Finding Your Ministry Sweet Spot

“It just wasn’t, I mean, it was…” I was looking for the right words.

“It just wasn’t your sweet spot for ministry,” he said.

I breathed a huge sigh of relief. Yes, this was the explanation I had spent weeks searching for, and with a few sentences of explaining my passions to Henry, the campus Director of Spiritual Formation, he was able to summarize my feelings of relief as I stepped away from the ministry I started just four semesters ago.

Week four of Holley Gerth’s You’re Already Amazing Life Growth Guide provided the insight I’d been needing. One particular exercise is designed to help reveal how we relate best to each other in social settings. Given a choice, I thrive in one-on-one scenarios. The relationship structure I gravitate toward is one of partnering rather than leading. I am practical in the way I seek to serve others in need, and interestingly, although I lean toward being introverted in many areas, I have external sight in my relationships. Having external sight in part means I notice details about the ones I love, remember events in their lives, and when I ask how someone is, I genuinely want to know the answer in depth.

As I laid out my answers to the four sections in the guide, it became clear God had blessed me as I ministered outside my comfort zone and strengths. I was relieved when Henry said he understood my strengths and agreed that the ministry fell outside of them.

As we discussed the previous two years, I recalled many of the successes we experienced. I loved my season with college women, and at the same time, I couldn’t shake the doubts that filled my thoughts. Henry pointed out that my doubts were out of discomfort. I was stretching out of my comfort zone, and change can be hard.

Henry also reminded me that God creates us all uniquely, and everyone deserves the chance to minister within their gifts and strengths or, as he put it, to minister in their sweet spot. As he spoke, I nodded in relief, my heart swelling with joy.

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There’s an old saying that goes, “When one door closes, another opens.” In my situation, the door to formal, large-group campus ministry was closing, but another door hadn’t opened. God had made it clear there was no imminent next step. Instead, I had a strong sense I was simply being called to be still. Henry reminded me that my season of being still would come to an end eventually. He pointed out that a time of rest, along with a better understanding of my gifts and strengths, would aid my future decision making. The chances of once again serving in my sweet spot would now increase.

In You’re Already Amazing, Holley Gerth reminded me that I had naturally gravitated toward ministry for much of my life. I have been a part of mentoring relationships since high school, and they often come about so naturally I don’t even realize what is happening. My practical side has served me in ministry as well. When I participated in MOPS, I was in charge of hospitality. The role included organizing meals for new moms and making sure there was food and coffee at group meetings.

As I feel my way through this season of being still, I am content. I’m not actively looking for formal ministry opportunities, but I am being mentored and mentoring others. It is a part of who I am. Although You’re Already Amazing reminded me of my natural leanings, there are many other self-assessment inventories available to help you identify your personal sweet spot. Enneagram Type, Strengths Finder, and Spiritual Gifts Assessments are all great tools to help you think more specifically about the way God has created you. An assessment followed by a conversation with a friend or family member who understands your passions will help solidify your understanding.

I’m living in my sweet spot right now, and when the time arrives, I hope to continue here. I’m thankful for the ministry experiences I’ve had, and I’m thankful for this season of rest.

Are you operating in your sweet spot? If so, is God blessing that, or do you feel worn out? Is it time for a change?

Beth Walker is a football coach’s wife and mom of two energetic boys. She strives to encourage those around her to pursue their best lives in Jesus whether she is near the game field, in church, or at the local coffee shop. As a writer, Beth has been striving to find her voice through seeing Jesus in the ordinary and extraordinary of daily life. She blogs at Lessons from the Sidelines.

Photograph © Pepe Reyes, used with permission

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