued, and encouraged is by receiving a gift. These gifts don’t need to be large or extravagant, but instead could be as simple as a small gift card, a bag of candy, or something that the individual will value and appreciate. Taking time to leave a gift for a team member or surprising them with a special item is a wonderful way to encourage them. But don’t stop with just one staff member; consider organizing a secret Santa for the whole staff team and use it as an opportunity to help spread joy and encouragement among the entire staff. Moments like these bring joy and smiles and they help your church staff know that they matter and are appreciated.

6. Bring in baked goods for the staff.

I love to bake. It is a way for me to decompress because I love to be able to control and manipulate recipes, as well as see people enjoy the items I make. I know, I know, my Enneagram type is showing. But stop and think about the last time someone brought baked goods into the office or to you personally. How did you feel? What did that moment do for the rest of your day? How many cookies did you eat? Okay, okay don’t answer that last one. It’s the holidays so calories don’t count.

My point is this: baked goods show people they matter because you put time, effort, and thoughtfulness into creating those items for them. So bake your favorite holiday recipe. Bring in some scratch made cookies. Share some pumpkin bread with the team. Bringing in baked goods and sharing in conversations while people enjoy them will be life giving and special for your church staff.

What are some ways that you have encouraged your staff team?

Our Picks: Reasons for Thankfulness in 2020

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Have you felt like this has been a year for the record books…and not in a good way? Have you found yourself wishing that 2020 would just be done? Have you been frustrated or discouraged for far too much of this year?

We get it, 2020 has been a difficult year in many ways. But if we think honestly about this year, there are also many things for which we can and should be thankful. This week we want to share with you reasons we are thankful for this year and ways we have seen God show up. Our hope and prayer is that you find this to be encouraging and uplifting, and that it helps you to think through the ways you have seen God at work in your life during this season.

Ministry is still occurring.

Even though this year has brought challenges and differences, ministry is still happening. Yes, it looks very different in some ways, but ministry is still happening. We are still able to fulfill the calling that God has placed on our lives, and in many ways we have been stretched and grown during this season as we continue to pursue that calling. Ministry hasn’t died, but instead is growing and shifting in how it is done for the better.

Students and families are hungry for what you offer.

Students and families desire community and the truth of God’s Word. And during this season we have seen that so clearly. Students want to be encouraged and challenged, families desire a place for their students to grow, and students want to be with people who love and care about them. This is an opportunity for us to rethink how we are getting the truth of the Gospel to our students and how we are looking to engage in community with them. This hasn’t stopped because it’s 2020, rather we have the privilege to rethink and reshape how we do this for our people.

More time at home with families.

I’ll be honest: in the beginning this was awesome. Working from home, just changing from lounging sweatpants to work sweatpants, having unlimited amounts of coffee, lunch dates every day with Elise. But as time moved forward, I realized I began to get frustrated because home and work were no longer separate. I no longer had a place to retreat to after a long day because I stayed in the same spot…well I moved from the dinning room table to the couch, but still. Eventually I took a step back (in thanks to meeting with our counselor) and realized that working from home is a huge blessing and setting boundaries is key. I set work times, I put my phone on do not disturb after hours, and created the space I needed. This then allowed for me to be more focused on time spent with Elise, to be all in. I got to spend my days with the person I am closest to and to truly do all of life together. This allowed for us to take advantage of the time we had together and to leverage it for the good of everyone involved.

God is still at work.

This is something I need to remind myself of weekly, and sometimes daily. It is so easy to be discouraged in 2020 and to find yourself feeling down, overwhelmed, and questioning if what you are doing is working. While connecting with leaders, parents, and students it has been easy to ask “what has been difficult” and “how can we serve you?” But it has also been encouraging to ask “how have you seen God working” and “what is going well?” Asking these questions has helped us to see God is doing amazing things and that just because how we do ministry has changed doesn’t mean that God has stopped working. It can be easy to just see the hard things, but it is also important to remind ourselves that God is working, even during those hard moments.

We have been forced to assess what is needed and working.

I know this isn’t necessarily the way we wanted to go about this, but if we were to look at 2020, many of us would admit we have taken a hard look at what we have done in the past and changed it. And in many ways we have been forced to change it for the better. This year has given us insight into how ministry should look and perhaps has encouraged us to change what we have been doing. I have found that the big programs and weekly gatherings aren’t the capstone to ministry, but rather small groups and discipleship. We moved from a large gathering to small group meetings and it has strengthened our program so much that we will continue in a similar model moving forward. This is something we would not have considered if not for 2020, and now we are reaping the rewards from it.

As we think through this past year it is easy to just pull back and say “2020 is a wash and I can’t wait for 2021.” I get it, we’ve been there. But if we do that, we ignore the power and work of Christ in our lives and in the world. We want to encourage you to take some time to step back and think through reasons you are thankful for what happened in 2020. What were moments that should be celebrated? What did God do in your life this year? What were ministry wins in this season? How has God stretched and challenged you? How has God provided and blessed you and your family? What were moments that made you smile?

These questions allow for us to step back from all the craziness and discouragement this year has brought, and instead allow us to shift our focus to what God has done in and through us. Yes, 2020 is one for the books, but it is also one where God has continued to move and do great things. Let us remind ourselves of what He has done and thank Him for the continued blessings He gives to us.