Ministry and Managing in a Chaotic World

by Peggy Haymes, Pinnacle Associate

Feeling overwhelmed yet?

It’s hard just to keep up with natural disasters, between floods and fires, earthquakes and tornadoes. There’s a paralyzing level of chaos in the U.S. government. The horrific atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7th has set long simmering Middle Eastern tensions into full blaze.

You may be swamped with funerals or bad news. You may be in a stewardship campaign that's not exactly rolling along. Your beloved church member has just shared with you the diagnosis and it’s not good. The “great couple” in your church has just announced they’re divorcing.

Oh, and by the way…. It’s almost Advent. Kind of a busy time.

Which leads us to today. Many people I talk to, both as clients and in casual conversation with friends and acquaintances, feel overwhelmed. Just trying to keep up with the news is like the proverbial drinking from a fire hose.

As a minister, how do you tend to the weariness and anxiety of those whom you serve while dealing with your own struggles and feelings? Here are a few guidelines that may be helpful to you.

First of all, tend to your own self first.

Monitor your exposure to news.

Yes, we do need to know what’s happening in the world, our country, our state and our city. In our multi-outlet, 24-hour news cycle there is more news than any of us can take in.

It’s hard to find a balance because we live with the legacy of a world that turned a deaf ear to the cries of millions of Jews, homosexuals and Roma people (gypsies) who were killed in Hitler’s camps. At the same time, if we are paralyzed by the suffering of the world we can do no good for anyone.

Be aware of what's happening, but also be aware of those days when your own spirit is burdened and you need just to read the headlines. The news will be there when you return.

This is particularly true if you have trauma in your background. There are lots of traumatic details out there, whether confirmed or unconfirmed. If you are carrying your own trauma you don't need to carry the details of today’s traumatic events. It’s enough to know that they are happening.

Look for concrete actions.

It may be donating to a trusted relief organization. It may be reaching out to people whom you know are directly affected by these world events, and offering support. It may be advocating for certain initiatives that address needs and crises. It may be offering kindness to the person who is helping you get your coffee or your lunch or vaccinations for your pet. We don't always know what people are carrying, and a little kindness goes a long way. No matter what else is happening, we may choose kindness.

Laugh and have fun.

One of the challenges people in grief can face is allowing themselves to have fun. How can I be having fun when my loved one is gone? They have to give themselves permission to continue to experience the fullness of life.

When the world is in such pain, it can feel disrespectful to spend a couple of hours laughing at a movie or playing a game with friends. And yet, that’s exactly why we need to do such things. With grief, I use the example that it's like swimming underwater. Every so often we have to come up for air. Doing the things we delight in doing helps us come up for air.

If we never give ourselves a break, then in time we will break. And then we will be useful to no one.

Be quiet.

Last week I volunteered to lead the prayer at the end of our choir rehearsal. On Sunday someone thanked me again for my prayer, and thanked me for taking a moment of silence before I began. We talked about the clutter of sound that too often infects our worship services. “How can we hear God speak,” she said, “if we are always talking?”

Take time for quiet. It’s always essential, but now more than ever. Allow yourself to be still and know that you are not God.

Take a walk without headphones. Sit in a quiet room in your church. Turn off the TV, podcast, music, radio, audiobook... And just be. Be in the quiet.

It’s not lost on me that I've spent the entire article talking about helping ourselves, because that’s the point. As we tend to our own selves we are better able to help those whom we serve discover the ways in which they can also manage in an unmanageable time.

At Pinnacle we have a diverse and well trained group of coaches. If you’d like further help in sorting this out, feel free to reach out to us.