STUDENT MINISTRY: Intentional Rest

This past weekend was a big one for me. We hosted the annual Student Ministry Workers Retreat at Central Baptist College with 65 in attendance. Months of planning and gathering of resources boiled down to a final day. It was a great day, but exhausting. Student ministry workers often experience that same type of exhaustion from events that they plan in their ministries. A well-executed event brings a great deal of satisfaction as work for the Kingdom has been accomplished. However, that doesn’t change the level of tiredness that one may feel after the excitement of the day passes.

Unfortunately, many of us in ministry forget to take a break after a large event. We charge into the next thing and then the next until we can’t do any more. My exhortation is to take some time after that big event for your benefit and that of your ministry. Pause and allow some things to happen:

• Rest for you. When you work out muscles, you must allow them time to recover. In doing so, they can come back stronger, but if you don’t take that time, it will just start tearing you down. Jesus took time to rest, and our goal is to be like Him in all things.

• Time to evaluate. It is important to debrief after events. We need to pause and use the WIN tool (what went Well, what needs Improvement and what do we do Next time). If we never take time to look at what just happened, we may just keep repeating things that need to be changed.

• A break for our family and team. Sometimes, we charge on and forget about the people that are running the race with us. As leaders, we set a pace, but we can’t outpace those we are trying to lead. You may need to slow down and be intentional in your rest for their sake.

Before our retreat, I had a church member come up and put some money in my hands. She told me that this was for the director of Student Ministry Matters to go out for a steak dinner after SMWR2022. Her thoughtfulness was so appreciated, and it reminded me to be intentional in my rest. I hope you will do the same as you serve your church and the kingdom.