5 Things to Do in January

January brings a funny mix of emotions for ministry leaders.

On one hand, there’s fresh hope…

• You have a nice clean calendar.
• There’s the opportunity to build some new working rhythms.
• And a sense that this could be the year things really click.

On the other hand, there’s exhaustion. You’ve just come off a full ministry season…

• Christmas services
• Volunteer parties
• Visits with your extended family
• Some big wins, and some over-the-top logistics.
• You might feel like you have a lot to celebrate, but maybe you’re also just really, really tired.

And while you’re balancing that sense of possibility with the need for a bigger cup of coffee, January also brings pressure. Pressure to actually fill out that blank calendar, capitalize on December’s momentum, and make sure you don’t make the same mistakes this year you made last year.

Take a deep breath. And maybe another sip of that coffee. Because we have some good news for you. You don’t need a perfect plan to start strong.

January doesn’t have to be about rushing into plans or filling every open space on your calendar. Instead, it can be a January reset for ministry leaders—a chance to slow down, reflect on the year behind you, and step into what’s next with a plan.

We’re going to challenge you (and ourselves) to think differently about January this year. Instead of hitting the ground running, let’s build our month around five simple moves.

You don’t need to do all five at once and you may find you need a little more focus on one of these moves than the other. That’s okay! Make these your own. But together, this structure can offer a grounded way to begin the year with clarity instead of chaos.

1. REST

We know. We’ve heard this many times before too and it always feels like good advice for someone else, but impossible for us. That’s why we’re starting with this one… because it often feels hardest, but it may be the most necessary.

Rest isn’t laziness. It’s wisdom.

For many leaders, January is the first chance to slow down after a full season of ministry. And yet, it’s also the month when rest is most often skipped. Ministry comes with a built-in mentality that says, “I’ll have time to rest later if I work really hard now.”

Or maybe it sounds more like…

• I’ll rest once I lock in my teaching calendar.
• I’ll rest when I finish planning camp.
• I’ll rest after I wrap up my next volunteer training.

But here’s the truth – if rest isn’t planned, it usually doesn’t happen.

That vague future idea of taking some time off, enjoying a vacation, or just catching your breath will always be easier to push off than work. But rest isn’t a reward for hard work, rest is an act of trusting God and choosing to be at your best.

Even a short, intentional pause can make a huge difference. Because here’s the thing—rest doesn’t have to mean disappearing for weeks. It can look like…

• Taking an actual day off and protecting it.
• Building a lighter week (or two) into your January calendar.
• Saying no to adding new commitments. At least right away.
• Re-establishing personal, life-giving rhythms that may have slipped during the busy season.

Starting the year rested doesn’t put you behind. It puts you in a healthier place to lead.

2. RESET

Once you’ve made a little room to breathe, it’s time to do something that can make a big difference.

Physical clutter has a sneaky way of adding to mental overwhelm. When spaces feel messy or chaotic, our brains tend to follow. January is a great time to create an easy win by refreshing the environments where you spend the most time.

This isn’t about big renovations or total overhauls. It’s about quick, simple resets that help you—and the kids or students in your ministry—feel ready for what’s next.

A reset might look like:

• Clearing off your desk and tossing anything you no longer need
• Deleting old emails or gathering all those sermon or lesson ideas into one place
• Straightening up meeting rooms or supply closets
• Giving youth room couches or kids classroom mats a deep clean
• Reorganizing bins, shelves, or cabinets so things are easy to find
• Refreshing signage and removing anything outdated

These small changes can shift the feel of a space more than you might expect. A reset helps your physical space match your intentions to welcome in a new season. And that sense of readiness matters—for leaders, volunteers, and kids.

3. REVIEW

It’s tempting to start January by looking ahead. A new year brings new plans, fresh ideas, and all kinds of hopes for what ministry could be.

But before you rush into what’s next, it’s worth slowing down a moment to look back.

Taking a moment to review your year is all about learning. When you pause to review what’s already happened, you’re setting yourself up to make wiser choices about what you do next

A few honest questions can guide that process, like…

• What went well last year?
• What felt heavier or more draining than I expected?
• Which kids, teenagers, volunteers, or families need more intentional time from me?
• Which teaching series or events really connected?
• What did I spend a lot of time on that didn’t feel worth it?
• What did I keep putting off that I wish I had prioritized?

The goal isn’t to judge past you—you did your best. The goal is to understand, so you can grow.

One of the biggest challenges with reviewing a whole year is simply…remembering it. Ministry moves fast, and things blur together. That’s where something like a Weekly Ministry Planner can help.

The notes, action items, and conversations can help refresh your memory. Then, you’ll start to notice patterns, rhythms, and seasons you may have forgotten. And you’ll see what filled your time, where your energy went, and what kept showing up again and again.

4. REORGANIZE

You’ve rested. You’ve reset your spaces. You’ve reflected on last year.

Now you’re ready for the next step: reorganization.

Now, this is very, very important. Reorganizing doesn’t mean rebuilding everything from scratch. It doesn’t mean tossing out your entire game plan or reinventing your ministry. Instead, it’s about making thoughtful adjustments based on what you’ve learned.

A helpful mindset here is to focus on the next three to six months. Thinking smaller makes change feel manageable and give you room to make adjustments as you go.

As you reorganize, ask:

• Are there systems that need to change?
• Are there events or rhythms that no longer serve the ministry well?
• Do volunteer roles or schedules need adjustment?

You may have done this at the start of your school year, but if not, January can be a great time for an Annual Planning Meeting. Gathering your team together to slow down, get aligned on your vision, and plan your year together can create shared ownership and direction.

You can work together to reflect on the year, make plans, and even build a Scope & Sequence for your teaching calendar. Think of it like a roadmap for what you’ll teach and when you’ll teach it. That roadmap can help you plan ahead instead of spending your office hours thinking about lesson ideas each week.

Remember, reorganization isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing what matters most on purpose.

5. RESUME

And finally, our favorite step—resume. As you create all of these plans, review your year, and step into this new one, remember, you don’t need to start over.

A new calendar doesn’t erase what God has already been doing in your ministry.

• If something worked last year, keep it.
• If a rhythm was healthy, protect it.
• If a practice brought you and your team energy, celebrate it.

January isn’t about reinventing everything. It’s about continuing faithfully and getting even better.

Resuming means carrying forward the strengths, habits, and wins you’ve already seen. It’s trusting that God is already at work and that you don’t need to scrap everything to move forward with confidence.

January often feels heavy, but it doesn’t have to.

Instead of pressure, you can choose clarity. Instead of rushing, you can move with intention.

These five moves—rest, reset, review, reorganize, resume—aren’t a checklist to complete in one week. They’re a rhythm you can move through at your own pace this month. Just start with one step and slowly move through them as you feel ready.

And remember, you’re doing important work. Your leadership matters. And you don’t have to have the entire year figured out to begin it well.

And if you need support along the way, Grow Curriculum makes leadership tools for ministry to help! These resources exist to lighten the load and make your job a little easier. Because we think you’re awesome and we’re here to help you be even more awesome.

Start slow. Lead thoughtfully. And trust that God is already at work in this new year.