Episode 43: 8 Ways to Stay Passionate in Ministry

As a ministry leader, there are days when I just feel exhausted. The weekend has zapped my energy and my passion for ministry has waned. Chances are you too have had days when you’ve asked yourself, “Can I keep doing this?”

Ministry isn’t just about showing up, it’s about staying passionate about the calling God’s placed on your life, even when you’re tired. Today I’m going to share 8 ways you can stay passionate about ministry, not just for a season, but for the long haul.

#1 – Your Personal Walk with Christ – Before you’re a pastor, you’re a follower of Jesus

·       Stay connected to the Vine. (John 15:5)

·       Your passion for ministry is always going to be fueled by your passion for Jesus.

·       Prayer and worship have to be a priority because passion flows from God’s presence.

#2 – A Burden for the Lost and the Broken

·       When your heart drifts away from people who are far from God, ministry becomes a job instead of a calling.

·       Jesus came to seek and save the lost. (Luke 19:10)

·       Passion returns when you remember why you’re doing this.

#3 – Take Care of Your Body

·       Ministry requires a physical vessel.

·       Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

·       Physical wellness brings clarity and stamina to face the spiritual battles.

#4 – Plan Fun Things for Your Family

·       Your family is not in the way of your ministry; they are your ministry.

·       If you neglect having fun at home, it’s going to show up on Sunday morning.

·       Protecting time to spend with your family is not selfish, it’s necessary.

#5 – Structure Your Week

·       If you’re lacking passion, you’re probably overwhelmed.

·       Structure brings peace and purpose.

·       Make the best use of your time because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15)

#6 – Do What You Love in Ministry

·       Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.

·       God has gifted you a specific way. (Romans 12:12)

·       Lean into what gives you life and let go of what drains you.

·       Get in the habit of saying, “Not yet.”

·       Passion grows when you’re operating out of your gift set.

#7 – Find Purpose in the Mundane

·       Every ministry will have tasks that you don’t enjoy doing.

·       Remember you’re working for the Lord, not for men. (Colossians 3:23)

·       Reframe the way you see the mundane – necessary to accomplish those thing you are passionate about.

#8 – Celebrate the Wins

·       You don’t need a conference to get encouraged; you need to notice what God is already doing.

·       Every time something lost was found, they threw a party. (Luke 15)

·       Don’t just move onto the next thing; stop and thank God.

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Episode 42: The Power of Preaching with Purpose

Welcome to The Busy Pastor Podcast, I want to encourage and equip pastors to be busy with the right things.

Have you ever walked away from preaching a sermon and wondered, "Did that actually do anything?" This episode is for every pastor who's ever questioned whether their preaching is making an impact.

What Does it Mean to Preach with Purpose?

·       The purpose is transformation.

·       A good sermon might be informative, but a purposeful sermon seeks to transform.

How do We Preach with the Purpose of Transforming Lives?

Prayer & Preparation

·       Start with prayer – Ask God, “What does my church need to hear this week?”

·       Plan out your sermon calendar at least one year in advance.

·       Purpose doesn’t mean inflexibility. It means intentionality.

·       Build out your pantry.

Quote: “If your pantry is full, when it’s time to cook all you have to do is go in there and get the ingredients to make a good meal.”

Crafting the Message

·       Preaching with purpose requires structure and a clear outline.

·       Consider the context: What did this mean for the original audience? What does this mean for me today?

·       Interrogate the statement: Why, what how when why? 

Balance

·       You need to have a balance of theology and application.

·       All theology – your people won’t know what to do with it.

·       All stories – your people won’t know why it matters.

Engagement

·       Preaching with purpose requires passion.

·       File away examples, illustrations, and stories. Write them down!

·       Storytelling is a powerful tool, but the story should serve the Scripture, not the other way around.

Quote: If you don’t believe in what you are talking about, why should the rest of the church?”

What are People Supposed to do with this Content?

·       Challenge them to do something.

·       Consider how it applies to different types of people.

·       Balance conviction and encouragement: Conviction without hope leads to despair. Encouragement without challenge leads to apathy.

Quote: “Purposeful preaching reminds people of who they are in Christ, while challenging them to grow.”

Your Prayer Each Week – That God Would Change Lives

·       No change happens unless the Spirit works in the hearts of the people.

·       God will use your preparation and your faithfulness to the Word in ways you can’t understand.

Challenge for the Week:

·       Plan out your sermon calendar.

·       Start each sermon prep with prayer.

·       Be clear on your goal: What should people do differently as a result of this message?

·       Keep Jesus at the center.

Recommended Resource: “Preaching: Communicating Faith in an Age of Skepticism” by Timothy Ke

Episode 41: Turning Easter Momentum to Meaningful Ministry

For Pastors and Ministry Leaders, Easter is one of the most exciting – and exhausting – seasons of the year. The build-up to Easter is intense, and if we’re not careful, all that momentum can stay trapped in the moment. Today, I want to share 10 suggestions to help you turn Easter momentum into ministry.

#1 - Think of Easter as a Starting Line, not a Finish Line

• The resurrection is the launching point of Christ’s greatest season of ministry.
• How do I typically approach the post-Easter season?
• Reframe post-Easter as a strategic season.

