Running on Empty: When the Church Is Tired, What Can You Build?
When we launched Awaken 514 Church, I had no idea we’d end up launching it twice. Three months after we planted the church, the global pandemic hit. Like many churches, we shut down. Because we were in a rented space, we had little control over reopening. The result was that we were one of the last churches in our region to come back.
Four months later, we relaunched.
If I’m honest, I didn’t think anyone would be left. Our online experience wasn’t cutting it. We had no streaming setup; it was just me preaching into my phone and uploading the video. By the time lockdowns ended, I’m convinced my mom was the only one still watching. When we came back, we had a small nucleus left, and most of us were tired. One church launch is difficult. Two in eight months is exhausting.
We were emotionally depleted. Most of us are still shaking off the unconscious effects of the pandemic, but at the time, conflict was everywhere. Fear ran rampant. People were simply fatigued. We had very little to give. And relaunching felt like too much.
We Focused on the Essentials
Most church plants try to build towards critical mass before launch. We didn’t. We made a deliberate decision to keep the basics going: we gathered for worship. That was it. No small groups. No outreach. No marketing. We worshiped, sat under the teaching of the Word, took communion, prayed, and went home.
And no, we weren’t channeling our energy into polishing Sunday either. Worship often meant one person with a guitar singing along to lyrics on a screen. No band. No media team. Our tech booth was often one of the leaders’ pre-teen kids clicking through slides. We did just the bare minimum to gather as the people of God.
Stripped Down, Not Checked Out
When I say we did the minimum, I mean practically, not spiritually. Church was not about bands, coffee, teams, or marketing. We didn’t have the capacity for all of that, so we didn’t try. Much like not buying things on credit when you can’t afford them, we figured, if we don’t have the resources, don’t spend the capital. If we wouldn’t buy what we can’t afford financially, we shouldn’t build what we can’t sustain spiritually.
First, Mend the Nets
The Apostle Paul provides some insight as to how we handle these seasons, and it translates to the pastor’s responsibility in all seasons. “And he gave . . . the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:11–12). That word equip comes from the Greek katartismos, which means to mend, restore, or make whole. It’s the same root word used in Matthew 4:21 when James and John were mending their nets. Before fishermen could fish, they had to repair what was torn.
In the same way, we can’t send people into ministry if they’re frayed or depleted. A good shepherd recognizes the emotional and spiritual condition of their people and doesn’t ask more than they can healthily give.
So we waited. We mended nets. Our leadership focused first on one another, then on the church. We pointed people to Jesus and kept the mission in view, not as pressure, but as a reminder of what we were rebuilding toward.
Jesus Grows His Church
What we experienced in that season was something we said we believed but hadn’t really lived. “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). We came to trust in that season that Jesus grows His church. Not programs. Not polished marketing. Not incredible musicianship. Just Jesus, working through the faithfulness of His people.
We have a great band now. A full team. A growing rotation of volunteers. But we remind ourselves: one person with an acoustic guitar and a prayerful heart is enough. Jesus doesn’t need production. He desires faithful preachers, loving shepherds, and committed disciple-makers to worship Him with what they have.
What Do You Do When You Don’t Have Volunteers?
Here’s what I’ve learned:
1. Focus on the essentials. Strip it down to what matters most: preach the Word, gather for worship, pray. Have the courage to cut what’s draining your church’s vitality. Let go of non-essentials. Focus on preaching and relationships, and people will return to health.
2. Build like Nehemiah. Nehemiah didn’t build one section of wall to completion first; he built the perimeter, one layer at a time. That’s how we’ve built: add a little, circle back, add more. Every year, I “replant” the church based on the strength and resources God has given us.
3. Disciple and care for your people. Be patient. Don’t assume fatigue is laziness. Walk with your people and give them time to heal.
4. Don’t punish your people for being tired. I once heard a pastor blame his congregation from the stage for initiatives he couldn't resource. Bitterness doesn’t lead. Shepherds protect tired sheep; they don’t punish them. What frustrates you about your people is what should ultimately frustrate you about your own leadership.
5. Don’t be afraid to ask. When someone is healthy, invite them to serve. A general call to serve is helpful, but nothing beats a personal vision shared with passion, followed by a direct invitation to join the call.
6. Keep casting vision. I talk about the future all the time, what could be, who we might reach, what I dream of building. People light up. And often, they step forward. Sometimes, the act of serving actually restores what’s been drained. People are often energized by being part of something that matters.
We waited two years before ramping things back up. Two years of keeping the lid on the church plant. Long after I was ready to run, we walked. We built slowly. We built for health. And because of that, we’ve had little attrition, strong spiritual momentum, and a deep bench of people walking in health. I don’t apologize for not offering what other churches do. We’re not them, and that’s okay.
Jesus grows His church. We’re just here to be faithful shepherds, preachers, and disciple-makers.
Anthony Caiola
Anthony is a pastor, church planter, writer, and consultant who helps churches and leaders build healthy, mission-driven organizations. He serves as the Lead Pastor of Awaken 514 Church and works as a real estate entrepreneur and nonprofit leader, coaching teams to align values, systems, and culture for lasting impact. Originally from the New York Metro area, Anthony now lives in rural Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.
