Leading From The Overflow in Children's Ministry

There is a sacred difference between carrying ministry and being carried by God while you lead.

Jesus invites us into a different way of leading—

“Take My yoke upon you… for My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Leading from the overflow is the posture where we stop clenching our fists around the ministry and start opening our hands in surrender. It’s where we stop striving to prove ourselves and start abiding so God can pour into us. It’s where our leadership flows not from depletion, but from divine filling.

And if I’m honest, there was a season where I thought I had to do it all. I thought I had to carry the vision, the volunteers, the parents, the systems, the problems, the emails, the expectations, the outcomes… all of it. I was giving everything away without ever really giving it away.

I was leading. But I was not leading from the overflow.

I was leading from exhaustion.

Physically tired.

Emotionally spent.

Mentally maxed out.

I had confused faithfulness with over-functioning and sacrifice with self-neglect. And somewhere along the way, I realized I was pouring from an empty cup and calling it obedience.

But God, in His kindness, reminded me: He never asked me to be the source. He asked me to be the vessel.

Leading from the overflow means we make room for God to fill us—outside of what we do for Him. It means we hold our ministries with open hands and say, “Lord, this is Yours.”It means we create holy margin for silence, Scripture, rest, joy, and delight in His presence. It means we stop trying to be the Savior and start following the Savior again.

Here are a few ways to lead from the overflow:

Schedule your soul care. If it’s not on the calendar, it will get crowded out. 

Protect margins fiercely. Margin is not laziness—it’s leadership wisdom. 

Practice daily surrender. Open hands every morning: “Lord, this is Yours.” 

Say no without guilt. Every yes to everything is a no to something sacred. 

Return to the secret place. Not to prepare a lesson—but to be loved by God.

Children’s ministry leaders, we are not called to burn out for Jesus—we are called to abide in Him and bear fruit. May we be leaders who serve from fullness, not frenzy. May we be shepherds who drink deeply before we pour. May we be ministers who lead from the overflow of hearts anchored in Christ. Because when God fills your cup, everyone you serve gets to drink too.

Always rooting for you!

Esther

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