A few weeks ago, I went to DYM 200 and was reminded that I am not God. (Yes, that seems incredibly obvious, but I encourage you to read my blog about that to learn more.) In an attempt to act out on that truth, I’ve began planning ahead handing off even more in ministry. One of the things I’m currently excited about is this upcoming November and December. Why? Let me tell you.
The Sunday before last, we wrapped up a tough series on four topics that have become “Taboo” in many modern churches. We talked about race, sex, suicide/self-harm, and addictions. It was great, and I think it opened a lot of doors for future conversations. On the other side, it was also somewhat draining. I poured a lot of myself into preparing messages each week and putting together panels for further discussion. It was a lot of work — worthwhile work, but still…
So here’s what we have planned for the next couple months:
This past Sunday, we had a student-led fall-themed party. Next week, we’re taking a break for Veteran’s Day, but also brining students into the main worship service for a service-focused message. The third week is a service project day. Finally, we’re starting our Christmas series the final week of November. Here’s the kicker, though… I’ve scheduled volunteers to speak throughout all of the Christmas series this year. I’m not preaching at all.
Between all these plans and our breaks around Christmas, I’m not scheduled to preach until January 6, 2019! If you’ve never done something like this, you probably don’t know what kind of a relief it is.
Some of you might be thinking that I don’t like speaking, and that is clearly not true. It is one of the aspects of student ministry that I like the most, second to connecting with students on a personal level. It’s just that it takes so much to prepare solid messages each week, and many other things have taken a backseat. And in my current ministry, I need to focus on some bigger leadership things if we are to do what God has called us to do in this ministry.
So over the next several weeks, I will have time to write future messages/series, recruit more leaders, interview potential residents, and meet up with our current leaders. I also get to see what God does through our student and adult leaders during this time.
I know this isn’t a huge mind-blowing blog post today. In fact, many of you have probably done this before — or maybe even on a regular basis. To be honest, I’ve even done this before. The problem is that right after I do, I end up getting distracted and go back to my old ways. This time, I’m going to try and treat it less like a New Year’s Resolution and more like the new me. The new Steve continually plans far enough ahead to equip and empower others to lead. The new Steve does not feel like he has to do everything. The new Steve reminds himself that this is so much bigger than him. The new Steve regularly takes time to rest and relax in God’s arms.
What areas of ministry do you tend to do too much? What areas do you need to hand off in order to focus on the more important things? I’m looking forward to seeing your thoughts in the comments below!
Steve Cullum 