Ministry, especially for those who desire to continue doing the work over the long haul of a lifetime, is about pace. In fact, we all know the statistics regarding youth ministry (and ministry in general) how nearly half of those who take up the mantle will exit within five to seven years. In fact, this holds true for most service-oriented occupations such as nursing, teaching and pastoral ministry. Fewer than half of those who begin have the staying power, the endurance, to continue for more than a few years.
What’s the secret?
Pace. Those who set out to change the world, to change a church, to raise mountains out of molehills, rarely finish the course. It is as if they have forgotten the difference between their time and God’s time. These are very different realities.
There is a song we often sing in my congregation: “In His Time.” This song says, “God makes all things beautiful in His time.” When we are relying on God’s time to build faith, to change lives, to take leaps of faith, to grow in commitment and understanding, we know that all of these colossal changes take time—God’s time.
Where do you need to divest yourself of solitary pursuits? Where do you need to trust God more? In what ways would a new pace increase your endurance and your faith?
