Finally home at the end of the day.

Kids are screaming,

Dog is barking.

A Perflunker could blow all the stress away.

Hung up the phone. A disgruntled Miss Mae.

Seems she is mad,

At my Sunday suit, plaid.

A Perflunker could blow all the stress away.

A Perflunker. A device that will make everything nice. Take the stress and return with a bless.

It would be nice, wouldn’t it?

If I could design my very own Perflunker, it would look like this:

Perflunker

If you could design your very own Perflunker what would it look like?

These are interesting days. I have heard stories of Pastors and Executive Pastors wrestling with a shrinking income base, facing the tough challenge of telling good people they can no longer remain on the church’s payroll. It’s excruciating when you have to look someone in the eyes (someone you’ve served alongside, formed and stormed and normed together) and tell them they have to go somewhere else to find income.

In these times, how do you stay strong?

I’m not an expert on the topic but I’ve been in leadership through some downsizing and I can share from my own experience. I would hope you could add to the dialog. Perhaps someone is right now struggling with this and needs your encouraging idea or thought. Here are mine:

Pray. Pray, pray, pray. Don’t do it without the Holy Spirit’s injection of energy and power. Cry out to Him. Be honest with Him. Complain if you must. But spend a lot of time with Him.

Eat Right. That right, diet is a large part of staying strong amid stress. Research what foods give you the necessary balance of energy and protein. Don’t slip into a diet of unhealthy foods or eating the same thing all the time.

Exercise. Stress is unhealthy for the mind and body. Check out this article from Psychology Today. Exercise allows sweat to transport harmful chemicals from the body. Ever feel a “good tired” after a workout? (consult your doctor before you start any exercise program if you have any special health conditions).

Meditate. God has provided an unbelievable resource in The Bible. Scriptures are replete with examples of how capable God is despite the circumstances. Story after story indicates God is, like the old worship song says, “…more than able to accomplish what concerns me today.”

Your turn: What else would you add to the list?

Money. Sore issue for some ministry leaders. Is it really about dancing a fine line between asking for givers and turning people off to the church? Or do you simply say nothing and trust God to give the increase? Until it’s fully understood and handled well, the topic of church finances can bring a lot of stress to the ministry leader’s life. This greatly diminishes the ability to stay strong.

There are a ton of excellent resources available to help you. One such resource is Casey Graham. You can find him on Twitter at @caseygraham. He’s got a great website with tremendous resources. Check it out here.

In the meantime, we all need a relief valve now and then. Watch the Skit Guys display “The Skinny on Tithing”…

How do YOU talk about tithing to your congregation?

“..Pastors can be extremely busy trying to keep up with their Christmas calendars at church, while also dealing with all of the other usual demands of the holidays, from stringing lights to fighting the shopping crowds and traffic.  Pastors who are not careful run the risk of neglecting their our own families at Christmas time…”

This is a quote from Jim Fuller, Executive Director of Pastoral Care, Inc. <Read the whole article>

So how can this year’s holiday season be the best it can be? Here are 3 suggestions:

1.  Step Away From The Buffet

It seems food comes out of the woodwork during the holidays. There are trays of cookies and sweet concoctions we didn’t know existed until December. There are Christmas parties with yams and hams. There are gifts in the mail with chocolate and caramel. Over indulgence can lead to feeling poorly about ourselves. This low self-esteem radiates onto others around us. They pick up our “down” vibe, making the holidays more stressful than it needs to be. The key is moderation.

2. Get Down On The Floor

Your kids are watching how you handle the holidays. If they are young, get down on the floor at their level and spend some quality time with them. Play on their terms. Some of the greatest moments of my life have been in the imaginary worlds of spaceship legos and dainty tea-parties. If your kids are getting older, determine what their “floor” is and spend quality time on their terms. If you have no kids, those closest to you have a “floor” as well. The key is to make quality time with family intentional.

3. Go Into The Closet

Prayer is vital to a meaningful holiday experience. Just imagine, it will be the middle of January before you know it. Do you want to look back and say, “My, how I let the precious moments slip through my fingers like sand” or do you want to look back and say, “My, how the precious moments magnified in the presence of the Holy One.”  Prayer will help prepare you to see the precious moments when they are happening. It will still your heart to see what’s really going on as it happens. You will be tuned into divine family moments and it will enrich your holiday experience.

What other ways are you planning to survive the holidays this year?