Silent Night, Holy Night... and a Full Inbox

Could the relentless "always-on" mentality in ministry be leading you toward burnout? Join me, Todd Rhoades, as we unravel the intricate web of expectations faced by church leaders during the holiday hustle. This special Christmas week episode promises to equip you with strategies to combat the pressure to be constantly available, the trap of the savior complex, and the pervasive fear of letting others down. We’ll delve into how these challenges intertwine with our sense of calling and personal worth, often making them more than mere professional hurdles.

Reflect on which of these resonates most with your ministry journey and discover practical methods to create healthier boundaries. Whether it’s carving out specific email-checking hours or mastering the art of graciously saying no, this episode is packed with insights to help you prioritize your well-being. As you navigate this festive yet demanding season, consider this an invitation to reassess your relationship with expectations and step into the new year with a balanced mindset. Don't forget to subscribe to stay informed about future enlightening discussions!

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

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

hey everybody, thanks for coming back to the healthy church staff podcast, especially on this christmas week, and it's the season of twinkling lights and joyful carols and overflowing inboxes. It's december and it's the week of Christmas and if you're like most people in ministry, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I'm Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over at Chemistry Staffing, and today we're diving into kind of the art of managing expectations during the holidays. And I know we're almost through the holidays, so I'm not going to bore you with all the basics, but you already know it's important to communicate your availability and delegate tasks and learn how to say no gracefully. Maybe you've learned your lesson this year, but you're, for the most part, you're a seasoned pro at this point, I'm sure. So let's go a little bit beyond the surface level and let's explore some of the less obvious, maybe more nuanced aspects of managing expectations, especially within the unique context of church leadership. Because here's the thing In ministry, expectations often run deeper than just when can I reach you? They're intermingled and intertwined with our sense of calling and our desire to serve, and sometimes even our own self-worth, and that's where things get really tricky. So let's dig in. We'll keep it short today, but let's dig into some of those less obvious challenges and how to navigate them.

Speaker 1: 1:34

The first challenge I want to talk about and man, this is a hard one and it's what I call the always-on mentality. We live in a culture of instant gratification and that can bleed into our ministry mindset. As a matter of fact, I think ministry people, even before we had all of the tools, all of the social media, all of the instant texting and instant messaging, before AI and before everything, ministry has always been an always-on sport. We feel pressure to be constantly available, to respond immediately to every request, even during the holidays. But that's just not sustainable and it's not healthy, and you have to break free from the always-on mentality. It's a surefire way to get to a place of burnout. That's one of the less obvious things that we don't often talk about, but it's man, it's a big one.

Speaker 1: 2:29

The second one I want to talk about is what I call a savior complex and, let's be honest, sometimes we fall into the trap of believing that we're the only ones that can solve every problem and answer every question and meet every need. But that's not realistic. Matter of fact, it's not only unrealistic, it's also disempowering to those around us because we're going to fail. And speaking of failure, the last thing I want to talk about is the fear of disappointing others, and this is a biggie, especially in ministry. We want to be there for everyone, to meet the expectations, not to ever let anybody down, but it's simply not possible.

Speaker 1: 3:03

Here's the challenge for today. I know I've just painted three big pictures of things that you're probably dealing with in one way, shape or form, but here's my challenge for you today and as you go through this Christmas week Reflect on your own relationship with expectations. Where do you struggle the most? Is it, is it the always on mentality? Is it the savior complex? Is it the fear of disappointing others? And then, once you've identified your biggest challenge, brainstorm, brainstorm. Maybe some practical strategies to address it. Maybe it's just setting some specific times for checking email, maybe it's delegating more responsibilities, maybe it's practicing saying no in the mirror. Whatever it is, take that step towards creating healthier boundaries and I always find that the end of the year is always a retrospective time for me. Maybe even go back and re-listen to this podcast to hear those three different scenarios again, see which one might affect you the most and really develop your strategy for how to deal with those in the new year. I'm eager to hear your insights on this topic and you can email me anytime. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom.

Speaker 1: 4:14

And if this podcast is resonating with you, I'd love for you, if you haven't done already, to subscribe so you don't miss a single episode. And it's a busy week. Stay healthy, but take some time. I know it's busy going into Christmas and getting your Christmas services out of the way and this week is a big one. Like I said, it's like the Super Bowl, but make sure that you take time to enjoy and remember the real meaning of the season. We should all know what that real meaning is, but celebrate that with your friends and your family and just make this a joyous Christmas season. Merry Christmas. We'll be back again tomorrow, believe it or not, on Christmas Day, here on the Healthy Church Day Podcast. Hope you're listening you.