Many of the clients we work with here at 4Sight are ministry leaders and church leaders. As I reflect on that and on the significance of Holy Week in our faith, I have a slightly different approach to this edition of Weekly Insights than usual. See, during the years I spent on staff with two different large churches, the weeks and days leading up to Easter were always full and busy, rushed and demanding. Full of excitement over innovation, anticipation of changed lives and meaningful experiences certainly, but weighty and detail-ridden and exhausting too. I wonder if that’s how you’re experiencing this week.

Our tendency as leaders can, at times, be to prioritize the needs of the organization, the needs of our team, the needs of the mission ahead of our own. It’s understandable. It can feel noble, even. But the opportunity exists for us to maintain a balance.

You cannot lead from empty. Your best leadership is an overflow of what God has poured into you, who He has made you, and the sacred trust He’s called you to.

So this Easter week, for both the ministry leaders AND the marketplace leaders we serve, I have a reminder and an invitation for you.

If you are a ministry leader, remember this: the hope of Easter is for you, too. It’s not just for those you serve. It’s not just for the people on your volunteer teams or staff team. It’s not a celebration that you merely help create so that others find it meaningful. The hope of Easter is for you, too.

If you have encountered more than your share of hopelessness in the past year, be encouraged. The resurrection reminds us that God loves to bring things to life.

The invitation for you is this: find one life-bringing moment to simply BE this weekend. Whether it’s in the quiet auditorium before your guests arrive. Or in the service you decide to actually sit with your family to receive instead of pour out for a moment. Maybe it’s in the reflective and still time at the end of the weekend, when you’re the last one to leave, surveying what’s been accomplished. Regardless of when it is, fight for one moment when you can rest in the truth that God is bringing you to life.

And if you’re a leader of faith in an industry that is not faith-based, remember this: the hope of Easter is for you, too. It’s not just something you pray for your customers to discover. It’s not just for a hope you have for those you lead. God is not limited by labels like “for-profit” or “marketplace.” Your integrity, your intentionality in the values you employ to lead your team, the care and excellence of your strategies, they are light in dark places.

If you have encountered more than your share of discouragement in the past year, be encouraged. Easter reminds us that God loves to spread light in dark places.

The invitation for you is this: reach out to and encourage the pastors or ministry leaders in your life. Serve and support your local church (whether that’s online or in person during this season.) Your place in the body is one of influence that shouldn’t be underestimated. You are a source of light.

Leaders, it’s not selfish to receive (even while you’re giving your all this week.) Nor is it insignificant to give (even while you’re receiving and celebrating.) It takes all of us to make up the light-spreading, life-giving body of Christ in this world. Happy Easter! 

About the Author

Jenni Catron is a writer, speaker, and leadership coach who consults churches and non-profits to help them lead from their extraordinary best. She speaks at conferences and churches nationwide, seeking to help others develop their leadership gifts and lead confidently. As Founder and CEO of The 4Sight Group, she consults with individuals and teams on leadership and organizational health.

Jenni is the author of several books, including Clout: Discover and Unleash Your God-Given Influence and The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership.