Thankfulness During Change and Uncertainty

What if gratitude could be your anchor in a sea of change? On this episode of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast, hosted by Todd Rhoades, we explore the transformative power of gratitude amidst the chaos of leadership transitions and the unpredictable nature of ministry life. Inspired by the teachings of Paul, Todd guides us on how to maintain a thankful heart even when everything seems to be in flux. From leadership changes to new program rollouts, these times of uncertainty can feel overwhelming, but embracing gratitude can help stabilize and ground us. Todd invites listeners to take a moment for reflection, to pause, and to find something—anything—to be thankful for, no matter how small.

Listeners are encouraged to integrate gratitude into their daily routines, especially if they're leading teams through transitions. Todd shares insightful stories from his own journey and from those who have found hope and peace by focusing on what remains good and solid. He offers practical advice on starting meetings with moments of gratitude, and takes time to highlight the positive impact gratitude can have on personal and collective well-being. This episode is a gentle reminder to hold onto gratitude as a source of peace, encouraging listeners to share their own experiences and find solace in the collective wisdom of a grateful community.

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hey there, welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. My name is Todd Rhodes. I'm your host, also one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom, and I'm so glad you're here spending a few minutes with me. Today we're continuing our series on gratitude and today we're diving into a topic that's a little bit tricky but it's very relevant. It's thankfulness during change and uncertainty, and change.

Speaker 1: 0:33

Some people like change. I think that I like change, but it's got to be change that I initiate. I don't like other people's changes, when other people bring change to the table. But change can be unsettling and whether it's a leadership transition, maybe a new program rollout or just maybe the unpredictability that comes with ministry life, change can really be unsettling. So how do we find gratitude when things feel like they're just shifting under our feet? That's what we're going to talk about today.

Speaker 1: 1:06

So change is one of those things that most of us just don't naturally love. It's uncomfortable, it's messy. Sometimes it feels just everything is up in the air and maybe your church is going through a big transition right now. Maybe you're going through a big transition right now, maybe your church is going through a leadership change, maybe a building project, or maybe you're just trying to figure out how to navigate this new season of ministry. It can be tough to see anything to be thankful for when you're in the middle of that but, as we've been talking about and discussing this week on the podcast, gratitude can be a really stabilizing force. Gratitude can ground you when everything else feels uncertain. Paul writes let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body, you were called to peace. And be thankful those last three words and be thankful. We just finished up a series here on the life of Paul and there were times during Paul's life that, honestly, man, it would be hard to be thankful. But Paul says it's actually Colossians 3.15, last three words. Of that. He says and be thankful. Notice how peace and thankfulness are linked together by Paul in this verse. Even in times of change, gratitude can bring a sense of peace, and it doesn't mean ignoring the difficulties, but it does mean focusing on what's good and solid, even when a lot of things just feel like they're all over the place and moving.

Speaker 1: 2:46

Here's what I want you to take away today. Here's your bottom line. If you are in the middle of a season of change, take a few minutes. This is what we've been doing all this week and maybe you haven't done it up till now. But maybe today's the trigger point where, yeah, todd, okay, fine, I'm going to do it, take a few minutes right now. Just, you don't.

Speaker 1: 3:09

There's nothing probably pressing that you can't put off for a few minutes. Take a few minutes right now and find something that you're thankful for. It could be something small, it could be something huge, but whatever it is, hold on to it. And if you're leading a team through transition, consider starting your meetings with a quick moment of gratitude. It might just help bring a little bit of calm to the chaos.

Speaker 1: 3:35

But take some time today just to think of one thing that you're thankful for, and then just take a few minutes and seriously don't rush through this. If you need to take a half hour or an hour today, I really believe this could be the best part of your day. If there are things that you can put off. If you need to stop right now and cancel an appointment so that you can do this, I think it'd be well worth your time. Take the next few minutes and think about that one thing that you're grateful for, and take some time in prayer before your Heavenly Father and thank him for what he's doing.

Speaker 1: 4:11

Man, I'd love to hear how you're navigating change right now and how gratitude has helped you through it. You can send me an email anytime. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. Share your story. I'd love to hear it. I'm always encouraged by the way that you all find hope and grace even in challenging times, and I'm always encouraged about how God uses this tiny little, incoquential podcast to help uplift and encourage church staff members around the country.

Speaker 1: 4:43

That's it for today's episode. Take those few minutes and do that now and again. Thank you for spending a few minutes with me. Remember, change is never easy, but it does not have to steal your joy. There's always something to be thankful for. Sometimes you have to look really hard for it, but there's always something to be thankful for, even when things are uncertain, and sometimes, especially when things are uncertain. All right, I appreciate you. I will see you back here again next Monday. We're here every day, monday through Friday, as you join us on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Next week, we continue on week two of our series on thanksgiving and gratitude. Hope you'll join me then.