What Is High-Risk/Low-Anxiety Ministry (And Why You Need It)

Learn how embracing risk and minimizing anxiety fosters ministry creativity and experimentation and deepens trust in God's guidance.

Introduction

Every decision you make is viewed through a lens of risk and anxiety. This article will help you identify your filters, how they impact your ministry decisions, and the benefits of adopting a high-risk/low-anxiety approach to next-gen ministry.

What is High-Risk/Low-Anxiety?

All people, teams, ministries, and churches operate in one of four boxes depending on how they approach risk and how they experience anxiety. Knowing how you work—as an individual and a leader—will increase your self-awareness and improve your effectiveness in ministry. Here are some basic descriptions:

• Low Risk – Sticks to traditional ideas, hesitant to try new things, and tends to avoid taking risks.

• High Risk – Tries new things, experiments, takes on significant challenges, thinks “outside the box.”

• Low Anxiety – Minimal worries, carefree, light-hearted, and unafraid to fail.

• High Anxiety – Worries a lot, is concerned about what others might think, fears worst-case scenarios.

The combination of these factors produces four possible ways you can operate. Below are descriptions of each one.

Scenario 1 – Low-Risk/Low-Anxiety

You are not a fan of taking risks, but you also don't worry too much about it. You are satisfied with how things are and don't feel a strong urge to explore new possibilities. This is a common trait in established churches or pastors who have been in ministry for a long time and prefer to stick to their tried and tested methods. However, such individuals or groups rarely experience growth, progress, or forward momentum.

Scenario 2 – High-Risk/High-Anxiety

You are willing to take risks but feel anxious throughout the process. While people like this may exist, I have never met anyone like this in ministry. Maintaining both extremes can be challenging, and often, the anxiety eventually overpowers the willingness to take risks.

Scenario 3 – Low-Risk/High-Anxiety

This scenario is a combination of the worst of both worlds. You tend to avoid taking risks while also experiencing a lot of anxiety about things. You tend to be careful and restrained, and worry often consumes your thoughts. You may find yourself constantly thinking phrases such as "That won't work," "What will people think?" or "Have we thought through every contingency?"

Additionally, you tend to see the flaws in ideas before you see their benefits or potential. You may see yourself as a realist, but others could see you as a pessimist. Ultimately, this is one of the least effective ways to do ministry. You expend a lot of energy on thinking through consequences and impacts, but, in the end, you make little headway forward.

Many traditional Hmong churches operate like this. They are risk-averse but often worry about everything—saving face, offending people, and following cultural expectations. Many board meetings are spent saying “no” to ideas, often for well-thought-out but cautious reasons. These churches value stability and tend to play it safe.

Scenario 4 – High-Risk/Low-Anxiety

This is when you’re willing to take risks without significant worry or stress. You aren’t afraid of new ideas or experimentation. If something doesn’t work, you learn from it and move on. Leadership conversations are focused on potentials and possibilities, not fears and concerns. Ministries like this are usually more innovative and open to fresh perspectives.

5 Benefits of Being High-Risk/Low-Anxiety in Ministry

1. It Empowers Leaders

Adopting a high-risk/low-anxiety approach in ministry empowers leaders by giving them the confidence to make bold decisions without the paralyzing effects of fear. This freedom fosters a sense of ownership and responsibility, encouraging leaders to step out of their comfort zones and lead with conviction.

2. It Creates a Culture of Experimentation

By valuing risk and minimizing anxiety, a ministry cultivates an environment where experimentation is not just accepted but encouraged. This culture breaks the shackles of “we’ve always done it this way” and allows for exploring new ideas and approaches, leading to dynamic and evolving ministry practices.

3. It Fosters Creativity and Innovation

This approach to ministry paves the way for creativity and innovation, as it removes the fear of failure that often stifles new thinking. In such an atmosphere, team members are more likely to propose unique solutions and creative ideas, driving the ministry forward in fresh and exciting ways.

4. It Makes Ministry More Enjoyable

High-risk/low-anxiety ministry transforms the work environment into a more enjoyable and fulfilling place. Leaders and members feel more relaxed and engaged, knowing they can pursue ambitious goals without dreading negative repercussions, leading to a more positive and passionate involvement in ministry activities.

5. It Promotes Trust in God

Embracing a high-risk, low-anxiety mindset in ministry inherently strengthens faith and trust in God. It reflects a deep-seated belief that God is in control despite uncertainties and challenges. This reliance on divine guidance and providence fosters a deeper spiritual connection and reliance on God’s direction in all aspects of ministry.

What It Looks Like at RiverLife

At RiverLife, one of our leadership values is that we are high-risk/low-anxiety. This value plays out in two ways in our leadership.

First, we are high-risk/low-anxiety in our ministry decisions. We value innovation and are not afraid of trying something new if it helps us further our mission. We are open to experimenting with new ideas; if it doesn't work as expected, we move on to something else. While we consider any concerns from our team, we don't let those fears drive our decisions. Nobody should be criticized for trying something new that doesn't work. We view it as a learning opportunity to improve our ministry.

Second, we are also high-risk/low-anxiety in our relationships. We lean into courageous conversations. These are difficult and uncomfortable conversations where we must coach someone under our supervision or address a sensitive issue. While some people have left the church because of these difficult discussions, we believe true gospel transformation happens through conversations like these. We understand this can be challenging for some of our second-gen Hmong leaders, and we actively coach and model this behavior for them.

How About You?

So, how do you handle risk and anxiety? Whether you're aware of it or not, you already land in one of these four groups. And it influences everything you do in ministry. That’s why this idea is so important to understand.

If you don’t already land in the high-risk/low-anxiety box, explore ways you can shift by embracing risk or reducing anxiety within your team and for yourself.