Gearing up for the fall has been a crazy busy time for me and my team right now. Between getting ready to launch small groups, preparing for Halloween, launching new parenting seminars, and finalizing budgets for next year we are all swamped. Ministry never seems to take a break. There’s busy and then there’s REALLY busy. I’m sure I’m not alone. Here’s a couple of tips to help all of us get through the busy seasons:
1. Minimize Meetings
I am in hours of meetings every day. While I can’t control some of them there’s a good portion of meetings that I do control. I am working on a plan to help consolidate the meetings that our team is in each week so they don’t consume too much of our time. Take a look at your meetings and see which ones are REALLY necessary and cancel the rest so that you can spend more time actually doing what you’ve been meeting about.
2. Communicate Care
In the midst of all the craziness your team needs to know you care. This can come in the form of an encouraging word, a handwritten note, or even a text. Here’s a couple of things that I recently emailed to my team:
Don’t Panic. I know there’s a lot happening but we are going to get there and it is going to be great!
Break things down into small bites. Do a little bit each day. Don’t wait till the day before to get things done. You’ll be surprised at how much you can get done when you set aside a little bit of time each day to work on your part.
Work together. All of these tasks are interconnected so we’re going to need to work together to pull them off. Start setting up meetings with people who you need to meet with and get stuff from. The sooner you can do this the easier things will be later on.
Ask questions. What aren’t you clear on? What issues seem fuzzy to you? Ask each other and ask me.
Let me know how I can help you. Don’t hesitate to stop by, shoot me an email, or call if you need me. You’re not bothering me when you ask me for help. I’m here to help so please ask when you need me.
3. Facilitate Fun
I feel a little hypocritical telling you about this last point because it’s the one that I’m weakest at. Help your team blow off some steam by taking a break from your normal schedule, getting out of the office, and doing something fun together. It can be as simple as moving your normal meeting location to Starbucks, taking them out to lunch, letting everyone leave an hour early, or having a party at your place to celebrate the end of a great work week. Take a cue from Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NLT): “So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.”
Minimize meetings, communicate care, and facilitate fun. Doing these three things will help your team keep their sanity and thrive during the busier seasons of your ministry. This will be one of the greatest gifts that you, as their leader, can give them.
What are you doing to help your team thrive (not just survive) during the busy seasons?
Jeff McClung 