January can feel like a throwaway month. If you didn't get strategic planning scheduled early, it can feel like a few weeks of just drifting. Despite all the "New Year, New You" energy our culture puts out, hibernating is often more appealing.

But you're leading a church, and you still have a live event every week. You might be leading your church through a season of fasting and prayer or getting small groups up and running again. It's not exactly a slow month.

If leveraged well, January can result in a fruitful year. But if you let it slip by, you'll be stuck playing catch-up month after month.

So we put our heads together: What practices, initiatives and conversations do we WISH every church leader would set aside time for in January? In the first episode of our new series, "How to Not Waste January," Sean and Amy talk about the importance of taking time to reflect and practical ways to do so.

This episode is sponsored by PlainJoe Studios.

Is your church building a throwback to the wood-paneled world of the 1980s? Does it feel more like going to worship or taking a big step back in time? PlainJoe's fun-loving, passionate team of designers, architects and specialists will transform your dated space, imagining and creating a worship environment that communicates your church's unique story and appeals to people of all ages. Learn more at plainjoe.net.

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Vision for Spiritual Maturity—Featuring Ronald Rolheiser