Holiday Overload: Church Edition
You have probably already experienced this, walking into any department store in late Summer or early Fall. You know, you walk into the store around the end of September, your summer tan still fresh on your face and you are ambushed by HallowThanksgiveMas. What is that you may ask? That is our new hybrid holiday season, where, in the stores at least, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas all merge on the same aisle to give you a veritable holiday seizure only days after you’ve packed away your pool noodles. Asides from being slightly annoying, walking down this aisle can also bring on a bit of stress. Why do zombie pilgrims singing Jingle Bells make me stressed? Because it reminds me of just how much people, and that includes churches, try to cram into this time of year.
No, doubt this is a fun season, but sometimes I think it would be a little more fun if I weren’t a church volunteer. If you are able simply to enjoy the Fall Festivals, Thanksgiving activities, and Christmas events, then yeah, its all fun and hot cocoa. But if you are one of the folks behind the scenes trying to pull off these events for everyone else, it can get down right stressful. So, how can you be a faithful volunteer and not get totally stressed out during this HallowThanksgiveMas season?
Pray
Prayer is your first line of defense. Cover this season with prayer. Make sure your own personal devotion time does not get pushed to the back burner just because you are busy. Taking your own personal time each day with Jesus will help you face those Fall festival meetings, Thanksgiving dinner preparations, and Christmas play practices with grace.
Pace Yourself
If you are starting to feel overwhelmed, don’t take on more than you should. You can volunteer without taking on too much. Before attending the meetings for some of these events, decide how much you can take on, then hold yourself to that. There is a ditch on both sides of the road. Yes, your church needs volunteers, but if you are already doing your part, don’t overload yourself.
Pick Your Battles Wisely
The most stressful part about most of these events is that people’s emotions run high. The last thing you want is for there to be conflict at church events. It does happen, though, sometimes. The only person you can control is yourself, so make sure that you choose your battles wisely. If there is a legitimate problem that needs addressing, do so with grace. If it isn’t really that big of a deal, then let it slide.
This can be such a great time of year, when you don’t let stress steal the joy. Your church is so blessed to have great volunteers like you. Give it your best, but don’t stress.
You can see all of the articles by Sarah on Sunday School Zone.
