Thriving through the Holidays

Wow, Bing Crosby is already on the radio.  Thanksgiving is next week, and there are only 39 days until Christmas!  Like it or not, the holidays are here.

In so many ways, it really is the most wonderful time of the year.  However, for those of us who serve in Children's Ministry, it can also be the most exhausting time of the year.  I know many of us are ramping up for big Christmas programs, planning extra services or are scrambling to cover rooms for leaders who may be traveling or celebrating with their family.

Of course, we all have our own family celebrations as well and so much to do to get ready.   When you combine ministry stress with all that we have going on at home, it's not exactly a recipe for a silent night.  In fact, if we're not careful, it's a recipe for burnout.

But it doesn't have be that way.  Not only can we survive the holidays, we can actually thrive during this incredibly busy season.  We just have to be intentional and plan ahead.

I have a free resource that I think will help.  It's called Spiritual Travel Tips for the Holiday Road.  See, we're all on a journey this holiday season.  It's a journey of the heart.  The hustle and bustle of this time of year can lead us away from Jesus or closer to Him, depending on how we travel.  

Using the metaphor of a road trip, this free ebook will help you think through where you're at on your journey with Jesus and how you can navigate the coming weeks with Him.  Inside you'll find devotionals, Scripture and intentional questions to help you make a plan to keep yourself healthy, sane and joyful through the new year and beyond.

I hope you find it helpful.  You can down Spiritual Travel Tips for the Holiday Road here.

Resources for Beating the Kidmin Blahs

A few weeks into January, it's easy to get the blahs.  The sky is dark.   The weather's nasty.  You started the year with good intentions.  Now there's a million things to do and not enough time or money to do it.

If you're feeling those winter blues, here are a few encouraging resources to get you refocused and back on track for this next season of ministry.


BLOG POSTS:

Ten Rules to Avoid Ministry Burnout by David Weidis

An Effective Way to Renew Passion that Many Leaders Miss by Carey Nieuwof

8 Ways to Rediscover Your Passion for Ministry by Tony Kummer


BOOKS:

VIDEO:

So many times our challenging seasons come from working without a healthy rhythm of rest and Sabbath.

In this video from Community of Hope church, Jason Lovold does a great job talking about what it looks like to have a healthy rhythm in your life.   This is a quick summary of Mike Breen's teaching on  the Semi-Circle LifeShape from 3DM.



Huddle Series: Building a Discipling Culture: Rhythm of Life – Semi-Circle from Community of Hope on Vimeo.

AUDIO TEACHING:

If you want to go deeper into what Scripture says about having a healthy rhythm of working and resting, here is the link to Mike's original teaching in the 3DM store.



Image: 'A Case of The Rainy Day Blahs' http://www.flickr.com/photos/40645538@N00/4618933560

Found on flickrcc.net