Transitional Ministry Leadership - Resiliency and Self Care

In these days of chaos and economic pressues, it seems critical to think about our ability to be resiliant in the face of such pressures. Resiliance, as I use it here, refers both to our personal resiliance in the face of change pressures but also the resilience of the congregation as they confront leadership change in the midst of cultural, economic and shifts in religious/theological thinking.

In any change process the transitional leader will recognize the value of two key factors, resistance and resiliance. Resistance to change occurs much as the the elastic band in the picture above. The further it stretches, the more resistance is built up as kinetic energy. Resilience in this case refers to the ability to stretch out and return without breaking or weakening.

Pastoral transitional leaders can model resiliency for congregations by excercising good self care. When I excercise regularly, I am able to stretch and bend easily. Good self care practices in the areas of physical exercise, emotional/relational life, intellectual and spiritual is like filling a reservoir of energy resources behind a dam. When change and pressure push against the dam, some of the filled capacity is released. In very turbulent times, huge amounts of resources are pushed through the dam so that it does not break.

However, the resources must be replenished if the reservoir is to be resiliant - to return to its full capacity and role of storing energy resources. What activities restore you, build up the capacity for leadership, keep you centered? Attending to our self care will be one key way to be resiliant in the face of ministry pressures.

Bob Anderson

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Being the paragon of self care that I am :) I know that I have more capacity for challenging experiences when I am rested, physically fit, nurture life giving relationships and spend time working in the areas of my gifts and passion.