Here are six warning signs that you are burning out in your children’s ministry.
1. Your companions in the ministry become competitors.
2. You live with a “I must succeed” mentality instead of “I must be faithful” mentality.
3. You experience physical fatigue. This creates a lack of enthusiasm and energy.
4. Teaching and programming responsibilities in your ministry become a drudgery.
5. Your sense of purpose in ministry is lost.
6. You become a negative person. Others begin to wonder what’s going on in your life.
Check back and I’ll share the number one reason children’s pastors burn out and what do about it.
I think you are on to something important here. I wonder, is it possible that the success vs faithfulness tension is an outcome of typical US American church culture, which in turn is reflecting the broader culture in which it is located? I think there are a lot of leaders who feel pressured to perform beyond their current capacity and who start to exhibit the symptoms you shared when they feel as if they are coming up short. Certainly there are many other reasons for burnout, but I think this is a major one, especially given the high average turnover rate among children’s pastors. I would be interested to read your thoughts. Great post. Thanks!
Wow! I can see some of those listed in me and my thoughts and actions. Part of it is because I view it as being successful and I believe that there is pressure in the church that the more kids you have the more successful you are. My question is…What are the children learning and are they growing spiritually. I’ve really started thinking more in that aspect then what are numbers are on a given Sunday. I do pay attention to numbers, but I ask myself more now on what the kids are learning.
Thanks!!