You want to see God do amazing things in and through your church in 2025. Now is the time to start. If you aren’t intentional about it, ministry in January can be kind of a wash. To help, we have outlined 5 key areas where you will want to focus on now in order to get your year started off well.
5 Projects to Start 2025 Strong
1. Reflect on 2024
In December, we suggested that you take some time to think through some key questions. It’s an exercise for perspective that will help you gain clarity and intentionality. You can find find further framework in this blog but the questions are below:
- How are you doing… really?
- How are the people in your care doing?
- What were the big wins of this past year–and how did they move your mission forward?
- What were the mistakes of this past year–and what can you learn from them?
- Where is God at work–and how can you join in that work?
There is no substitute for a significant time of reflection on questions like these. Without it, you won’t move forward in 2025; you’ll just be stuck in neutral, repeating what you’ve already done. Although you can certainly reflect individually, it often helps more to talk with a ministry partner or a coach. There’s power in saying things aloud. And the answers to questions like these can provide powerful directions for your ministry moving forward.
2. Strategize to maximize your time
As Peter Drucker famously said, “There is nothing quite so useless as doing with great efficiency something that should not be done at all.” Take a beat now to write down how you spend your time. Give yourself a week and record what you do and for how long. The practice may sound pedantic, but most people who do it find surprises they did not expect. You can get further guidance on this HERE.
If you want to make an impact in the new year, you will want to be intentional about how you use your time. Sure, sometimes there are fires to put out. But primarily, you need to focus on what matters. Ensure that how you spend your time aligns with your intended priorities. Skip what doesn’t matter (no one will notice). Delegate what you can–it will help others grow. Above all, spend intentional time listening to the Holy Spirit about how he wants you to use your time. Listen and discern–what you hear may surprise you.
3. Assess your team
Your goals for 2025 will fall short if you don’t have a healthy and effective staff. Take time to consider how your staff—a key volunteers— are currently functioning in their roles. Are they experiencing joy? If not, consider if they are in the right role and doing the right tasks. Do they see meaning in what they are doing? If not, cast a wider vision and underscore how their contribution fits into that vision. Do they feel their strengths are valued and empowered? If not, provide relationally coaching and support to ensure they are serving from their strengths. And if you’re not sure, schedule some time with each staff member to ask them some open-ended questions about how they are doing and how they feel about what they are doing. Learn more on renewing church staff energy HERE.
4. Plan for wise spending
Just as it is with individuals, so it is with ministries. How you spend your money reflects your priorities. If your focus is outward toward the community rather than inward toward the congregation, your ministry budget should reflect that reality. If it doesn’t, consider whether your stated values are your actual values. To start 2025 strong, make any necessary adjustments now. Any money you spend needs to be connected to a clear goal–and the clear goals need to be connected to your values, vision, and mission. January is a great time to start evaluating your budget so you can make needed changes for the upcoming year. Spend fifteen minutes to strategize a spending. You can learn more about connecting funds to goals HERE.
5. Commit to transparency
It is critical to think through how and what you communicate to your church. At some point in the upcoming year–different churches have different traditions of when they do this–a “State of the Church Address” is given. You’ll want to start thinking now about what you have to say. Take time to reflect on how well the church is meeting its goals, what blockages it might be facing, and what opportunities are presenting. Be sure to consider the following five elements in your State of the Church Address, you can learn more about how to do this well HERE.
- Roots. Where have you come from as a church? What has been central to your formation, history, and identity?
- Celebration. What have you accomplished this past year that you can celebrate?
- Challenges. What obstacles have you faced? What new ones may be coming?
- Goals. What have you been trying to accomplish? How accurate has your aim been?
- Vision. Where do you want to go? How can you cast that vision in a meaningful, inspiring way?
Moving Forward
As you commit to a strong start to 2025, consider how some of the following resources might be helpful to you:
Finding the Flow– Learn how to avoid common pitfalls while strengthening and supporting your small group ministry. This book is currently FREE through Kindle Unlimited. Grab it quick!
Leadership Skills Guides- No leader is perfect. Everyone has some area in which they can grow. The red flag is raised when that area is essential to leadership. This downloadable resources covers 37 essential leadership skills. It is not meant to read cover-to-cover but instead is crafted to help you come alongside leaders and empower them with the specific skills that will make them more effective.
Discipleship Difference- One of our most read blogs last year was titled, “What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?” Discipleship is still the cornerstone of Christian ministry. However, there is confusion as to what it means and how to go about it. The Discipleship Difference offers a clear biblical definition of discipleship by taking an in depth look at how Jesus helped the apostles grow in their faith. This book will help you gain clarity on how to make disciples… and start doing it.
