Lasting in Ministry - Part 1

I have worked in parish ministry for 27 years. I started out as a green, twenty-three-year-old. Sometimes I still have to remind myself that I’m not that young anymore (although my body likes to remind me often). Our ability to make an impact grows the longer we stay in ministry, especially in the same location. Commitment to a specific parish allows you to build tremendous trust with members of the community. Also, it takes time to build a healthy parish. Ministry is a marathon, and I often see people leave a parish before they have had a chance to make the impact they could have had if they had remained in place.

At the same time, it is not enough just to stay in place; we want to stay fresh. We don’t just want to last in ministry; we want to remain effective and fruitful. Some clergy and church staff retire in place. Other people become burnt out and cynical as a result of the challenges and difficulties of ministry. Others become bitter.

So the purpose of this blog and the ones that follow is not just to help you last in ministry in quantity - but in quality as well.

Practice One: Remember your calling.

We work in a parish or ministry because God called us into it. Since God called us into it, we should only stop if He calls us out. The north star for all decisions about leaving a ministry position should be if God is telling you to leave, if He releases you from somewhere.

One of the verses that reinforces this truth for me comes from the book of Acts. I remember reading it while on vacation at the beach one year. I was reading my Bible and enjoying a cup of coffee on the deck when this verse just hit me between the eyes. Paul was saying goodbye to the leaders of Ephesus before going to Jerusalem, and he said:

"But I do not consider my life as precious to myself or of any value except that I may accomplish the course given to me by Jesus Christ to testify to the Gospel of grace." 
Acts 20:24

In that moment, when I read those words, I put my Bible down and prayed, “God, I want that to be true of my life. I want to accomplish the course You called me to run.” My guess is that’s your desire as well. Running God’s course means we remember that God decides when we are finished—not us. Decide that you will not leave your ministry until God calls you out, and it will keep you in the game for the long haul.

Practice Two: Know what refreshes and restores you.

Psalm 23 tells us: "The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. In green pastures, He makes me lie down; He restores my soul."

Ultimately, it is always Jesus who restores and refreshes us, but He uses different means to do that. Specifically, Jesus uses activities, places, and people to restore you.

Activities that restore me include vigorous workouts, walks, skiing, and reading. Working out for me is more about my mental and emotional health than physical health. Breaking out into a sweat and focusing on a difficult workout helps me release the stress of the day. Life always feels better after a workout. I make it a point to go skiing once a year because I have discovered how good it is for my soul. And reading—especially by a fire—restores me.

There are certain places we find restorative. Some people are mountain people; some are country people, city people, or beach people. Personally, I used to find it restorative to go into the city and then find a quiet place or go into a church. Another restorative place for me is the beach. I also find peace at my friend Ed’s house in Sherwood Forest, a community on the Severn River outside Annapolis. For years, a group of us has done a mini-retreat there each year. From time to time, Ed allows me to use it for my own quiet reflection. It has become a special place for me. Discover the places that restore you and make a commitment to go there. Find a friend who has a place away from your day-to-day routine and escape there once in a while.

Then there are people who restore you. You just enjoy being with them. They make you laugh and put a smile on your face. Make time to be with them.

In his book Soul Keeping, John Ortberg calls these “sustaining practices.” He writes:

"A common problem is that people think of spiritual practices as obligations that will actually drain them. Sometimes I may need to engage in a practice like giving generously or serving humbly, which my sinful side resists. But generally, I need to engage in practices that connect me to God’s grace and energy and joy. That might be going to the ocean, listening to glorious music, being with life-giving friends, or taking a long hike—doing them with Jesus."

Practice Three: Make time for Sabbath rest.

It’s been said, "If you don’t come apart for a while, you will come apart in a while." That’s why we need a Sabbath.

Sabbath rest takes three forms. As Rick Warren likes to say: "Divert daily; withdraw weekly; and abandon annually."

Divert daily means we should find rest in our day every day. Every day, we should enjoy a restorative or sustaining practice in some way. At least once a day, discipline yourself to engage in one of those practices. It does take discipline because otherwise, we will binge-watch shows or mindlessly scroll on our phones. So make sure you put something restorative or sustaining on your schedule each day.

Withdraw weekly refers to the Sabbath as we usually think of it—taking a day off. Obviously, it is so important that God puts it in the Ten Commandments. There is something so powerful about knowing you have a day off coming.

Now, I will admit I struggle with how to use a day off well. Sometimes I get too much into “doing mode,” and if I sit still too long, I can feel guilty. Recently, on a day off, I found myself lounging around, and when my wife Mia came by, I apologized. She reminded me, “It’s your day off.”

One habit I try to maintain on my day off is taking a nap. There is something so sweet about a nap on my day off. Also, I like to make a nicer dinner for my family on my Sabbath. I enjoy cooking and showing my love to my family through food. Find one or two things you like to do on your Sabbath.

Abandon annually means taking a vacation and fully entering into it. I am a big advocate of a two-week vacation. We take two weeks at the end of June. For many people, it takes a few days to really let go of what has been happening at work. Just when you start to relax, you have to switch gears and start thinking about going home again. Two weeks allows you to truly walk away from the pressures of life.

Also, when you go away for two weeks, don’t touch email, and tell people not to contact you. I tell people from the church that if they try to contact me, I won’t answer them. I have sent that message enough that people respect it. Set that boundary.

If you struggle to let go, let me ask you a question: “What are you worried about knowing?” You might say, “The church might burn down.” And what will you do about it? Probably nothing you can’t do when you get back.

Schedule time for a vacation and abandon annually.

Those are three ways to last in ministry. I’ll offer three more in the next blog. Which of the three can you put into practice this week?

Rooting for you,
Tom