#2 - Prioritize Strategic Follow-Up

• This is the time to double down on people, not just programs
• Who is following up with first-time guests, people who made commitments, etc.?
• If you don’t have a system, start small. The goal is to help people take one next step.

#3 - Celebrate What God Did

• Don’t move pasts the wins too quickly.
• How will we capture the stories from Easter that need to be shared?
• Highlight one life. Use video or a simple testimony from the stage.

#4 - Recalibrate Your Calendar with Purpose

• April – May can feel like a ministry “in-between zone.” But plan with intentionality.
• What can we do to make May feel special and strategic for our church?
• Use days like Mother’s Day and graduation strategically to celebrate and mix things up.

#5 – Don’t Ignore Your Weariness

• You’re tired. Be honest and plan for rest.
• What rhythms of rest need to be recalibrated? What meetings need to be postponed?
• Even if you can’t take a full day off immediately, plan for margin.

#6 – Vision Always Needs Repeating

• This is the perfect time to cast vision for what’s next at your church.
• What part of my church’s mission needs re-clarifying post-Easter?
• Go back to your core values.

#7 – Equip Your Team to Reengage

• This is a time to affirm your staff and key volunteers.
• What encouragement or support does my team need right now?
• A day off, a breakfast, a hand-written note? Refill their tank before you ask for more.

#8 – Set the Tone for Summer

• Summer is full of potential so strategize now.
• What is one big win I’d love to see by the end of summer?
• Dream prayerfully.

#9 – Revisit Your Personal Vision

• Easter can sometimes leave us asking big questions. Lean into that tension.
• What is God reminding me about my calling right now?
• Remember your “why.” 

#10 – Pray for Long-Term Fruit, Not Just Immediate Response

• Be faithful and patient. You’re in this for the long-haul.
• What am I trusting God to grow, even if I don’t see results yet?
• Trust the Spirit’s timing. Don’t miss what God is doing while you’re busy doing good.

Easter isn’t about one packed Sunday. It’s about thousands of little moments when resurrection power breaks into real life. Stay faithful. Stay focused. Don’t just recover… re-engage.

Follow us on Instagram @busypastor or on Facebook and also, if you found today's episode to be helpful, leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcast. Until next time, be busy with the right things!

Episode 40: Vision and Values

Last episode, we talked about creating vision and values for your church. Today I want to talk about how to live them out.

How do you keep the mission and vision from becoming just “words on a wall?”

1.        Regular Evaluation: Frequently ask, does what we’re doing align with our mission?

2.        Celebrate Wins: When you see a value being accomplished, tell the story.

3.        Engagement: Are your people involved in these initiatives and are they accomplishing what we hoped?

4.        Data: There are some things that can be tracked.

o   Example: A good metric for measuring evangelistic effectiveness is 12 conversions for every 100 people in attendance yearly.

Quote: “If you don’t know what direction your people are moving in, then you’re missing an opportunity to grow the Kingdom of God.”

When has staying aligned with your vision made a big difference?

·      One of our values is “The Next Generation Matters.”

·      In a season of searching for a Student Pastor, we saw staff, volunteers, leaders, and coaches step up to fill in gaps.

·      Because the value had already been taught and celebrated, our people rallied around it organically.

·      If a crisis comes and you don’t see people rise up, you have to ask, do we really value this? We must not have cast the vision accurately.

How do you adapt mission and vision over time without losing focus?

·      Your church will potentially change over time, and that’s ok.

·      In his book “Unique Church,” Will Mancini writes about things written in granite and sand.

·      Things written in granite do not change, such as core doctrines and beliefs.

·      Things written in sand do change, like programs and ways you communicate.

·      Spend adequate time creating your vision and values so you’re not ready to change them next year.

How do you stay passionate about the mission and values?

·      Maybe you’re discouraged, tired, not seeing the fruit of your labor. 

·      The mission is the Great Commission and that is where you need to get your fuel.

·      The “why” behind what you’re doing is your love for God and your calling to make disciples.

Quote:  “It’s great when churches grow, but if that’s your ‘why,’ you’re going to be disappointed.”

Quote: “God never called you to carry the weight of the ministry. He called you to be

faithful and to trust Him with the rest.”

Follow us on Instagram @busypastor or on Facebook and also, if you found today's episode to be helpful, leave us a positive review wherever you get your podcast. Until next time, be busy with the right things!

Episode 39: Defining Your Mission and Vision

The Busy Pastor Podcast is back! It’s been a while and we’ve been busy… with the right things! Today, Pastor Trent is joined by guest Pastor Taylor Knight to talk about defining your church’s mission and vision.

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO & SHOW NOTES

In episode 38, Pastor Trent and Pastor Greg continue their

discussion about the Power of Big Days.

In episode 37, Pastor Trent and Pastor Greg talk about the Power of Big Days.

In episode 35, Pastor Trent and Pastor Greg talk about our
coaching ministry, joined by the Pastor of Connections, Taylor Knight.

In episode 34, Pastor Trent and Pastor Greg talk about being busy training and developing small group leaders, joined by the Pastor of Development, Heath Bennett.