This episode of Church Ops 500 continues an interview with Pastor Chris Kelly from Mid Cities Church on how to stay in ministry for the long haul. It covers points 3-5 of his advice, following up on the first two points discussed in the previous episode . The third tip is to follow God's vision for your role. While there are many day-to-day responsibilities and "firefighting" tasks in church operations roles, Pastor Chris believes God places people in specific roles to accomplish something unique that only they can do. He encourages seeking God's guidance to uncover this vision, involving the senior leader, and ensuring it aligns with the church's overall direction without causing division. Importantly, other job duties must still be fulfilled alongside pursuing this vision. The fourth point is getting your financial house in order. Pastor Chris notes that ministry roles often don't pay as well as other jobs, so having sound financial management is crucial. He advises living on a zero-based budget, below one's means, and having an emergency fund in place. He cautions against being tempted by comparing oneself to peers who may have different lifestyles. If struggling financially, he recommends seeking help and resources. The eternal impact of ministry work should be the focus rather than financial compensation. The host adds that because ministry work is deeply meaningful, it can be harder to take breaks and vacations. He emphasizes the importance of enforcing boundaries and rest for oneself and one's team to avoid burnout. The fifth and final point, which Pastor Chris considers most important, is staying connected to God as the source of strength, creativity, wisdom and more. He warns against the temptation to feel everything depends on oneself, which can lead to burnout. Instead, he encourages resisting self-reliance and remaining connected to God and community. Even if one could succeed through their own efforts, success disconnected from Jesus is ultimately meaningless. Pastor Chris recommends: Building connections with people in similar roles at other churches for advice and support. Developing relationships with professionals who work with churches, like accountants and lawyers. Reading books on rest, mentioning "The Rest of God" by Mark Buchanan and "Sacred Rest" by Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith as life-changing reads. However, Pastor Chris notes that experiential knowledge often has a more lasting impact than intellectual knowledge alone. He shares that some of his deepest lessons about rest came through difficult experiences where God forced him to rest. He believes there is much to learn through suffering, as Jesus calls believers to suffer, but God never wastes these experiences. The host agrees, referencing Psalm 23 and how God sometimes forcefully leads people to rest for their own good. He encourages viewers going through difficult times to trust that God is cultivating strength in them through these experiences. The episode concludes with the host emphasizing the importance of proactively building relationships in church operations roles. He explains that the podcast aims to create a space for building connections and confirming listeners' calling to their work. While they may not be in frontline ministry, their behind-the-scenes roles are vital to growing leaders and supporting ministry work. Visit Church Ops 500 YouTube for video content or our Facebook page to ask questions and share your insight.

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