Blog
Simple rhythms of rest in the busiest month of the year
For most ministry leaders, December is not a “cozy” month.
It is extra services
extra planning
extra late nights
and extra emotions in every room.
You carry the weight of Advent hope while trying to get slides done, make sure there are enough volunteers for Christmas Eve, and care for people who are quietly falling apart as the holidays get closer.
If December feels more like a sprint than a season of worship, you are not alone.
Research in recent years has shown what many pastors and church leaders already feel in their bones. In 2022, about 42 percent of them said they had seriously considered quitting full-time ministry in the past year, mostly due to stress, exhaustion, and isolation. Even though the numbers have improved a bit since then, about one-third of pastors and church leaders still say they have thought seriously about leaving in the past year.
You are not imagining the weight. It is real.
So how do you walk through Advent without burning out by Christmas Eve?
Let’s keep it simple and realistic.
1. Name Your Real Capacity For December
You are one person with a real body, a real nervous system, and real limits.
Before you finalize the calendar, ask:
- How many extra events can I actually attend and still be a kind human at home
- How many evenings out in a week is sustainable for my spouse and me
- What absolutely has to be done by me, and what could be done by someone else
This is not selfish. It is stewardship.
When pastors and church leaders ignore limits, everyone eventually feels it: their family, staff team, volunteers, and congregation.
At CedarCreekMinistries, we see the long-term impact. Many of the leaders who come for sabbatical are not just tired from one hard month. They are worn down from years of saying yes to everything and no to almost nothing that restores them.
You are allowed to build your December around what you can realistically carry, not what people wish you could.
2. Put Your Own Sabbath On The Calendar First
Advent is about waiting and worship, but ministry can turn it into constant motion.
Before you add one more event or outreach, choose:
- one weekly day that is not available for meetings
- one evening each week that is protected for family or quiet
- one pocket of time each week that is just for you and Jesus
This is not extra credit. It is how you stay human.
Pastors, church leaders, and missionaries who practice weekly rest tend to experience better emotional and spiritual health than those who do not. In one long-term study, the ones who prioritized Sabbath with their families every week were more likely to report strong relationships at home and higher ministry satisfaction.
You are not weak for needing rest. You are wise for planning it.
3. Lower The Pressure, Raise The Presence
Every December, leaders feel the pull to make services bigger, production higher, and moments “special.”
But the people who walk into your building this month are not coming for perfection. They are coming for presence.
- Presence of God
- Presence of a shepherd who really sees them
- Presence of a community that feels safe enough to breathe
What if you measured this Advent season by questions like:
- Did people hear the Gospel clearly
- Did someone who was grieving feel seen
- Did our team experience joy serving together
Numbers matter. Preparation matters. Excellence matters.
But presence changes people more than production ever will.
4. Ask For Help Before You Hit A Wall
You are not meant to carry December alone.
The same studies that show high burnout also show something else. Pastors and church leaders who feel well supported by close friends, mentors, or counselors are far more likely to stay in ministry and describe themselves as hopeful and resilient, even in hard seasons.
This month:
- Let one safe person know how you are actually doing
- Share the real load with your elders or board
- Invite volunteers into ownership instead of trying to protect them from everything
Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is to say, “I need help,” before everything hurts.
5. Plan A Recovery Window, Not Just Events
Many Pastors, church leaders, and missionaries plan every detail of Christmas Eve and almost nothing about the week after.
If you can, choose:
- one Sunday in late December or early January, with a simpler service
- one stretch of days where you step back from meetings, email, and new initiatives
- one small way your church can give you and your family time to breathe
This is not indulgence. It is prevention.
At Cedar Creek Ministries, we exist because we have seen what happens when leaders rest before they crash. When pastors or church leaders have space to be quiet, sleep, laugh with their families, and hear God again without pressure, they return different. Their families soften. Their vision clears. Their churches feel the difference.
A Simple Prayer For Advent
If you do not have energy for much else, here is a prayer you can keep coming back to in December:
“Lord, I am tired, but I am Yours.
Help me lead with Your strength,
not my hurry.
Help me see people the way You see them.
Guard my family, guard my heart,
and let this Advent be about You,
not my performance.”
You are not behind if you feel weary.
You are not failing if December feels heavy.
You are a human shepherd, loved by the Chief Shepherd. He is not asking you to do everything. He is inviting you to walk with Him through one day at a time.
And if your soul exhaled even a little as you read this, it may be time to plan real rest for the year ahead. That is why Cedar Creek Ministries exists: to help you personally rest, restore family relationships, and revive ministry vision, so you can keep walking worthy of the calling you have received.
We are grateful for you. Truly.
