Ministry is, no doubt, a full-time and most of the time, an over-time job. Whether you are working on a part-time or full-time schedule, the mission, needs, and limitations don’t look very different. Here are some things to keep in mind as you move forward:
1. Empower other leaders. Delegate! Children’s ministry in particular is heavily administrative. Surely, there are things you can delegate. Not only that, but to best care for all of your ministry servants, children, and families, you need to empower trusted area leaders that are caring for their area teams and families when you can’t.
2. Make weekly and daily goals. Yes, VBS may be in a couple of months, and yes, you may need to recruit a few people for Sunday, but constantly thinking about those things won’t help you to be productive, or even effective as a minister. It is healthy to be aware of the weight and needs that go along with the tasks before you. But stressing about them will most likely just cripple you in the moment. With God’s help, what can you try and get done today?
3. Hold on loosely to your to-do list. Be willing and ready to let tasks go. This is tough for some of us. But, there is always going to be something that can’t be finished. Aiming for perfection is a dangerous goal that won’t prove to be healthy for you or the ministry you are serving in. What can you let go of today or this week?
4. Prioritize your time. Be aware of what is taking up your time and reevaluate if necessary. Your ministry is to people…not to your job description or administrative to-do list.
5. “If I were full-time, I would…” This isn’t a productive statement, nor is it accurate. Full-time ministry work would bring limitations as well. And your purposing would still be the same. God has ordained such initiatives for such a time as this. He is not limited by your time. Allow your limitations to reveal to you more clearly your need for Jesus. It is God who is at work.
We would love to hear your strategies for dealing with this common challenge in children’s ministry. Leave a comment below to share your response with other readers.
5 Ways to Manage Full-Time Ministry on a Part-Time Schedule
