Women in Ministry United Podcast

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!

Do you have space and margin built into your every day? Most of us don't. We believe that if we create space and margin, we will miss out on the opportunity to do or produce something valuable. We feel guilty if we have unscheduled time and we violate the God-given rhythm of space and margin in the name of doing something great for God.

Here's the thing:

Space and margin are essential for your life and leadership. 

In this episode, Jen dives deeper into the reasons we refuse to create space and what happens when we finally do. She also gives a pro tip on how to create this buffer within your day-to-day.

More from the Episode:

God works in open spaces. He speaks, gives us ideas, sets up divine appointments and opportunities, and expands our vision.

Space and margin doesn't just happen. It starts with you. It's a decision that you make and a discipline you integrate. 

Creating space and margin is dependent on the mindset that says:

• I am valued by God regardless of what I do...

There are unlimited people and things that compete for your limited time, energy, and resources. You try and do it all. You want to be helpful. You want your life to be impactful and significant. So you try...you try really, really hard to do it all. And maybe you even can for awhile.

But eventually, you realize...you just can't keep it up. Many women will resign themselves to the lie that if you can't do it all you just don't have what it takes. It keeps them stuck in the dysfunction rather than living and leading in the freedom of God's truth.

In this episode, Jen talks about the importance of mindset, breaks down this lie that is holding you back, and gives tips on what to do next.

A few years ago, I knew that I was in danger of burning out. I was working full time in pastoral ministry. On top of my responsibilities at the church, I was coaching clients, completing all the requirements necessary to maintain my coaching credentials, serving as associate staff for a national organization, and I was helping my denomination build a disciple-making culture. These were all good things, but the amount of work was crushing me.

At the same time, God was inviting me to create space and margin to nurture some other pieces of me. I sensed a need to have bits of time that were unspoken for woven in my week. It was a way to let my life breathe. I wasn't sure what I was going to do in these cracks and crevices and had a hard time justifying using precious time in this way. Space to breathe is a necessity, but I struggled to carve out this healthy rhythm.

I was afraid.

I knew I couldn’t keep up the pace. Honestly, I didn’t want to anymore. But I was afraid that if...

When I began my journey in pastoral leadership, I believed that to be a good leader, I needed to be available all of the time. I would meet people or attend meetings on my day off. I'd keep my phone on and close by so I could answer every call. I would check my email every day, sometimes late at night, just in case. When I was in my office, in the spirit of openness and transparency, I would allow anyone to come in at any time. I never wanted to be off-limits.

It was exhausting.

Being "on-call" nonstop interfered with essential ministry functions like my preparation for sermons, bible study, and meetings, it compromised my relationships and my family time, and it chipped away at my sanity. I needed space and quiet to let ideas percolate. I wanted to be able to work out and spend time with the Lord that wasn't related to my job. I needed to pick up my son from school on time and have the chance to make a healthy dinner and eat at the table like a civilized human being before getting...