Deck the Halls with… Stress?

Can the joy of Christmas really coexist with the stress of the season? Tune in to hear Todd Rhoades of Chemistry Staffing unravel this conundrum. Discover practical strategies that promise to keep your church staff and volunteers feeling merry and appreciated amidst the holiday hustle. Todd shares insights on how simple acts of gratitude—like personal notes, small gifts, or public acknowledgments—can boost morale and make all the difference for your dedicated team. With Christmas right around the corner, it’s essential to recognize the efforts of those running around like elves in the workshop and ensure they feel valued and supported.

This episode is a holiday survival guide, emphasizing the importance of setting realistic expectations, fostering a culture of teamwork, and prioritizing rest. Whether it's giving your team some well-deserved time off between Christmas and New Year’s or merely ordering in some pizza, Todd provides actionable advice to prevent burnout from being the Grinch that steals your team’s Christmas cheer. Let's make this season one of gratitude and joy, preparing everyone to return in the new year with renewed energy and excitement for ministry. Join us for more tips and encouragement, because together, we’re spreading the love and joy of Jesus to the world.

Have questions or comments? Send to podcast@chemistrystaffing.com

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hey there, welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Christmas is in the air and while it brings a lot of joy, it can also bring a whole lot of stress, am I right? I'm Todd Rhodes from Chemistry Staffing, and today we're talking about how to keep Christmas merry and bright, not just for your church, but for your amazing team of staff and volunteers. Now, I know you've got a million things on your plate right now. Matter of fact, I'm amazed you are a diehard listener of this podcast. If you were listening.

Speaker 1: 0:40

The week of Christmas Eve services you've got to plan Some of you, I know, are already doing Christmas Eve services even today. You've got different things to rehearse, probably a mountain of candy canes to somehow organize. But amidst all the hustle and the bustle, it's crucial to remember the people that make it all happen, and that's your team, right? Your dedicated staff and your volunteers. They're the ones running around like elves in the workshop making sure that everything goes smoothly for the next few days. But even those little elves need our a little bit of encouragement sometimes, and some leaders, man, just ooze encouragement, almost like a sappy. You're constantly encouraging those around you, but to some of us, encouragement doesn't come that naturally. So let's talk about how we can support our team members and make sure they're not feeling like we've put them on the naughty list this Christmas, okay, so here's just a few ideas. We'll keep it short today.

Speaker 1: 1:42

A few ideas to get you started. First of all, just show your appreciation. If you are somebody that is just an encouraging person by nature, just do your thing. But if you're somebody that maybe you've got to put it on your calendar or give yourself, be very intentional about showing your appreciation. A simple thank you goes a long way. I mean, consider writing personal notes, maybe giving some small gifts if you haven't done so already, or even just offering some public acknowledgement during one of your services this week about your team, your great team, your staff, your volunteers, and then going in even to this weekend but into next year. Try to create that culture of support, encourage teamwork and collaboration and make sure that everybody feels valued and heard. And, hey, maybe even order in some pizza for a staff meeting. Everybody loves pizza, but just silly things like that make a huge difference when it comes to appreciating your team, and maybe you just need to reprioritize your rest and your boundaries and maybe remind your team and yourself and this is a great time to do that this week, to take breaks and to set realistic expectations.

Speaker 1: 2:55

So this is a big week. The week after this not so much. So a lot of people take off work and just from a ministry calendar standpoint, there's not a lot going on. Some churches even give some flex time and just say, hey, go spend some time. It's been a long season, it's been a busy season.

Speaker 1: 3:13

If you can do that with your team, giving them a couple days off in between Christmas and New Year's, or maybe even that whole week, that's just incredible. Help them to reset their expectations for the new years. Prioritize their well-being. Burnout can be a real grinch and we don't want him stealing anybody's Christmas cheer. We want everybody to come back first of the year raring to go and excited about ministry. All right.

Speaker 1: 3:40

So here's your challenge for today Take a moment to express your gratitude to at least one team member. Okay, at least one. Actually, this week you should do it to more, but I'm just saying, if this is something, that if you're not the natural encourager, find one person and just express your gratitude to them. Tell them specifically what you appreciate about them and how their work makes a difference and, trust me, it'll mean the world to them All. Right.

Speaker 1: 4:06

Thanks so much for joining me today. Remember you're not alone in this. We're all in this, together, trying to make a difference with the love of Jesus, to the world. So let's spread some Christmas cheer. Hope you have a great Christmas, hope you have a great new year and, if you find the time, we're going to be here again tomorrow and even on Christmas Day and a couple days afterwards. So join us right back here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Maybe you don't have time to listen. Subscribe. Once you subscribe, you'll be able to get all the past episodes as well and listen whenever you want to. So great. Have a very Merry Christmas. We'll talk soon you.