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Do you have whiplash from the ever-changing drama in our nation and our world? The uncertainty about the future of the church and other institutions? Leaders still have to make decisions and move forward.
What do you do when you are the leader of a church or other body? Spending months on a five-year strategic plan may not be the best use of time. You may want to shorten your horizon. And even with a multi-year plan, you still have to live it out day to day and week to week.
Here’s what I do, and what I recommend to others: focus on the next 90 days. It’s manageable. Unexpected things may happen within the 90 days. But you can get your mind around that period of time more easily.
Author Susan Beaumont quotes church consultant Gil Rendle: “…people need a proximate purpose: the next appropriate piece of work, the next necessary difference that a person or people believe God seeks in their lives or in their community.” Beaumont adds, “Clarity of focus about our next few steps is more important than a fuzzy picture of an unrecognizable destination.” (How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You Are Going, Rowman & Littlefield, 2019, p. 126)
Let go of the question “What am I going to do about the future of the church/our church/my life?” Instead, ask, “What is the next appropriate piece of work?” As my mother used to say, “Just do the next thing.” That was helpful when I was 15 and overwhelmed by homework, and it’s still helpful.
One pastor I coach says the process redirects his attention from the cosmic level to the ground level. The cosmic level has value. But the ground level is where things happen. That’s where decisions are made and action is taken.
You can experiment with this. Step back and ask “What is my purpose through the end of the program year?” The answer may be “reconnect with God day to day in my work.” Or, “partner with our leaders to handle the budget crisis.” Or, “connect with people in this new call.”
Then ask, “What are some ways I can live that out through these next couple of months?” Experiment with just one or two things you can do to live out that purpose. Less is more. For example, if you want to reconnect with God day to day, you could pray through your calendar when you review it. Then later, pause for a minute of prayer at lunchtime.
You will also have to make room for routine tasks. Some of which will be related to your purpose and some of which aren’t. Even if your purpose is, “Reconnect with God day to day in my work,” you still have to wash dishes.
The future will bring expected and unexpected gifts and challenges. In the meantime, I suggest you focus on these 3 months.
And may you have a blessed 90 days ahead.
Rev.Margaret Marcuson helps ministers get lighter and less burdened by their ministry so they can have more influence with less stress. She is the author of Sustainable Ministry: How to Lead (and When to Nap) [forthcoming].
