Burnout is a sad reality for many in vocational ministry. For my second book, I commissioned Barna Research, Lifeway Research, and Christianity Today to survey almost 2,000 pastors to discover what issues can cause a ministry or a leader’s passion for ministry to die.
I based my book on those findings. Out of those findings, four key questions emerged that every spiritual leader should ask him or herself at least once a year.
These questions can help us face up to areas, that if left unchecked, have the potential to kill our ministries or at best, drain the passion from our souls. Here they are:
- Do you have a safe person in your life with whom you can process ministry problems and pain?
- Have you looked deep enough inside to discover what truly bothers you about your ministry?
- If those who see how you respond to ministry problems were asked to tell you what they thought, would they say you need to make some major changes?
- To whom and how should you communicate your frustrations (your board, your staff, the church)?
You can learn more about my four books here.
Bev
This past year our church sponsored a male and female specific pastors/missionaries/christian workers only inner healing groups through Freedom Session http://freedomsession.com/. It was a safe place for folks to share their lives and receive some very much needed personal healing.
I cannot recommend highly enough this ministry which is now in its sixth year at our church. It has saved us oodles of pastoral counseling time, let alone numerous marriages saved from divorce, etcetera. Nonetheless it is intensive and not for the faint hearted.