Are you wondering if your ministry is making any kind impact these days? Is what you’re doing making a difference? Are people being met and served well? If you find yourself wondering these same things, you’re not alone. Many ministry leaders are discouraged and doubting if anything is really working. In this episode, I share 5 things you can do when you doubt what you’re doing in ministry.

We are leading during a season where it is incredibly difficult to have a finger on the pulse of our congregations or ministry organizations. It’s hard! Many of us are on-line for some, if not all of our ministry related events and it’s difficult to see how people are interacting. If you’re preaching virtually, it’s a huge challenge. You don’t get to see people’s body language. Are people smiling or nodding their heads in agreement? Or have they nodded off to sleep?! You just don’t know. You can’t tell if they are engaged or if...

Are you worn out and wondering to yourself, "how can it only be the 2nd week of January?" I knew there wasn’t anything magical about a new year but I’m a little surprised, even disappointed that I didn’t get a “bump” of energy. Maybe you can relate.

Or maybe by the time you’re listening to this episode the newness of the year is a distant memory and you’re experiencing fatigue. Perhaps it's unexpected. Maybe you didn’t see it coming or you’ve been dealing with it for a while and you thought it would have dissipated by now...but it’s lingering...it just won’t seem to go away.

Sometimes fatigue will disappear on its own but it is very rare. Healthy leaders resist the temptation of ignoring the signs and signals God gives us and instead pay attention and lean into what they are feeling and experiencing in order to see what God is doing.

What is Fatigue?

Fatigue is defined as, "extreme tiredness...

What do you want to be true of you by the end of the year? It's never too early to ask yourself this question. And while most people have made resolutions to do something new, it is equally important for you to decide what NOT to do so that you can be the person and ministry leader God has called you to be. 

In this episode, Jen shares 7 things NOT to do this coming year...because if you're not careful and do them, you will get sucked into the perpetual cycles of busyness that lead to overwhelm and you'll be less effective in the roles you've been given.

Decide not to...

• make yourself busy
• plan too far ahead
• make everyone happy
• manipulate the outcome
• chase every idea
• fill in every moment on your calendar
• wait with great expectation for things to go back to normal

Need help getting clear on your next steps? Join me for a one-hour coaching call via Zoom in the month of January for 30% off. You'll get the recording of our call plus 7 days of Voxer with me so you can...

I'm not sure where I am, let alone where I'm going. It's been a tough year and things continue to be uncertain. In this final episode of 2020, Jen offers a prayer from Thomas Merton as we face the uncertainty that lies ahead.

 My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.

-Thomas Merton

In this challenging season that has been shaped by a global pandemic, life and ministry have been difficult. And although we will turn the page on 2020 and move into a new year, much will stay the same. We will continue to stretch and grow our flexibility muscles and adapt. 

So, how do you plan for ministry in 2021? We still have people to serve and ministry to do. What should we keep in mind as we look ahead? In this episode, Jen shares important reminders and tips to keep you moving forward.

• Less is more
• Lower your expectations
• Change the way you measure success
• Get comfortable with unpredictability
• Identify your big rocks
• Plan for rhythms of rest for you and your people/organization
• Don't get ahead of yourself...just take the next right step

Are you trying to manage ALL OF THE THINGS? There is so much to keep track of and it is easy to get distracted. And when we get sidetracked, the overwhelm builds and we lose our focus.

In this episode, Jen shares her favorite tools to help you make progress. Here is a list below. If one sounds like it would help you, check it out!

• Miro 
• Trello
• Paper Planner
• Calendly
• Voxer App (for your smartphone)
• Canva
• Timer

If you need one-on-one support to get rid of the overwhelm, lead with focus, and have time for things outside of ministry, sign up for coaching with Jen. It can be just what you need to take your leadership to the next level.

Giving thanks is a command throughout the whole of scripture but it can be hard, especially in a year invaded by a global pandemic. In today's episode, we talk about a simple practice of gratitude that will grow your soul.  And as the soul goes, so goes the rest of your life and leadership. When you receive the goodness of God it will impact your role as spouse, parent, friend, neighbor, and leader.

This practice was inspired by the practice of "Drinking Beauty" as described by John Eldredge in his book Get Your Life Back.

Whether you are comfortable with your ministry role or not, one thing remains true. Your assignment...your territory has already been given to you! 

You don't have to fight for it. It's yours! Be bold and courageous! Walk into it with faith and trust.

[Monday Motivation episodes are mini-episodes of encouragement from God's word.]

There are only six more weeks left in the year! And yet the idea of getting through the rest of 2020 can seem really overwhelming. Things are constantly changing and it makes it extremely difficult because of the mental, emotional, and spiritual fatigue that comes every time we have to change plans.

In this episode, Jen gives you 5 tips to help you get through the rest of the year.

• Take it One Week at a Time. Things are rapidly changing. When you make plans weeks and months ahead of time and need to change them it adds to the overwhelm. Taking it a week at a time makes it easier when you need to shift.
• Do What's Easiest. We've had a year of "hard," and so have your people. Complexity complicates things and adds to the overwhelm. One of the best things you can do for yourself and your people is to do what is easiest! 
• Give Yourself and Others Plenty of Grace. The. mental, emotional, and spiritual fatigue is real for you...and for everyone else. Grace upon grace upon grace....

According to research, roughly ninety-one percent of pastors have experienced some form of burnout. Eighty percent don't last ten years in ministry, and for those that leave, almost ninety percent site burnout as their number one reason to stop.

Burnout is prevalent in ministry, regardless of your position or the organization in which you serve but it is a dangerous trend that very few are talking about. In this episode, Jen has a very candid conversation about the emotional, physical, and spiritual state of women in ministry.