Sanity for Sanctuary: How to Hire and Work with a Virtual Assistant

Abigail Browka

Everyday Sanctuary started with a simple promise: a satisfying spiritual practice in five minutes or less, wherever people are. To keep that promise, I need two kinds of faithfulness—creative presence and daily follow-through: writing, creating, scheduling, uploading, sharing every day. I believe that rhythm in itself is important. One might call it a spiritual discipline. But the reality of doing it solo while working full-time and mom-ing is a consistent stretch.

Why a Virtual Assistant (and why now)

In the startup world, healthy teams usually pair a big-picture dreamer with a steady, systems-minded partner. Ministry has the same two currents: vision and rhythm. Most of us are naturally stronger in one. When we try to hold both, fatigue sneaks in and our best work gets crowded out.

A Virtual Assistant, who is a real live person can provide remote administrative, technical, or creative services that gently carry the repeatable tasks of ministry so you can bring your whole self to the work only you can do—pastoral voice, spiritual design, presence with people. Rather than all the things being too much, delegating work allows for a fuller expression of ministry.

I hired my first VA because I couldn’t build, launch, and tend two digital ministries alone.
These were the deliverables I developed for my VA.

• Social media management, create daily post from Abigail’s spreadsheet on content; choosing video from prepared library and overlaying text, preparing post and uploading with caption from excel sheet

• Ensuring content for the Everyday Sanctuary app is uploaded utilizing Subsplash

• Data management Add people to the email distribution list; Update and log data to track practices being utilized as well as scripture being used; Light analytics logging

These aspects of ministry took 2-5 hours off my plate every week. And they didn’t even touch the creative process of writing and creating Everyday Sanctuary’s daily spiritual practice. But that margin made launching a second digital ministry feasible.

The good and the less good

The Good was I had more creative space and less tasks. I would not have been able to start a new digital ministry. The Virtual Assistant made that possible. The less good was I felt like I was giving the least fun tasks of ministry away. And it’s hard to not feel guilty about that. I also had to put my trust in them to do the thing without micro-mangaging and double checking the work.

So here are some prompts to help you consider if hiring a VA is a good fit for your ministry.

Is a VA right for you? A 30-minute discernment exercise

1. Two columns: Only-I-Can-Do vs. Someone-Else-Can-Do.

2. Circle tasks that repeat weekly.

3. Anything repeatable with a clear “what done looks like” moves to the VA list.

4. Keep sensitive pastoral care and discernment-heavy writing with you.

Sample Onboarding Plan
Week 1
• Access + security: password manager, shared drive, brand guide, tone guide.
• Training VA on platform(s). I provided a step-by-step guide to uploading content.
• Pilot week: VA watches you do
• You create a two-week content buffer to reduce last-minute stress.

Week 2
• VA owns one platform (e.g., Instagram) + the content log.
• 1x weekly 20-minute check-in to review deliverables and check work

Week 3-4
• Expand to additional platforms
• VA takes over data management and analytics; app downloads, email list size, podcast plays.
• You stay available for heart/voice decisions; they keep the rhythm steady.

By Month 2
• VA owns full weekly rhythm; you only approve exceptions.
• Move to monthly check-in to celebrate wins, remove any friction points, agree on one improvement for next month.

Weekly workflow (example)
Monday
• Review this week’s content from spreadsheet; spot-check for gaps.
• Schedule all posts through Sunday; upload practices to Subsplash.
Wednesday
• Update content log; send questions/concerns as needed.
Friday
• Post-flight check (everything fired?); document analytics
• Offer specific gratitude: “The alt text on Thursday’s post was clear and kind—thank you.”

Cost of a VA

Rates vary by experience and region. For scheduling/uploading/logging, consider a modest hourly rate or a small retainer tied to a clear weekly outcome. A 90-day pilot helps you both right-size the scope. In June, the cost of a VA became untenable for me and this ended the ministry experiment of Heart & Soul Questions.

Common stumbles when working with VAs (and gentle fixes)

• Vague assignments → You need to communicate with clarity the deliverables. Name deliverables and “what done looks like.”
• Tool overload → use platforms your VA already knows (or can learn quickly).
• Last-minute content → maintain a two-week buffer as a shared goal.
• Micromanaging → give feedback about the process, not the person.

The truth is, I couldn’t build, launch, and tend two digital ministries by myself. Delegating the repeatable tasks gave me back the deep work: prayerful writing, pastoral presence, the creative breath to serve with care, and show up for my kid at dinner.

A VA won’t write your prayers or discern your next sermon series. They will help your words arrive on time, in the right place, with care. That’s how Everyday Sanctuary continues to meet people where they are—one faithful, five minute spiritual practice every day.