Women in Ministry United Podcast

What do you do when things look bleak in life and ministry? Do you try and fight? Do you fall back in despair? What do you hold on to as you sit at the foot of the cross in your suffering?

It is Maundy Thursday and today's episode is a special encouragement stemming from Jesus' last night before He was crucified. Things looked bleak. Pilate thought he had power and authority over the situation, able to sentence Jesus to death or set Him free.

"Then Jesus said, 'You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above...' " John 19:11

Despite how it looked, things were going according to plan...and it was a good plan because God was the one in control.

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Do you have space between your load and your limits? Do you wish you had a way to increase your capacity in ministry? There is a way to do just that, but I've got to warn you, it's counterintuitive.

Make Margin

Margin builds capacity. The more margin we have the better we are as leaders, spouses, parents, friends, and neighbors. We become wiser in our decision-making.

Making margin is one of the most powerful and courageous things we can do to thrive in life and ministry.

Join the waitlist for our new Margin Maker workshop. It will give you the strategies you need to get the margin you want!

One of the reasons why we are busy is because we have too many things to get done. But even when we are concentrating on only one thing, our momentum gets hijacked, we lose our focus, and it takes us 7 times longer to get it done.

The Hack

There is a secret (or not so secret) strategy to getting things done and it is to turn off your notifications. Whether you are using email, social media, or other tools, flip the script...don't allow your device to take control of you. 

Join me as we talk about the impact of our notifications on our ministry and strategies you can use to break free from your devices and get things done.

Have you ever experienced pushback in ministry? Have people reacted negatively to the changes that you are making? They don't like it and they're letting you know that they don't like it! That may seem like a silly question. Of course we have experienced pushback...and if you haven’t yet, don’t worry...it’s coming! 

Pushback happens.. Pushback is normal.

What should you do when someone opposes or complains about the changes you are making?

Let’s start by talking about change for a second.

Change is a stressor (even good change).

People resist change.

Resistance creates friction, otherwise known as conflict. And we typically avoid conflict. But there is such a thing as healthy conflict. It is important to reframe your thinking that pushback is bad. You’ve got to remind yourself this is normal and it can be good. Healthy conflict helps create a healthy culture and healthy people with healthy relationships.

Key Tips Discussed:

• Reframe your idea of...

One of the keys to great leadership is to communicate well with your people. This is important in ministry in general and is a valuable and necessary leadership principle when you are focused on your priorities and setting healthy boundaries.

Many times we create frustration because we have not relayed the right information to the right people at the right time. Sharing the particulars is critical to help people understand what to expect and manage tension and anxiety.

Keys to Communicating Well

Communicate Clearly and Often

(Inspired Patrick Lencioni's foundations for creating a healthy organization.)

• Create clarity: Oftentimes we aren't clear...we think we are being clear, but something is being lost in translation. Clarity is key. It helps to build and maintain a healthy organization both with staff and with the people you serve. Let people be your advocate. Plus if it is within your scope of influence, create an environment where everyone has healthy...

Do you find it hard to give yourself grace?

Many of us would answer, yes. It’s interesting...we are able to show kindness and patience with others, but we are much harder on ourselves.

Our Current Situation

Many of us are under a lot of pressure. Not only are we trying to manage it all, but there’s been a lot going on that adds to our stress. Every time I turn around I feel like there is another "historic" or "unprecedented" event unfolding. You just can’t wrap your brain around what’s happening. It’s truly unbelievable, and yet here we are in the midst of it. Some things we see and feel from a distance, while others hit right at home.

The Result

These events add up. They take their toll on us. We need to be ok with not feeling personally responsible for everything. It’s tough, especially for people in ministry because it’s part of our calling as Jesus followers and as spiritual leaders to grieve with those who grieve and hurt with those...

Have you been wondering what types of rhythms you should integrate into your life and leadership? Where do you even start? In this episode of the podcast, I share 3 rhythms that every person in ministry should have. These rhythms will change your life and your ministry. 

Key Rhythms 

• Rest: a time to stop, sabbath, preferably weekly. 
• Review: once a week, 45-60 minutes do a review of how you've spent your time and energy. What went well? What needs to be done differently? What's coming up this coming week and how can I make the most of it?
• Retreat: a period of 2-4 when you get away with God to survey the scene with God. What is He saying to you about the season you are in or may be entering? Listen, pray, evaluate. This form of pulling back allows you to strategically enter into the months ahead.

Connect with Jen:

If you are loving the podcast, don’t forget to subscribe on your favorite platform so you won’t miss a thing! And if this episode...

You want to make some changes. There are some good, healthy boundaries that you know will help you lead and live better but you just can’t seem to gain momentum. I want to share with you 4 progress killers that keep you from making the changes you want.

We wait for the perfect time.

We wait for just the right time before we make changes. We decide to wait until things slow down. We think it’ll be easier once we push through this busy season, or once a certain obligation is finished.  We wait until things are perfect!  But guess what?  It’ll never be perfect! There will never be a perfect time. If you don’t put in the boundaries you need, new obligations and new seasons of busyness will steal your space and margin.

We have an all or nothing attitude.

Many of us approach change and progress with an all or nothing attitude. If there is just one time we can imagine when the boundary or rhythm won’t work, we don’t even try! We...

What do you do if you are burned out in ministry? If ministry has wounded you, if you’re running on empty, if you are flat-out spent...what happens now? Do you quit? Do you just suck it up buttercup? What’s next? What are your options?

We rarely talk about this.

We seldom have honest and open conversations about what can happen to you in ministry if you aren’t careful, let alone, what to do if you are falling off the edge of the cliff. I’m not sure why burnout and fatigue are taboo subjects and virtually ignored.

The fact is, we’re human. We have our limits. God made us that way. We don’t have to be afraid of our limitations.  We don’t have to fear our need to stop, and yet we keep going. We don’t want to show anything that could be seen as weakness. We keep pushing, we keep producing, we keep doing, we keep responding.

How do you find time to rest and heal while still showing up at getting things done?

A woman in full...

What is the strength of your ministry?

What is that one thing that makes you the person and the leader God has created you to be? What gives you the potency, the power to impact the Kingdom and do the things God has called you to do? My guess is that if you knew the answer to THAT, it would change everything, right? You’d make sure to develop that leadership muscle. You’d spend the time that was necessary...you’d protect that strength at all costs.

What if I told you, I know your strength? I know your superpower because it is my superpower too.

The strength of your ministry is your relationship with God.**

Our relationship with God is the one thing that helps us be the person and leader we were created and called to be. Our relationship with God gives us the potency to impact the Kingdom and gives us the power to do the things we were called to do.

An alarming trend is the amount of pastors and ministry leaders who spend very little time...