Dear Friends,
I love Christmas. It's a huge time for me and my family. So much so that my kids gave me a Lego Christmas tree and a desk sign calling me the "Director of Christmas," which is fun and feels entirely accurate! It sits on my desk and really is an all-year-round role as far as I'm concerned!
As we move through December, I know many of us feel the weight of the season. September to December is always our busiest period, filled with planning, preparing, and supporting all that needs to happen in our churches. I won't pretend, it isn't easy at times. There are some weeks I feel inadequate, weak and concerned that we simply won't get everything done. The responsibility can feel heavy and that is when I remind myself to look to God's grace.
Over the summer, I spent some time reading Paul's letters, particularly Ephesians, first and second Corinthians. Paul is remarkable in the way he embraces his weakness and leans into God's grace. One passage that has really stayed with me is 1 Corinthians 15:9–10 it says:
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."
Two things strike me about this passage, especially as I reflect on our work as church administrators.
First, there is transforming grace. Paul's life shows a remarkable change, from persecutor of the church to apostle, from darkness to light. That same language appears in Ephesians, where Paul describes moving from darkness into the glorious salvation God gives. This transformation reminds us of our own stories, the moments when we encountered God's grace, when our names were written in the book of life and when our paths were redirected by His love. Looking back at these moments can be deeply encouraging, particularly when the present season feels overwhelming, we have a glorious salvation.
Second, there is empowering grace. Paul writes that even though he worked harder than others, it was God's grace with him that made it possible. He does not boast in his effort; he acknowledges that God's grace enabled him to go beyond what he could have done alone. This is the grace that meets us in the midst of our responsibilities, the grace that allows us to continue serving, even when we feel weak or inadequate. Jerry Bridges describes this as the combination of the Spirit dwelling in us and the grace that comes to us in the moment, equipping us for the work God has called us to.
As we reflect on the Christmas season, I find two ways to draw encouragement from Paul. First, we can look back at transforming grace. Remember your own story, your encounter with God, your testimony, your moment of being called into His light. Take time to reflect on that grace that saved you and brought you to this point.
Secondly, we can wonderfully anticipate empowering grace for the tasks ahead. Even in the busy season, even when we feel stretched thin, God's grace will meet us in the moment. It equips us to serve faithfully, to love well and to accomplish the work He has entrusted to us. This is particularly meaningful for us as church administrators, as we juggle the many moving parts of ministry that often goes unseen.
Looking ahead to next year, I am excited for the Cutting Edge Residential Conference in June 2026, where we will look at 'Equipping Ourselves and Others for Mission.' I love that this echoes the very idea of empowering grace. To find out more about the conference please check out the news article here or our conference webpage here.
So, as we celebrate Christmas, I encourage you to embrace both kinds of grace. Look back and see how God has saved you and transformed you. Look forward and trust that He will empower you in the work to come. Let this Christmas season be not only a time of giving and celebration but also a reminder of God's sustaining presence in our lives and ministries.
Let me leave you with a prayer you may find helpful as we navigate this season:
Lord, as we serve over the Christmas season, even when we feel weak and in need of You, thank You for Your amazing grace. Help us to see it as Paul sees it, both transforming and empowering. Remind us of the grace that has shaped us and bring Your presence to meet us in the work ahead. Fill us with Your Spirit, equip us for every task and may all we do glorify Your name. Amen.
May this Christmas be a time of joy, peace, and encouragement. May we recognise the grace that has brought us here and trust in the grace that will sustain us into the new year.
With every blessing,
Gavin Smith
Director, UK Church Administrators Network