In just a few more turns of the clock, it will be a new year - 2022.
Praise God for everything He did last year, amen! Think about all the victories He helped you accomplish. All the prayers He answered. For the many lives that were changed in your ministry.
But we can't dwell there too long - because it's about to be a new year and God has so much more for you in this coming year.
How would you like to have your best ministry year ever in 2022? Here are some things you can do to see it come to fruition.
Take a hard look at what you are doing. Is there anything you are doing that you need to stop doing? Is there anything that needs to be tweaked or adjusted? Just because it worked in the past, doesn't mean it will work in 2022. Hold everything with open hands. Change is a good thing when done properly.
Vision. Have a simple, powerful, engaging vision that you are pointing people toward. This will help them remember why they are serving. And don't forget, vision leaks. It's not a one and done. You have to constantly keep it in front of people.
Plan out your ministry year. If you haven't done so yet, get 2022 planned out. Get your key dates on the church calendar. Work with other ministries and plan your calendars together. This will help you and the other ministries to not have conflicting events or programs.
Focus on building your volunteer team. This must be a top priority. 2022 will rise or fall on the strength of your volunteer team. Remember...your job is not to do the ministry. Rather it is to equip volunteers to effectively do the work of the ministry. It's not about what you can do, it's about what you can empower volunteers to do.
Make sure you have a board of directors. What do I mean by "board of directors?" I mean have 3-4 people that you will hold you accountable. People who you can bounce ideas off of. People that you can go to for advice in difficult situations. People who will challenge you. People who pray for you. People who have your back.
Do something that is outside of your comfort zone. What have you been thinking about trying, but you just haven't gotten the courage yet to try it? Remember, nothing grows in your comfort zone. It's when you think outside the box and push yourself, that you will see amazing things happen. Are you fearful about trying it? That's okay. Try it, even if you are afraid. Have you gotten so comfortable that you have the ministry on "cruise control?"
Remember...if you do what you've always done, you'll always get what you have gotten in the past. If you want to see God do some new, fresh things in the ministry, then you must walk outside of your comfort zone. Get out of the shallow waters and go to the deep waters.
Keep your focus on what Jesus is focused on. Jesus is all about seeking and saving those who are lost. That's His number one passion and that means it should be our passion as well. Who can you reach for Christ in 2022? How many kids and families can you see follow Jesus in baptism in 2022? When you make reaching people with the Gospel your top priority, then you are in sync with the heart of Jesus.
Minister in the power of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the day, if 2022 is your best ministry year ever, it will be because you walked in the power of the Holy Spirit. Nothing of eternal value will be accomplished in 2022, if you depend on your own flesh to accomplish it.
Many of you have gotten good at this children's ministry thing. You have a great team of volunteers. You have great programs. You have exciting events. You pour into parents and equip them to lead their children spiritually.
But all of that is in vain if you do not have the power of the Holy Spirit working in your ministry. The power of the Holy Spirit is the "it factor" that is crucial for a ministry that sees miracles happen.
It's like baking a cake. Your job is to put the right ingredients in the mix. But the ingredients must have the power of heat to rise and make it complete. So it is with the Holy Spirit. We should prepare the batter and get everything ready. And then we should ask the Holy Spirit to "bring the heat" that will make the ministry flourish and grow. Without the "heat" nothing will happen.
My prayers are with you as you prepare for 2022. I'm believing with you that it will be your best ministry year ever!
