Meet four children’s pastors on the road to burnout.
1. The high achiever. If you are a high-driver, high-achiever type you need to guard against burnout.
2. The workaholic. If you care continually accepting more and more responsibility and working nonstop you need to watch out. If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy. When you get too busy he’s got you right where he wants you.
3. The perfectionist. This is the person who has to have everything done just right.
4. The people pleaser. If all you do is run in circles trying to please your pastor, your board, your parents, your spouse, your kids, and so on you are setting the stage for burnout.
What are some warning signs that you are on the road to burning out? Check back.
I’m all thise things! Help! What do I do?!
I’ve found that my motivations are key to guarding against my darker side. If I’m motivated by pride or fear then I’m going to have problems. When my motivation is the love of Christ I am happier, more productive, and more effective in ministry.
Keep checking back Andrew. There’s good news and hope coming! Ryan
The first step to danger is being overwhelmed for a long time. Being overwhelmed is when you have lost the ability to take a big load and break it up in smaller pieces or steps
bj
This is sooo true. I was that CP at my church for years and constantly struggled with getting the help I needed, so I did much of it myself. Last year I felt God was telling me to hand it over. I resisted at first, however, when my mother almost died, I gladly let go of it when my repacement was found. My kids at church had a hard time adjusting to a new person so I have moved to to a new church. I am typically the type who jumps in with two feet, but felt that I needed to take a year off. I am now 6 months into my ‘year off’ and look back and am blown away at how burned out I really was. Your descriptions of what it looks like and who is suseptable was a picture of me last year at this time. I thank God that he moved me and began restoring me. I am looking forward to the fall when I will hopefully start online seminary classes, and maybe pick up a role in children’s ministry again - this time with alot meor wisdom!!
This is sooo true. I was that CP at my church for years and constantly struggled with getting the help I needed, so I did much of it myself. Last year I felt God was telling me to hand it over. I resisted at first, however, when my mother almost died, I gladly let go of it when my repacement was found. My kids at church had a hard time adjusting to a new person so I have moved to to a new church. I am typically the type who jumps in with two feet, but felt that I needed to take a year off. I am now 6 months into my ‘year off’ and look back and am blown away at how burned out I really was. Your descriptions of what it looks like and who is suseptable was a picture of me last year at this time. I thank God that he moved me and began restoring me. I am looking forward to the fall when I will hopefully start online seminary classes, and maybe pick up a role in children’s ministry again - this time with alot more wisdom!!