12 Ways to Rekindle Your Passion for Ministry (part 1)
11/05/20 Filed in: Pastor | Church Leadership
What an interesting time we live in right now. Who could have imagined that 2020 was going to look like this? How many churches started this year with a version of “2020 Vision” as their theme for the year? 
How many of them are completely having to revamp the way that vision looks and how they intended for it to be accomplished?
I’ve heard pastors say the different levels of lockdown they and their churches have been placed under have been good for them personally. I’ve heard pastors say lockdown has relieved some pressures but brought up new ones. I’ve heard pastors say they were initially recharged in their ministry passion but are finding that passion waning as the Covid-19 lifestyle drags on.
It is that last sentence that I’m most concerned with. In the next four blog posts I want to make twelve suggestions for you to consider in rekindling your passion for ministry.
One of my favourite verses is found in Psalm 103 – a great Psalm about God’s undying mercy and grace. Verse 14 hold great encouragement for me:
“For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” Read that Psalm and allow yourself to remove the “shoulds” and “musts” that demand perfection of you. Take notice of how God’s unchangeableness steps into our weakness as humans and brings patience, healing, mercy, and grace. If God can do that for us, can we not do that for ourselves as well?
In his book, Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas lists nine ways Christians relate to God. I would encourage you to get and read this book. It will give you some great encouragement and guidance in helping you live in the reality of relating to the Lord. When you are experiencing this reality, you will find your passion for walking with Him in ministry rekindled.
That’s it for now. Can I ask you to assess yourself on a scale of 1-5 in these three suggestions? One being, “I couldn’t be in a worse situation” and five being, “All good with this one.” Once you’ve assessed yourself, take some necessary actions to move up the scale.
I’ve heard pastors say the different levels of lockdown they and their churches have been placed under have been good for them personally. I’ve heard pastors say lockdown has relieved some pressures but brought up new ones. I’ve heard pastors say they were initially recharged in their ministry passion but are finding that passion waning as the Covid-19 lifestyle drags on.
It is that last sentence that I’m most concerned with. In the next four blog posts I want to make twelve suggestions for you to consider in rekindling your passion for ministry.
1. Relax in your own Humanity
Ministry passion has a wide variety of expectations and experiences associated with it. There are many influences that are brought into the discussion: theological bent, age of the pastor, size of the church, spiritual gifting, personality type, family structure, church expectations…the list could go on. The one constant I have found around ministry passion is that there is no constant. To say that ministry passion should never wane puts an unwarranted pressure on pastors as they navigate what each day brings.One of my favourite verses is found in Psalm 103 – a great Psalm about God’s undying mercy and grace. Verse 14 hold great encouragement for me:
2. Revisit your Calling
Do you remember the chain of events that led you into ministry? Was it the Holy Spirit applying a biblical passage? Was it the great need you saw around you? Was it the desire to do something of eternal significance? As great as ministry can be, sometimes the day-to-day busyness can cloud your vision of what you are trying to accomplish. In those times, it is helpful to step back and remind yourself why you got into ministry in the first place. Reconnect with it, reimagine it. Let those first images of stepping into ministry come back into focus.3. Renew your Soul
Many might think this goes without saying, but I have found pastors so need to be reminded of this! Renewing your soul comes as you spend time with the Lord. I’d like to take this a step beyond the necessary and common practice of reading the Word and praying. Some pastors find that those two disciplines feel just like that – disciplines. While they are necessary for spiritual growth, some pastors find they are still missing what feels like real relationship connection. That’s not because Bible reading and prayer don’t work. Neither is it because you are broken in some irreparable way. It may just be that you need to connect with God in ways that are congruent with how you relate to others.In his book, Sacred Pathways, Gary Thomas lists nine ways Christians relate to God. I would encourage you to get and read this book. It will give you some great encouragement and guidance in helping you live in the reality of relating to the Lord. When you are experiencing this reality, you will find your passion for walking with Him in ministry rekindled.
That’s it for now. Can I ask you to assess yourself on a scale of 1-5 in these three suggestions? One being, “I couldn’t be in a worse situation” and five being, “All good with this one.” Once you’ve assessed yourself, take some necessary actions to move up the scale.