Christmas week is different for pastors and church leaders.
While much of the world slows down, ministry speeds up. Extra services. Extra conversations. Extra pressure. And beneath all of it, the quiet weight of leadership responsibility.
This special Christmas Week episode of Faith, Stewardship, and Insurance: Protecting Texas Churches was created to offer something different. Not a checklist. Not a warning. Simply, a reminder.
The Christmas story doesn’t begin with comfort or certainty. It begins with vulnerability.
Jesus was born in a manger. Not in a palace or surrounded by royalty, but in the dirt surrounded by animals. The God of the Universe chose to submit to his own wisdom and take on the form and mind of an infant. Wrapped in vulnerable flesh during one of the darkest times in human history, God chose humility to carry out his plan of salvation.
Mary and Joseph answered God’s calling without understanding what it truly meant. They trusted God with what was in front of them, even when the future was unclear to them. Their willingness to be faithful to God’s calling shaped human history for the rest of time. Despite the risk to themselves, they chose to obey God.
In this story, the greatest story of all time, we can understand the meaning of stewardship. Just as Mary and Joseph faithfully accepted the responsibility of nurturing baby Jesus, today’s church leaders are called to be equally faithful stewards to God’s mission in your community.
Throughout this podcast, we’ve spent time discussing church insurance, risk management, liability, health coverage, storms, claims, and the realities of leading a church in Texas. Those topics matter because churches don’t operate in the real world where there are real and predictable risks.
Christmas reminds us why stewardship matters.
Church leaders are entrusted with people, ministries, buildings, finances, and futures that matter to God. Planning, protecting, and preparing are acts of faithful stewardship. Jesus came to redeem us from our sins and has called us to continue his mission on earth.
Faith and preparation are not opposites.
Joseph protected his family by fleeing to Egypt. The early church planned for the care of widows in their community. Scripture consistently pairs faith with wisdom and stewardship.
Good stewardship doesn’t replace trust in God. It calls you to care for the people God has placed in your care. Thoughtful planning allows ministry to continue when uncertainty shows up.
If leadership feels exhausting this week, you are not alone. Your tiredness does not indicate a lack of faith. It reminds you that you are a human being who needs to rely on God for strength.
Faithfulness does not require perfection. It simply requires you to continue moving forward in trust. Sometimes the most faithful thing a pastor can do during Christmas week is pause long enough to reflect on the meaning of this season.
As Christmas passes and a new year approaches, this is a natural moment to pause for reflection. Looking to the future with anticipation instead of fear allows you to lead your church with wisdom and strength in the new year.
If you need help with how to best protect your church and its staff, we are here to help. At Insurance for Texans, we have helped hundreds of churches just like yours continue to serve their communities with clarity and confidence.
You can get in touch with our church insurance team by clicking the button below.
And if you want a framework for decision-making that removes guesswork and anxiety, get a copy of our book The Promise of Certainty. It’s a short book packed full of useful information to help church leaders navigate church insurance.
Get your copy by clicking on the image of the book below.
The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.
Numbers 6: 24-26
Merry Christmas from Insurance for Texans!