OUR CHURCH HAS STRUGGLED MORE THIS YEAR THAN EVER BEFORE.
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 - Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. 17 For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.
WHILE THE STRUGGLE IS REAL, GOD IS STILL GOOD & HE IS STILL IN CONTROL.
COMMUNITY STRUGGLE BUS
1. Emotional & Mental
Patterns:
* Anxiety, depression, burnout, emotional fatigue.
* Mental strain from parenting, caregiving, or work.
* Wording like “I’m exhausted,” “ready to give up,” “struggling to hold it together,” and “just trying to make it through the week.”
2. Job Uncertainty & Financial Strain
Patterns:
* Job loss, job transitions, fear about bills, and long-term instability.
* Many mentioned “income not matching expenses” or “needing a new opportunity.”
* Several families balancing multiple jobs, single parents stretched thin, or business owners struggling.
3. Family & Marriage Tension
Patterns:
* Marital conflict, emotional distance, and spiritual misalignment.
* Parents overwhelmed by kids’ behavioral, emotional, or health issues.
* Adult children estranged or struggling.
* Single parents asking for help, foster/adoptive families burdened yet thankful.
4. Health & Illness Struggles
Patterns:
* Cancer diagnoses and treatments (several serious cases).
* Surgeries, chronic pain, autoimmune disorders, and anxiety-related illnesses.
* Parents carrying burdens for children with disabilities or chronic conditions.
5. Spiritual Fatigue & Desire for Renewal
Patterns:
* People asking for conviction, focus, and renewal in their walk with God.
* Confessions of spiritual drift, distraction, or feeling disconnected from church life.
* Many expressed gratitude for Kairos as a spiritual anchor.
6. Relational Isolation & Church Belonging
Patterns:
* People craving connection, “missing sisterhood,” “wanting community,” “needing fellowship.”
* Youth and adults alike feeling unseen or disconnected at times.
* Some praise Kairos for being their family, while others quietly ache for deeper connection.
7. Praises: Gratitude Amid Struggle
Praises Often Include:
* God’s faithfulness in provision.
* Healing and protection after illness.
* Thankfulness for Kairos Church as “home,” “family,” and “anchor.”
* “Thankful for my job,” “thankful for our church community,” “thankful for a loving spouse.”
THE MORE WE STRUGGLE PERSONALLY, THE MORE OUR CHURCH STRUGGLES COLLECTIVELY.
1 Corinthians 12:24–26 - God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the less honorable, 25 so that there would be no division in the body, but that the members would have the same concern for each other. 26 So if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
STAFF STRUGGLE BUS
* Parenting and child behavioral struggles
* Loss of family, friends, and coworkers
* Multiple Miscarriages
* Job changes, increased workloads, and anxiety
* Financial strain and home repairs
* Health issues, surgeries, and medical bills
* Marital tension and relationship conflicts
* Moving, homeschooling, fostering, and adopting
* Burnout, mental fatigue, and spiritual uncertainty
* Moral failures among loved ones and friends
* Pet losses, car troubles, and unexpected life transitions
* Many working additional jobs
CHURCH STRUGGLE BUS
* Dwindling volunteer teams
* Lack of male involvement
* Leadership changes and transitions
* Equipment failures and repair costs
* Key ministry positions unfilled week to week
* Limited volunteer pool causing burnout
* Failing or forgotten systems
* Decline in financial giving
* Rising expenses — rent, salaries, utilities, and construction
* Ongoing restructuring of discipleship and ministries
* Implementation of new church management software
* Decreased engagement outside of Sundays
WE MAY BE STRUGGLING BUT WE AREN’T WAVERING.
Romans 5:3-5 - We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also rejoice in our {STRUGGLES}, because we know that {STRUGGLES} produces endurance, 4 endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. 5 This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
YOU CAN LET YOUR STRUGGLES STOP YOU OR YOU CAN LET THEM STRENGTHEN YOU.
2 Corinthians 1:3–4 - Praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our {STRUGGLES}, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of {STRUGGLES}, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ our comfort also overflows.
IT'S BETTER TO STRUGGLE IN COMMUNITY THAN IT IS TO STRUGGLE ALONE.
1 Corinthians 15:58 - Therefore, my dear brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
LETS CHOOSE TO BE COLLECTIVELY STEADFAST THROUGH THE STRUGGLES.
Psalm 112:6–7 - Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
