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It can be hard to try and restart your church ministry after a break. While much of the world is watching and waiting, God isn’t sitting on the sidelines. Learn how you can join Him NOW in making a God-sized impact in your small church culture.
What are you waiting for?
- You’re wondering when we’re going to get back to normal.
- You’re dreaming about what your new ministry could look like in a few months.
- You’re wondering when you’ll be able to get back in motion.
Whether it’s a hurricane, an interim pastor, new church leaders, or a global pandemic, God hasn’t stopped working. And neither should we.
John 5:17:
… Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.”
Disruption Is What’s Normal
It’s ironic that we spend a lot of time craving normalcy (consistent, predictable, routine) because I’m not sure it exists.
In fact, whenever I think I’m headed to a new normal in my life, my normal gets disrupted every time:
- A relocation
- A back injury
- A job loss
Maybe you’ve experienced similar things:
- A friend gets diagnosed with cancer
- Aging parents move to town, needing care
- An unexpected pregnancy
- A relationship breaks, crashes, or explodes
- Your kids start soccer, dance, or marching band (or something just as consuming)
The longer I live life on this planet, the more I realize normal is highly overrated and always fleeting.
A quick overview of human history is all the evidence we need.
So, waiting for normal is a fool’s errand, misguided at best.
The wait for normal is founded in denial, procrastination, or just plain fear of the next step. While God works in the waiting (and I talk about that every year during Advent), it’s also not a reason to stop moving.
Click here for some great worship songs about waiting: In The Waiting.
Our Two Choices In The Middle Of Disruption
One of our biggest obstacles is to realize that we were never promised normal, calm, or predictable. And God is no less at work when humanity is shaken. In fact, His work is most powerfully seen in the midst of the storms!
Following, are our choices in any disruption:
- We can sit on the sidelines and wait for normal to return.
- We can join Him in His work.
Choice #1: Waiting For Normal
The best way to do this is to choose to sit on the sidelines, then we can expect disappointment.
Waiting for normal is the gift that never shows up.
Our dream of “normal” gives us a great deal of false hope:
- For security
- For peace
- For control
When we hope for the security, peace, and a sense of control that “normal” seems to bring, we are forgetting the hope we already possess in the first place. The only way to find those things, is to search for them in God alone. If we don’t feel security, peace, and under His control now, when things are disrupted, we will not find those things when circumstances change either.
Try This:
If you know Jesus, then sit up straight for a minute. Hold your head high. And then repeat these 3 truths:
My hope comes from God, not from this fallen world.
My joy is found in Him, not in circumstance.
My security is in God alone, not in the shifting sands of this life.
We either accept and live in those truths or we don’t.
If we choose to REJECT or IGNORE these truths, then we can expect more anxiety, stress, and frustration because our hope in the world is misplaced.
Choice #2: Join God’s Call In What He’s Already Doing
Comparatively, another great way to handle this disruption is to embrace the truth of God at work and join Him on the waves.
Taking this option is your path to more hope, more joy, and more impact! Even, and especially, in this time of disruption.
The Perfect Time To Reimagine And Restart Your Church Ministry Is Now
Here’s the truth in disruption:
- You are surrounded by people who need Jesus –– right now.
- Your entire church has an opportunity to meet needs: physical, economic, social, and spiritual –– right now.
- You (yes, you) are called to be an influence and make a difference –– right now.
Disruption in your local church is the PERFECT time to re-imagine, re-vision, and restart ministries in your small church. God is SURELY at work!
If you’re finding yourself thrown out of normal, open your eyes to see this:
If the NEED is now bigger than normal, then your MINISTRY should be bigger than normal.
Whether your heart is for women’s ministry, youth, children, or outreach, while it might not look quite the same right now …
You Are Called To Influence, Not To Wait
Matthew 5:14-16:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.“
Since you are called to be a light and impact this world for Christ, then let’s get moving. Take the first step.
How To Move Forward In Existing Church Ministry Now
- Get in touch with the growing needs that surround you –– the NEW needs are the NOW needs.
- Open your eyes to the new work God is doing in your life and in your local community.
- Jump on the wave and join Him –– get off the couch, off your screen, and off auto-pilot
Join The Workshop To Create A Small Church Ministry You Love – Designed For Women In Small Churches
Quit Watching The Pot Boil And Join God On The Waves!
For a guided process to grab onto the new (or renewed) ministry God has for you, join my workshop to experience God-sized impact in your small church. Sign up here: 5 Steps To Create A Small Church Ministry You Love.
Step by step, I’ll help you grab hold of small church ministry truths that will change your vision and your actions as you move forward with a fresh start!
Excellent, timely advice! Seems like all this disruption has knocked the breath out of us! Let’s get back in the game! Thanks!