Counting the cost of ministry includes making space for the people who matter most.
I am very much a planner.
The fall tends to be a season of reaping, both in the agricultural world and in the spiritual (many churches tend to see an increase in attendance, visitors, and salvations around the time that school starts back). But for me, fall has always seemed a time the church tech world would use to plan and build.
Planning ahead isn’t just about the work. It’s about making sure I don’t go bankrupt emotionally or relationally.”
For many of us, this time of year includes lots of budget prep, whether a new fiscal year began this fall or if one is starting anew in January. For others, much of fall’s focus can be on Christmas planning, since time will fly between now and then. For still others, this is a time of maintenance and repairs after a busy stretch of summer camps and back-to-school events.
Regardless of which one (or multiples) may be most applicable, the key theme with all of them is intentionality. We all know something big and important is afoot, so we have no choice but to prioritize time to think about things strategically: how much budget money do I need for repairs, when do I need to lock in gear rentals for Christmas, what is the right window of time to retune the PA in the main room, etc.
But as much thought and effort as we put into planning for our tasks, I wonder if we’re as strategic in our planning of how to take care of ourselves before and during those challenging seasons?
Being fully immersed in ministry doesn’t mean neglecting yourself or those you love.
As a planner, I’ve always loved a word of wisdom Jesus shared in his teachings, found in Luke 14:28 (NIV): “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?”
Everything we do and undertake has a cost, generally measured in time, energy, and resources. And there’s wisdom and prudence in sitting down to count the cost ahead of time.
But everything we do in ministry also has a personal cost that we must pay, whether of our emotions, stress, or relational collateral. And that’s the cost we sometimes don’t consider.
Let me explain.
Working long hours to run events or do Christmas prep, whether in programming, rehearsing, or cleaning up, has a cost. That’s less time that I can do on other tasks. It’s less time I can spend with my family and friends. It’s less sleep, and maybe a more irregular meal schedule. Maybe the cost is also equated in more stress and less time to unwind.
There’s a cost associated with my output, and before I start “building that tower” (as Jesus referenced) of Christmas prep, I need to sit down and think about if I have enough “money” (or energy or time) to complete it.
When a busy season is approaching, and I know I will pay a cost, I need to ask if I’m ready to pay the cost
I will have less time to spend with my family because of whatever event prep. So how can I intentionally and strategically invest in them before that busy season so that when I make a “withdrawal” of time while I “build my tower,” I don’t go relationally bankrupt?
You can’t lead others well if you’re running on empty.
I will have to work long hours for several days because the only time I can do necessary maintenance before the next service is late at nite after business hours, and that will probably be physically draining. How can I “count that cost” ahead of time by allowing myself some extra rest, or maybe an off day, so I have the energy to navigate an exhausting stretch?
I’m about to be so busy during the work week focused on something specific and intense like budget prep that I won’t have the time to do other critical things like schedule volunteers or update service flow in Planning Center. When I sat down ahead of time to plan my schedule and “count the cost” of staying head-down for so long, did I make strategic decisions on how to delegate those tasks or how to empower others so that other work still got done despite my busyness?
Being fully immersed building a tower doesn’t mean that other responsibilities get to be neglected because I don’t have time. It just means that part of building a tower is having a plan to still accomplish the necessary things that must be done even while I’m building.
As technicians, we have made the choice to serve in ministry and create an environment for others to hear and experience the power of God so that their lives are changed like ours were. Doing that, and all the other critical things that come with it, can be all-consuming at times. However, that’s no excuse to neglect ourselves, our relationships, and our other responsibilities in life.
It’s easy to come up with a to-do list for pending work tasks we need to complete. Yet we often fail to use that same sense of planning and preparation to think of how we need to prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally ahead of those very same tasks to ensure that we’re fully ready to embrace and complete them and come out successfully on the other side.
As we all enter new seasons that have varying degrees of busyness, let’s make sure to really think through how our lives will be impacted by what’s on the horizon. We can invest in ourselves, our teams, and our families now, before it gets crazy, so there’s collateral in the bank for when we have to make the inevitable withdrawal during that busy time.
When I take time to count the cost in advance, it keeps me from going bankrupt in my relationships, my emotions, and my responsibilities, and ensures that I’m able to build something strong and healthy without having any regrets.
