Catching the Wave: What to Do When your Team Loses Momentum
- Aaron Hur Group
- Oct 28
- 5 min read
If you’ve led in ministry long enough, you’ve felt it — that uneasy drift when energy fades, enthusiasm quiets, and ministry starts to feel like rowing instead of sailing. The programs still run, the sermons still come, but the sense of divine movement seems missing.
When that happens, the temptation is strong to manufacture momentum. To add a new event, start a new campaign, or change the lighting and call it revival. But true momentum doesn’t come from our cleverness — it comes from joining what God is already doing.
Living in Huntington Beach, I’ve always seen this through the lens of surfing. Surfers don’t create waves — they watch the indicators. They study the wind, the tide, the sets coming in. And when the right wave rises, they paddle with purpose, jump on the board, and balance to ride it. The power doesn’t come from them. It comes from the wave.
That’s what ministry momentum is like. The wave is God’s activity — His Spirit at work in our city, in our people, in the culture. Our calling is to discern the movement, catch it at the right moment, and ride it with balance and faith.
Step 1: Remember — God Never Stops Working
When momentum slows, it’s easy to believe that God has stopped moving. But He hasn’t. Jesus said in John 5:17, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I too am working.”
God’s activity never ceases — but sometimes our awareness does. So before we plan, restructure, or push forward, we have to pause and look again. God might already be moving right under the surface — in places we haven’t noticed yet.
In one church we recently worked with, the pastor felt like everything had stalled. But as the team prayed and watched for signs of life, they noticed a group of young adults who had started gathering to pray for their friends. That small spark was the wave — and when the leadership caught it, they launched a simple discipleship initiative that doubled their young adult engagement in six months.
Momentum was never gone. It just needed to be recognized.
Step 2: Watch the Spiritual Indicators
Just as a surfer studies the water, we must learn to read the spiritual indicators of God’s movement. These are often subtle, but they’re always present.
Look for:
Renewed spiritual hunger. Studies show that Gen Z is the most spiritually curious generation in decades — with 74% saying they want to learn more about faith and meaning. That’s a wave forming.
Unexpected openness. In many communities, people are attending Alpha or Rooted courses, Bible studies, and outreach events at rates not seen since before 2020.
Transformation stories. When you start hearing testimonies of changed lives and restored relationships, God’s Spirit is stirring.
Unity and collaboration. When walls start coming down between ministries, denominations, or generations — that’s God aligning His body for a move of His Spirit.
Momentum begins with discernment. The question isn’t, “How do we make something happen?” It’s, “What is God already doing — and how can we join Him?”
Step 3: Jump on the Board — Obedience in Motion
When the right wave comes, surfers don’t hesitate. They move. Likewise, when you sense God’s direction, it’s time to step in with obedience.
That might mean launching a new ministry focused on the next generation. It might mean adjusting your structure, hiring a new staff member, or creating a strategic plan to reflect where God is working. It might mean letting go of something that’s familiar but no longer fruitful.
Momentum grows when faith and obedience intersect with God’s timing.
One leader told me after a 12 month strategic planning with his team , “We learned to stop asking God to bless our plans and started asking how to join His. That’s when everything changed.”
Step 4: Balance as You Ride the Wave
Catching a wave is one thing; riding it takes balance. The same is true in ministry.
Once God’s momentum starts to move, we must continually align our hearts and structures so we don’t get ahead of Him — or fall behind.
That balance comes through humility, prayer, and constant recalibration:
Are we still following His lead, or trying to control the outcome?
Are our systems helping people get to Jesus — or getting in the way?
Are we depending on His power, or just our own capacity?
Romans 14:13 reminds us: “Make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” Our job is simple — remove every barrier that keeps people from encountering Jesus. That’s what helps momentum flow freely.
Step 5: Position Your Leadership to Catch the Next Wave
Momentum doesn’t just happen — it’s stewarded. Healthy churches build structures and teams that can flex with what God is doing. That means having the right people in the right seats, the right vision in focus, and the right strategies to sustain movement.
This is where our team loves to come alongside churches and leaders.
If your church is:
Searching for your next staff member who can help lead the ministry into its next season,
Needing strategic planning to realign vision and structure around God’s current work, or
Looking for executive or ministry coaching to help your team discern, adapt, and thrive as God moves —
Our team can help.
We exist to serve pastors, leaders, and churches who want to catch the wave of what God is already doing. There’s a spiritual window open right now — especially among Gen Z, who are asking deep questions and responding to authentic faith. The wave is forming. The question is, are we positioned to ride it?
The Call to Action: Don’t Miss What God Is Doing
Momentum isn’t something we manufacture — it’s something we join. The wind of the Spirit is blowing across this generation, and God is inviting His church to move with Him.
So if your church feels like it’s lost momentum, start by asking:
“God, where are You already at work — and how can we join You there?”
And if you need help positioning your people, structure, or strategy to catch that wave — we’d love to help you do it.
Let’s connect. Our mission is to come alongside leaders and organizations to help them accomplish the mission God has given them — not by striving harder, but by joining the divine momentum that only He can create.
Because when we ride the wave of what God is doing, we don’t just move forward —we move with Him. Connect with our team at aaronhurgroup.com to schedule a free 30-Minute Discovery Call.
