WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE MONDAY MORNING
Simplicity isn ' t a one-time purge; it ' s an ongoing discipline, much like minimalists who don ' t declutter once and call it done. As a leader, that might look like:
- Reviewing your ministry calendar quarterly and cutting anything that no longer serves your core mission- Asking your team " what can we stop doing " as often as " what should we start "- Protecting unstructured time for prayer and presence, not just production- Simplifying your communication until a fifth-grader could repeat your vision back to you- Returning, in prayer, to the simple devotion that first called you into ministry, before you measure anything else
None of this requires minimalist aesthetics or getting rid of your bookshelf( seminary graduates, please keep your books). It
requires the same courage minimalists talk about when they finally donate the treadmill they haven ' t used since 2022: the courage to admit that more wasn ' t actually making things better, and the humility to remember where you started.
The modern minimalist movement got one thing right, even if it dressed it up in beige linen and Scandinavian furniture: less can be more. Jesus knew that first. He led a movement that changed the world with twelve ordinary people and an unhurried presence that never looked rushed— and He still calls leaders today, as He called Ephesus, to remember, repent, and return.
Perhaps the most strategic move available to you as a leader isn ' t adding one more project, service, program, or Sunday announcement. It ' s simplifying enough to rediscover the first love that made ministry feel like love in the first place.
Stephen Schlabach is the Founding Pastor of Shining Light Church and president of Stephen Schlabach Ministries. A sought-after speaker, coach, and consultant, he is passionate about helping pastors and leaders find wholeness, overcome burnout, strengthen relationships, and fulfill their purpose. Stephen brings decades of ministry experience to his work inspiring, equipping, and empowering leaders to live and lead with greater clarity and purpose. 27