When I was in ministry full-time there were times when I looked around the room at the staff and saw a lot of eeyore’s looking back at me. You remember Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh?  Always the glass is half empty, the 100-Aker Woods token pessimist (where Pooh and his gang live), typically just on the edge of being completely depressed.  Ministry can produce a season of Eeyores sometimes. I call it the Eeyore Syndrome. Perhaps as a staff we get too focused on the obligations, the current state of culture, the pressure to be on the cutting edge for our congregation, you name it. When we start to feel that discouragement and pressure creeping in, we need to recognize how we can combat it.

Here are some great ways as a church staff member you can fight the inevitable eeyore seasons:

1.  Always focus yourself, your staff, and your leaders on the organization’s mission.  This will help to maintain a sense of purpose for everyone involved and reminds people of the importance of your mission and why even the small tasks are important.

2.  Make it a habit to show appreciation to the staff and key leaders.  This is for any staff member not just those that are up on the stage. We can all show appreciation towards each other.  Some practical ways to do this: plan a surprise lunch (know what they like…did someone say Taco Tuesday?), bring in a sweet treat for everyone, leave notes of encouragement for others, start a fun “joke” between the staff – like leaving a funny statue find from Goodwill at someone’s desk and then encourage them to hide it in someone else’s office.

3.  Make a habit of celebrating WINS. Have staff members share stories of a WIN that week. When we celebrate the WINS we create excitement and it helps reinforce the organization’s mission and goals. Do this regularly!

4.  Make time for encouraging friends. Eeyore may have been a downer, but he had friends that weren’t. He surrounded him with others that could help himself see the good, the WINS, the possibilities. Meet regularly with people who will share in your joys and encourage in your frustrations, can listen and help you process your current situations. If it’s something beyond what a friend can deal with seek professional help from a counselor or therapist.

Discouragement is a part of life. We all experience it, but we can create strategies to combat it.  Within your staff, take some steps to put strategies in place especially when you are feeling great about what’s currently happening. This will help you to have already developed habits to fight against discouragement and continue to live out your organization’s mission.