I have been a long distance runner since middle school. I have run hundreds of races, ranging in length from 1 mile to 26.2 (marathon) and everything in between. Regardless of the length, one thing is true for every race: finding the right pace is essential. Simply put, when you start too fast, you pay a big price later.

As I’ve talked with pastors and ministry leaders over the last month, two things have become crystal clear: (1) the first couple weeks of the covid-19 crisis were a sprint for everyone, and (2) we’re not close to the finish line.

Even as an experienced runner, my pace at the start of a race was always faster than my target. The adrenaline and the rush of other runners made it virtually impossible to do otherwise. For ministry leaders, that initial surge was also inevitable as you made sudden transition to online worship and tried to invent ways to do ministry remotely.

We’re well past the starting line now, so how do you find a sustainable pace for ministry in this unprecedented new season?

• Run your own race. Each runner enters a race with a different target pace based on their own level of conditioning. Choosing your pace of ministry based on what others are doing will only lead to exhaustion. Set expectations and boundaries that are right for you. 
• Pay attention to little signals. The clock was one way for me to check my pace against my target. But my body gave me equally important clues. What are the signs that you may be going too slow or too fast?
• Run with a partner. While you shouldn’t be influenced by the masses, it is invaluable to have a race partner who can help you maintain a steady pace. We’re all longing for personal connection right now, so why not reach out to a friend who can encourage you to lead in healthy and sustainable ways.

My running analogy breaks down on one important point. I never ran a race in which I didn’t know the distance. But for leaders today, the finish line is unclear. It seems increasingly likely that we won’t “get back to normal” at the end of April. And don’t mistake being allowed to gather again for the real finish line. Once we begin to congregate, leaders will be faced with a host of issues including financial challenges, an increased counseling load (looking for spiritual direction, dealing with post-traumatic stress, family issues), and questions about how your ministry should evolve.

I don’t write this to discourage you about the long race ahead of us, but to be a friend who is encouraging you to find the right pace. As Paul instructed his friends in Corinth, “Run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Cor. 9:24). 

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