Leading Through the Seasons of Ministry, Part 3: Winter — The Season of Reflection and Pruning

Jul 31

Winter doesn’t always get the spotlight in ministry circles. It's not the excitement of the fall launch, the energy of Easter, or the freedom of summer. In fact, it can feel... slow.

But that’s the point.

In nature, winter is when things look dormant — but under the surface, critical work is being done. Roots grow deeper. Energy is conserved. Pruning happens. And that hidden work is what makes future growth possible.

Ministry has a winter rhythm, too — and wise leaders know how to lean into it.

Winter Isn’t Dead — It’s Deep

It’s easy to misread winter as unproductive. Attendance dips. Energy feels lower. Momentum slows. But if you only equate fruitfulness with outward activity, you’ll miss one of the most important ministry seasons of the year.

Winter is about depth, not pace. It’s an invitation to do the internal work:

Reflect on what God has done in the previous year — not just in numbers, but in people.
Re-center your soul as a leader through rhythms of prayer, stillness, and rest.
Re-evaluate what’s working and what’s not — and have the courage to prune accordingly.

In other words, it’s not the season to launch something new — it’s the time to ask why you’re still doing what you are.

When Engagement Slows, Don’t Panic

Here’s a vulnerable truth about this season: winter often reveals who’s actually engaged.

After the fall momentum fades — post-Back-to-School surge — attendance patterns shift. People disappear for holiday travel. Others disengage because the “next big thing” hasn’t arrived yet.

As pastors, we feel this. It’s easy to panic, to scramble for solutions, to take our eye off the ball and start chasing after the disengaged. But that’s not always faithful.

Don’t neglect the people who are showing up in pursuit of the ones who aren’t.
The ones sitting in front of you are hungry for depth, relationship, and leadership.

Christmas and the New Year will come. Many of those who faded will return. But in the meantime, winter is your moment to steward the ones God has already entrusted to you. That’s not a step backward — it’s what faithfulness looks like.

The Discipline of Pruning

Jesus said in John 15 that even fruitful branches get pruned so they can bear more fruit. That’s not punishment — it’s preparation.

Winter is the perfect season to:

Evaluate ministries or programs that are no longer aligned with your mission.
Ask whether a busy calendar is really helping people grow or just keeping them occupied.
Create space to ask hard questions without the pressure of immediate implementation.

Pruning requires clarity and courage. It’s not always fun, but it is always fruitful.

Letting Your Soul Catch Up to Your Schedule

Winter is also an invitation for the leader to breathe.

If you’re always in output mode, you’ll eventually burn out. But winter gives you a chance to inhale again — to recover your intimacy with Jesus, not just your productivity for Him.

This could look like:

Scheduling a personal retreat or rhythm of solitude.
Limiting travel or speaking so you can be more present.
Reading, listening, journaling, and processing with trusted mentors.
Giving your team permission to do the same — not just rest from ministry, but rest in Christ.

Hidden Growth is Still Growth

You might not see much fruit in winter. That’s okay. You’re investing in the kind of deep roots that hold up when the winds of spring growth or fall momentum come back around.

It’s in the winter that God often reshapes vision, refines character, and prepares us for what’s next.

A Final Word: Don’t Waste the Quiet

The temptation in winter is to treat it like a holding pattern — to just wait for the “real ministry” to pick back up again. But if you rush past the quiet, you’ll miss the very work that makes future growth possible.

Instead:

Reflect with your team on the past season.
Re-center on your identity in Christ.
Shepherd intentionally the ones who are still with you.
Re-align your ministries around what truly matters.

Because winter, if you let it, just might be the most transformational season of all.

Brad Daugherty

Brad serves as the COO of Replicate Ministries, a coaching and consulting organization with a mission to empower churches to activate their unique disciple-making movement. Prior to Replicate, he has held various roles within the church, from Worship Pastor to Executive Pastor, and loves serving the local church by helping pastors and leaders discover ways to do ministry differently. Brad has coached and consulted leaders from both large and small churches, equipping them to grow sustainably through discipleship tools and strategies. Brad Lives in East Texas with his wife Stephanie, and four kids, James, Henry, Eleanor, and Andrew. He loves serving at his local church, New Beginnings, where he is on the worship team, and serves on the lead team in an advisory role.