I would like to start this blog by asking a direct question to your heart: How is your ministry life? Are you living a supernatural leadership? Or rather, a ministry burnout? Is ministry a source of joy for you or just another burden?

We live in times full of busyness and distractions, and unfortunately, this has led many people who love serving the Lord through ministry to lose focus. They no longer live with purposeful leadership, but rather something routine, often feeling like a burden with no apparent motivation.

In this blog, I’d like to share some advice from my ministry experiences that will help refresh your leadership, form true disciples of Jesus, and contribute to the growth of your church and the body of Christ.

We Must Cultivate a True Relationship with God

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29, ESV)

The first time I felt a significant burden and frustration in ministry was during my early years as a pastor. I worked tirelessly to see results, but despite winning many souls, it was as if the church had a back door—people would come, and then they would leave just as quickly.

I remember visiting a leader who had stopped attending church; someone I knew had an extraordinary calling. He could help me with the entire workload. However, he responded, “One of these days, I’ll visit you.”

I prayed that night, asking the Holy Spirit if ministry was about begging people to stay. But that night, I realized I had been doing things my way. I needed to spend quality time with the Lord to surrender my burdens to Him and hear His direction.

I stepped away from pastoring for a time and only moved forward when the Lord indicated it. During that period, God gave me the promise of MCI, and from that moment, I understood that He was the true Shepherd of the church.

Cultivating an intimate and personal relationship with God is the most important thing for any leader. Without this, the ministry is just another job. I serve the Lord because He is alive, with me, and since I was saved, I have always walked with Him, and He with me. He is our rest.

“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV)

We Must Seek to Be Effective

“And the Lord answered me: ‘Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it. For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.’” (Habakkuk 2:2-3, ESV)

In the book of Ecclesiastes, the preacher teaches that “the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong” (Ecclesiastes 9:11), meaning that the one who works hardest does not always see the most outstanding results. Often, ministry fatigue occurs because our efforts are misdirected. We work hard but see few results.

To do ministry effectively, it’s necessary to have a clear and defined strategy. That’s why the G12 Vision, the teams of twelve, and the cell group structure are so important. Working with focus helps ensure our efforts are not in vain and allows us to see fruitful results in everything we sow for the Lord.

Do not base your ministry only on purposeless effort; instead, follow the strategy the Lord has given us. I can confidently say that nothing has brought more blessings to our ministry work than implementing the G12 Vision. It has made our work more effective and prevented the burden from falling on just a few individuals.

We Must Work as a Team

“And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.” (Acts 1:26, ESV)

When the early church began, the first thing that happened before multiplication occurred was that the whole team was established. Ministry can be a heavy burden when done alone. Many leaders often feel that others are not equipped to handle specific tasks, but the truth is that all our competence comes from the Lord. Learn to rest in the Lord, to surrender your burdens, and to trust that the same God can also use other people.

Dear friend, if you have felt exhausted or pressured by ministry work, I invite you to pray and surrender your burdens to Jesus. What you do is very important for the Kingdom. The Holy Spirit wants to help you so that ministry will no longer feel like a burden, but rather a delight and a fruitful activity that glorifies God.

Additionally, I would like to share some tools to help you in your ministry work. By clicking below, you can download the ‘Strategic Kit for G12 Leaders’ completely free. You will find preaching outlines, strategies, and tools to support your ministry journey.