As the Halloween merchandise disappears from stores and Christmas decorations appear, we are reminded that the end of the year is fast approaching! Many of us working in ministry are organising resource-heavy Christmas events and juggling the end-of-year craziness.
On top of all that, perhaps you’re getting emails from people leaving ministry teams for next year. Looking at the 2025 rosters, you might be seeing large amounts of blank space. Together with your own feelings about how the past year has gone, this time of year can seem rather overwhelming! So, what can we do?
It might sound counter-intuitive, but one of the best things you can do is to carve out some time to stop. Time to pray and reflect on the year, and from that, plan for the year to come.
“As leaders, taking time out to prayerfully evaluate and reflect gives us the opportunity to process the emotions of the year.”
We’ll be more likely to identify areas for improvement, make changes before situations escalate, to give thanks for how God is working, and allow time to celebrate. If we just plough on year-after-year, our ministries run several risks: hitting maintenance mode, being reactive (rather than proactive), or losing focus.
We all appreciate leaders who are thoughtful. Wise leaders who aren’t rash, but who make careful decisions based on reflection. Strategic leaders, who have considered the big picture and the longer term. Intentional leaders who have considered the vision of their church or ministry, and are shaping their programs around it. These are the types of leaders that we can aspire to be.
So how can we do this?
- Personal reflection
Before you get to your teams, take time to consider your own heart in ministry. This could be a whole day, or just a couple of hours alone to prayerfully reflect on the month/year just gone. Some helpful questions to consider might be:
- What’s been going well?
- What hasn’t been going well?
- How is your relationship with God?
- What three words describe your heart?
- What is one thing you could do to improve your relationship with (as relevant): God, your spouse, your kids, your friends?
- Where are you turning to for comfort?
- What is draining you? Is there anything you could delegate?
- What lies are you believing?
Finish by spending some time in prayer.
- Staff reviews
It’s important to have a system for staff to be reviewed by church leadership, and where feedback can flow both ways. If this isn’t already set up, maybe you could suggest it to your church leadership. Work out a time before the end of the year, and make it something nice – go to a local café, or do something different to your usual meetings. This can create a helpful atmosphere for giving and receiving feedback.
- Review in teams
Sit down with your teams to reflect on the year. Celebrate the wins, and plan for the year ahead. It’s helpful to revisit your purpose statement during this process, to evaluate whether or not the specific ministry is reaching its goals. Now, Where, How is a great tool to use for this. If you find that you keep hitting brick walls, maybe it’s time to consider whether to cease a particular ministry.
- Calendars
As you plan for the year to come, does your church have a mission calendar? If so, make sure this is locked in before all other church events. This will ensure that you remain intentional about mission and that it doesn’t get crowded out by other elements of church life. Consider how other ministries relate to it, so that the whole church ecosystem is working together, rather than being siloed. Maybe you need to set up a shared calendar that all the key leaders can access/edit, so that key dates and events don’t clash. Once again, create a deadline for this to be finalised. The end of November can be a helpful aim, so that December and January can be approached confidently, knowing that the coming year is already planned. You can then focus on building momentum where you want to.
- Reflect over several years
Keep records so that you can think back over years and notice trends. Are there barriers that have derailed you (or specific ministries) consistently over the years? Are all ministries still in line with the purposes of the wider church? Are there areas that need to be reined in? It’s really helpful to have a system that allows you to track this over time.
If you can get those five things in place, hopefully you’ll have more confidence diving into next year.
Other questions to consider
What if I’m part of a team that isn’t keen to reflect and plan?
One option is to set an example in your other teams and ministries, and share some of the benefits you’ve discovered from reflection and planning. Hopefully they will catch on.
How do I get my own ministry team organised to do this?
Set a meeting time and be clear beforehand about the purpose of the meeting. It could be helpful to give them the questions ahead of time, so they have a chance to reflect and come prepared. These types of meetings are often better received if they are relaxed and conversational, so try to create that atmosphere. Meet in someone’s home if you can, or in a café. Enjoy some nice food together, put on some background music. All those things can help create a positive atmosphere.
How do we make sure it doesn’t become a whinge fest?
Reflection and evaluation can so often take a negative turn. Some ways to prevent this:
- Find the wins and celebrate them, giving them as much airtime as the areas for improvement.
- The atmosphere: Background music, food and drinks, maybe a café.
- If the negative feedback is a direct result of your leadership, try not to be defensive. You want to create an environment where people can be honest and open. Be sure to make time to process that feedback at a later date with a trusted friend or colleague.
Reflection and planning are important parts of the ministry toolbox for healthy and effective leaders. They help us to be proactive in our thinking and planning for the future. Though they may take time, it is time well spent!
