{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Church Answers","provider_url":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com","title":"Formation Before Function: A January Inventory for Leaders | Church Answers","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"OdeoeuycpC\"><a href=\"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/formation-before-function-a-january-inventory-for-leaders\/\">Formation Before Function: A January Inventory for Leaders<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/blog\/formation-before-function-a-january-inventory-for-leaders\/embed\/#?secret=OdeoeuycpC\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Formation Before Function: A January Inventory for Leaders&#8221; &#8212; Church Answers\" data-secret=\"OdeoeuycpC\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/churchanswers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Woman-Writing-in-a-Journal.png","thumbnail_width":1200,"thumbnail_height":628,"description":"January has a way of pulling us forward before we\u2019ve ever slowed down enough to look back. December seems to be one of the most packed months of the year for ministry leaders, and the temptation, with all the New Year's resolutions, eating plans, and workout reminders, is to repeat the same steps in our spiritual lives and leadership. We open planners, cast vision, set goals, and ask what this year will require of us. That instinct isn\u2019t wrong. But if we rush to function without first attending to formation, we often repeat patterns instead of discerning fruit, or worse, we plan an entire year without guidance and dependence on the God we serve. We plan from urgency rather than wisdom. We lead from momentum rather than spiritual and measured maturity. Scripture reminds us that Jesus first called the disciples to be with Him before sending them out (Mark 3:14). Formation always comes before function, and who we are becoming matters more in leadership than what we are accomplishing. Before asking what God is calling us to do this year, it's worth considering who He has been shaping us to be. So instead of rushing into a fresh start, I invite you to take a sacred pause\u2014a moment to honestly reflect on the past year with courage and trust. Take your time with the questions below. Maybe you grab your journal and work through the following questions and prompts, or you open up a brand new document on your computer and thoughtfully consider each line and response. These questions are not meant to discourage you or serve as an assessment. They are designed to reveal what God has already been shaping beneath the surface of your leadership this past year."}