Tips to Thrive

Ministry doesn't have to leave you feeling all alone.

ASK FOR HELP 

Pastors’ spouses often carry a lot of responsibilities within the church, from teaching children’s Sabbath School and coordi-nating church events to leading music up front and visiting families on Sabbath afternoons. Life can be pretty busy—es-pecially if you also have young children or work a full-time job outside of the home. If you’re feeling overloaded, overcom-mitted, and on the verge of burnout, consider asking for help!

Often we take on too much responsibility and then do all the work ourselves, leaving us feeling exhausted, frustrated, and alone. But ministry doesn’t have to leave you feeling this way! And you don’t have to do the work alone!

Next time you’re asked to visit someone, invite a friend from your congregation to go along. You will enjoy the company and ministering together. Don’t try to plan the whole Vaca-tion Bible School on your own; ask for help. Put together a group of people who can help you plan and prepare, or at least ask different individuals to cover various aspects for you. Likewise, build a team of helpers for the children’s Sabbath School you are in charge of; others can cover certain weeks or a certain element of the program each Sabbath.

You’ve been asked to cook a meal for the visiting choral group? Think about people you enjoy spending time with or people you would like to get to know better, and ask them to shop and cook with you. This is not always easy to do at first, but as you build relationships within the church (this is key!), it will become easier and more natural to ask for help.

If you get denied, don’t give up. Pray that God will lead you to just the right people who can help you and support you. And as you do this, you will find that your load is lighter, that your friendships are growing, that you enjoy your work more, and that your ministries are more blessed. You might also be surprised at the additional ideas, insight, and experience that come from those you have asked to help you. Remember, “for the body is not one member, but many” (1 Corinthians 12:14, KJV).

Have a survival tip that someone shared with you once upon a time, or that you have learned along the way? Send it in to share here at: [email protected]