The Ministry Marathon: Pacing Yourself for the Long Haul

Start 2025 with a fresh mindset that could transform your ministry journey. What if you could maintain your enthusiasm throughout the year without burning out? Join Todd Rhoades from Chemistry Staffing as he unpacks the essentials of pacing yourself for the long haul in ministry. This episode is packed with wisdom on how to listen to your body's signals, set realistic expectations, and prioritize your well-being. Discover how you can serve effectively without sacrificing your health or running out of steam too soon.

As you tune in, you'll find actionable insights to help you reassess your current schedule and commitments. Consider where you can create more margin, delegate tasks, or say no to requests that stretch you thin. Todd encourages you to adjust your pace and establish a sustainable rhythm for the year ahead. Share your own experiences and strategies with us, and let's embark on a fulfilling and impactful 2025 together. Connect with us at Chemistry Staffing, and join the conversation on how to thrive in ministry.

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

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

happy new year. Welcome back to the healthy church staff podcast. We're just one day into day two into 2025 and hopefully that initial burst of energy and enthusiasm is still going strong. But, as we all know, life and ministry isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. Right, I'm Todd Rhodes from Chemistry Staffing and today we're going to talk about how to pace yourself for the long haul during 2025.

Speaker 1: 0:36

It's easy to get caught up in the urgency of the moment and to push ourselves to the limit and to try to do everything all at once. We talked about that a little bit yesterday. But that kind of intensity usually isn't sustainable and if we're not careful, we'll burn out before we even reach the halfway point. And that's why it's critical to develop kind of a sustainable pace and a rhythm that allows us to serve effectively without sacrificing our well-being. Yesterday, we talked about starting with one small thing. Not trying to revamp your entire life, but starting with one small thing. It's about finding that sweet spot where we can be fully engaged in our ministry without running ourselves ragged.

Speaker 1: 1:17

So how do you do that? Here are a few principles, three principles to keep in mind. First of all, you got to listen to your body. Your body is incredibly wise, and it'll tell you if you need to rest, it'll tell you when you need to slow down, it'll tell you when you need to recharge. The problem is, a lot of times we don't pay attention to our bodies. Pay attention to those signals. Don't ignore them. Do not ignore when your body says you need more rest or you need to slow down. Listen to your body. Number two set those realistic expectations. You're not superhuman. You can't do everything. You can't be everything to everybody all the time. Please, pastor, you can't do that. Set realistic expectations for yourself and for your team and don't be afraid to say no to some things that are just outside your capacity. And again, when your body says stop, you need to stop, you need to pull her back. Okay, and then third, prioritize your own well-being Physically, emotionally, spiritually. Your well-being is essential to your ministry. If you're not healthy, you can't do healthy ministry. So make sure you take time for that self-care. Prioritize your relationships with your spouse in particular, and your kids. Make sure that they love Jesus and they love the church. Nurture that connection, protect that connection in that private time with God as well.

Speaker 1: 2:34

All right, here's your challenge for today. Take a look at your current schedule and commitments and say are there any areas where I can create a little bit more margin? Can I delegate some tasks? Can I say no to some requests? Make a plan to adjust your pace and create a more sustainable rhythm for the long haul that's going to be incredibly vital and important to you in 2025. I'd love to hear how you're doing, how you're pacing yourself, any ideas, any things that you've learned over the holiday season or even into this new year. You can reach out to me anytime. Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom. Thanks so much for joining us. We'll be back again tomorrow and round out the week of 20, the first week of 2025, here on the Haunted Church Staff Podcast. Have a great day you.