Are you a mom and in ministry?
First off, I want to say you are doing a GREAT JOB! I see you, I get what you are going through, and you are AMAZING. Being a mom is a blessing AND being in ministry is a blessing. Being a mom is a calling AND being in ministry is a calling. You can do both things at once and thrive.
You can love your kids, love the church AND teach your kids how to love the church all at the same time.
IT IS POSSIBLE. You might feel a little crazy doing it, but IT IS POSSIBLE.
Here is a little bit of my story in timeline form…
July 2015 - on staff at my previous church when I found out I was pregnant
April 2016 - gave birth to our son
March 2017 - gave birth to a church plant in Pasadena
May 2018 - found out I was pregnant
Jan 2019 - gave birth to our daughter
2020 - Pandemic happened
2021 - CURRENTLY, I have a 5 year old son, 4 year old church, and 2 year old daughter!
Writing out that timeline made me realize how insane the last 5-6 years have been in my life. A lot of change and flexibility. I lot of giving up of self and caring for others. But I wouldn’t change it!
Here are some things I have learned in the last few years while being a mom and being in full time ministry…
Your family and your kids are your most important ministry. One Sunday I was running a rehearsal for my team when I heard my daughter screaming in the other room. At first, it was very distracting, but when I realized that she was hungry I said to my team, “take 10! This mama has got to feed her baby!” She probably won’t remember that I stopped rehearsal for her, but as she grows up I want her to know that I will stop whatever I am doing to tend to her needs. My kids always come first. And on another note, I want to set a precedent in the culture of my team that “family matters”.
Bring your kids along for the ride. Sunday mornings are a bit chaotic for my family. We are a bit unique because my husband is my music director so we ALL GO TO CHURCH. We get up at the crack of dawn, get ready, pack the bags, wake up the kids from their peaceful slumber, change diapers, get kids dressed, load the car and head to church. It is A LOT to handle. Sometimes I think… are my kids going to hate church? Am I doing this right? But then I remember the benefits of a ministry family… Being involved with the local church every week instills in my kids at a young age that we make church priority. We choose to put Jesus first in our schedule. It also is a beautiful way to serve as a family.
Organization is key. This is so important!! Laying out outfits the night before, packing up the bags including food/snacks/toys/etc. Preparing yourself and being organized helps you to ease into your Sunday routine a bit more worry-free. I try to remind myself that this is only a season, and I will most likely look back at this time and miss when they were little.
It takes a village. When you are trying to balance ministry and mom life, you have to remember that surrounding yourself with people is key to your survival. I have two people on rotation who come early to church to help watch our kiddos on Sundays. It is OKAY to ask for help! Some of the benefits of this… Your kids are loved and poured into by other people… It gives other people a chance to serve your family…. It gives you ease of mind knowing your kids are taken care of so that you can focus on leading worship or running rehearsal, etc. Take advantage of your village!
Ultimately, I want my kids growing up seeing their mom passionate about Jesus and passionate about the local church. I want to instill in them at a young age the importance of the body of Christ, and hopefully, PRAYERFULLY, they will come to know Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior one day. That is the goal.