How to Avoid the Summer Collapse

Dads and grads receive a lot of attention during the month of June. But this is also the season when many church programs near their finish line. For some ministry leaders, this means added responsibilities. This can also mean more hours and more stress. 

June might feel like the final leg of your ministry marathon and your lungs might be screaming for you to stop. You might find yourself dreaming of a post-marathon collapse, but if you choose to jump off the treadmill before cooling down, you will feel the effects of this decision for the rest of the summer.

Cooling down is essential for the well-being of yourself and the people around you. The discipline of gradually slowing yourself to a stop will help you recover from what you just completed and also prepare you for what’s next. The result is better short-term health with the added bonus of long-term sustainability.

Your mind, body, and spirit need adequate recovery time and slamming on the brakes after exiting the highway is a dangerous idea. I’m not suggesting that you cancel your vacation plans or ignore the urge to recline your chair. These are critical components to the leadership cycle. Just make sure that you ease into your recovery time so that when you fully disengage from your ministry responsibilities you can recuperate more restfully. 

Here are some suggestions for your cool down cycle:

• Use your rear-view mirrors 
  Look back on the past season of ministry. What went well and why? Did you reach your goals and accomplish your ministry objectives? What will you do differently next time?

• Check your blind spots
  Is there a critical issue or challenge that will require additional attention over the summer? Think of scenarios like leadership needs, technology changes, new initiatives, or approaching deadlines.

• Express your gratitude  
  As you evaluate the past season, pay attention to the contributions that your team members have made. Find creative ways of thanking them and do this in ways that they will most appreciate.

• Solicit feedback 
  Gain the perspective of others while their experiences are still fresh in their minds. Craft a few questions or create a survey to gather the information that’s most important to your ministry priorities.
   
• Scatter leadership seeds
  Waiting until August to recruit new leaders is a recipe for September anxiety. Approach potential leaders now and ask them to use the summer months to discern if your ministry area is the right fit for them. 

• Make a list
  This step will help you be proactive instead of reactive. What steps are most critical toward accomplishing your fall ministry objectives? What can you do to empower and equip your ministry team? 

Instead of sprinting, collapsing, and willing yourself to do it again, I suggest you try some of these ideas for cooling down. If you have benefited from other practices that I haven't listed, share them by contacting MinistryLift so others readers can benefit from your experience.  

Keith Reed is the Associate Director of MinistryLift.