Merry Christmas! 

Go tell it on the mountain! 

Glory to God in the highest!

However you choose to express Christmas greetings to friends, family, and all those you serve in your ministry, spread the message of the reason for the season – Jesus Christ is born!

For many, Christmas is one day. It’s the day when we gather with family and friends; attend a Christmas service and celebrate Jesus’ birth; open presents; and celebrate those in our lives with gratefulness.

As ministry leaders, we know that Christmas is a 12-day celebration for Jesus. While December 25 has come and gone, we’re in the midst of the season now… and as others are moving forward to what’s next on the calendar, as ministry leaders, we’re still reflecting what this season means to us, our church, and our communities.

Reflection.

It’s often something that we say we’ll get to, but it inevitably falls to the bottom of the list as other priorities take charge. Those more demanding priorities; the ones that feel more productive as you’re able to check something off the list.

But, reflection is just as important. 

Without self-reflection, we can’t grow. We can’t enjoy what’s happened; and celebrate what’s to come. 

This Christmas season, spend some time – even five minutes – reflecting on the Christmas season and what it meant to you. 

Ask yourself what this Christmas season meant to you, as a person and as a ministry leader. Three key questions can bring you down a path of self-reflection:

• What did you learn?
• How did it challenge you?
• For what are you thankful?

There may not be answers

You may not have a clear path forward; but spending a few minutes reflecting on the challenges and successes of the season can bring you insight for what to focus on in the coming weeks, months, and seasons.

“Examine yourselves to see whether you are living in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not realize that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless, indeed, you fail to meet the test!” - 2 Corinthians 13:5