Kingfisher Leadership News - December 2021

King sher Leadership

1st December 2021

Kingfisher Leadership news Stop the merry-go-round - I want to get off !

We hear a lot about ‘the new normal’ as we Also, church attendance has softened quite continue to experience the pandemic and a bit since the pandemic started. come to grips with the new COVID variant, Omicron. A big feature of this ‘new normal’ is the number of people who are no longer "During and after the pandemic, one-third want ing to go back to full-time of practicing Christians disengaged from (or any) employment, opting for their congregation – just sort of stopped a career change or a change to showing up." Kinnaman said. no career at all. The Church is not immune to this new trend.

These are alarming statistics, and there An alarming report just is no reason to believe that they are produced by The Barna Group, NOT EVERY con ned to the United States. Many which is the U.S’s foremost pastors and leaders in the UK have GOOD IDEA found the strains of leading during researcher on religion shows that two out of ve pastors lockdown and the thought of getting back IS A GOD nationwide (in the U.S.) are into in-person ministry to be too IDEA! seriously thinking about challenging to bear. So what can be quitting the ministry. done? Should leaders just ‘suck it up and get on with it?’ Should they just give in to their desire to quit?

"We found a sub-group Here are three perspectives to help all analysis that pastors in the those who are considering getting off the ministry for 20 years or more merry-go-round: were more likely to tell us they were considering quitting," said David Kinnaman, It is not your responsibility to haul your president and CEO of The Barna Group. church or ministry out of spiritual "Also, younger pastors under 45 were the slumber on your own most likely to say they were considering Lockdown has caused many ministries in quitting.” the church to either stop completely, or to switch to online ministry. Online ministry has its good points - people can still see each While studying the well-being of pastors, other and pray together, but without the risk Barna Research found that 38 percent of of infection; when the meeting is nished pastors want to quit compared with 29 you can terminate your involvement at the percent in January of 2021.

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King sher Leadership

press of a button; you can be involved in the meeting whilst on ‘mute’ and without a video transmitting a picture of yourself, enabling you to ‘zone out’ from time to time without being noticed. Returning to inperson meetings and activities can often leave the leader with the sense of having a mountain to climb - how to reengage people to be physically, mentally and emotionally present, rather than ‘on mute’ and emotionally/spiritually disengaged? The truth is, this ‘mountain’ is not the sole responsibility of the leader. It begs an honest conversation with those in the group/church for us all to take responsibility.

We all have responsibility to end whatever spiritual slumber we nd ourselves in. The leader needs to be honest with the group/ congregation about this and about their own struggles with this.

It is an opportunity to assess, not whether you should stay in ministry, but how you should stay in ministry.

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For many leaders, the struggle is the thought of getting back into what things used to be like - the late nights, the interpersonal con ict, the overwhelming sense of responsibility etc. The return to in-person ministry gives the opportunity to rewrite this story. Don’t just get on the same old merrygo-round and press the ‘go’ button once more - regard this as a unique opportunity to rewrite what ministry looks like, not just for you, but for everyone. Are there activities that, to be honest, we were just doing because we have always done them?

Are there expectations that we were struggling to live up to before the lockdown that make us feel just desperate at the thought of coming under them again? Are you struggling with the thought of multiple late nights each week? Who says you have to just get back to all of that? ‘Business as usual’ no longer exists…unless you allow it to. Be bold! Be adventurous! This is the opportunity to step out and reshape your ministry - it’s not about whether you do it, it’s about how you do it!

1st December 2021

You need fresh exposure to life change Looking back, why was it that you got into ministry in the rst place? For most of us, it was to see lost people saved and redeemed, lives changed, purpose replacing aimlessness. That’s what we need to prioritise getting back to, rather than to the meetings, the con icts, the energysapping busyness. Prioritise getting alongside people who are genuinely being impacted by the Gospel. Refresh yourself in this. Since churches started meeting together in-person in the UK a few months ago, the church I pastor (King sher Westgate) has had three baptism services times of absolute joy as people declare their faith in Jesus Christ through being baptised.

This has refreshed and encouraged me and caused me to remember - this is why I became a pastor! Prioritise fresh exposure to life change and it will cause you to remember and be freshly encouraged and enthused about what ministry is really all about.

Lastly - nd a leader and encourage them.

Let’s recognise that other leaders need encouraging and so let’s go out of our way to get alongside another leader and pray for them, pray with them and seek for ways of encouraging them to step back into this great calling.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will nd rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29, NLT)

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