How to Keep the Momentum Going
We just (re)launched a new ministry for young adults called Momentum. It’s been exciting to see God not only bringing young adults to our church, but also raising them up to take initiative to nurture a community of other young adults to have a desire to know Jesus and make Him known. God is moving in our church and He is building momentum!
Are you experiencing momentum in your ministry?
Sometimes we go through a slow and difficult season and other times we go through a fast and exciting season. If the latter is where you are at right now, praise God! (And praise God if it’s a slow and difficult season). When things are going well and there is momentum, how do we keep the momentum going? Here are three ideas…
1. SLOW DOWN
I know that sounds counterintuitive. If we want to keep the momentum going, shouldn’t we keep going and going and going at a fast pace? Strike the iron while it’s hot! By slow down, I don’t mean inactivity or laziness, but, rather, slow down your pace in order to be with Jesus because He is the source of momentum.
The temptation is to allow the hurried culture in which we live to set the pace for our lives. I battle that temptation every Sunday night when I want to move past today and start thinking about next Sunday. I want to keep doing so the momentum can keep going. But doing for Jesus must flow out of being with Jesus.
So often I don’t take the time to slow down and deliberately commune and connect with Jesus. I’m already thinking ahead when Jesus wants me to sit in the moment with Him to reflect, process, listen, and refuel. Jesus tells us in John 15:5 that apart from abiding in Jesus, it is impossible to bear lasting fruit.
What does slowing down need to look like in your life?
2. GET BENEATH THE SURFACE
You’ve seen the iceberg illustration with the tip of the iceberg above the water and the rest of it beneath the water’s surface. So much of our life is lived above the water where we tend to focus on what’s visible and how we present ourselves or how we want people to see us or our ministries. When there is momentum in the church, we might assume people (including our own selves) are maturing spiritually on the basis of activities, such as church attendance, serving, starting new ministries, small group participation, etc. People are doing great, and I’m doing great, so let’s keep moving forward and build on the momentum!
Again, it’s counterintuitive, but the way to keep the momentum going is to go deeper and pay attention to all the beneath-the-surface issues like how our past impacts the present, secret sins, unresolved conflict, and unprocessed hurt. This is a slow, hard, and often painful work. It’s a work that the Holy Spirit has to do in us, and He does it through community, walking alongside each other as we apply the gospel of grace and truth to every area of our lives and ministry. In the long run, focusing only on what’s above the surface will lead to burnout and derail momentum.
3. ANCHOR IN GOD’S LOVE
Again, this is counterintuitive because we think that to keep the momentum going, we should pull up the anchor and charge full steam ahead. However, we won’t go anywhere unless we remain anchored in the love of God.
About 8 years ago, I went through a season of burnout and mild depression. During my sabbatical I wrote this reflection after having attended a spiritual formation retreat:
“We were asked to consider this statement: Dedicated believers, seminary students and those in the ministry: 1) Have a great desire to grow and be used of God yet (2) often struggle with a secret/great burden of guilt and shame that they are not as mature as they should be, that they are not further along as they should be, that their lives are dry and withered at times.
I have a confession to make. That is me.
One of the questions I wanted to process through during my sabbatical was this: “What kind of pastor do I want to be for the next 10-15 years?” It hit me during the retreat that behind this question were feelings of shame and guilt that I haven’t been as good (or effective) of a pastor as I know I should be (or that people expect me to be) and that I haven’t taken the church further along as it should be.
The typical Christian response to this turmoil would be, “What can I do to improve? What can I do to be a better pastor? How can I pull myself out of this spiritual dryness and darkness? Maybe if I read more Scripture, pray more, study more, or just simply hunker down, put a smile on my face, and endure through this time, things will get better.”
The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t. And this may not be a bad thing. Perhaps this time of darkness is a gift from God—an invitation to enter into deeper awareness of the darkness in my soul and to deal openly and honestly with the messiness that is there. I often ask myself, “God, what am I doing wrong?” (which is a very self-absorbed type of question) when the question should be, “God, what are you doing?” Perhaps God wants to take me to a new place of neediness and dependence where power is perfected in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).”
This time of darkness was a gift because it was in that place of darkness where I heard God say to me, “John, I love you. I don’t just love when you are doing great and the church is growing. I love you right now when you are at your lowest.”
That love has anchored me ever since.
If you and/or your ministry is experiencing momentum, wonderful! Now, slow down, get beneath the surface, and anchor in God’s love.
John Park
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Thansk for sharing … taking time to contemplate the awesome nature of God — gives us “momentum” when we need it — Blessings