Articles for tag: Pastoral Burnout

August 5, 2012

Christian Standard

Surviving Ministry Means Knowing Ourselves

By Rob McCord I believe the pastoral ministry is one of the most exhilarating and rewarding ways one can spend a life. It is an honor and a thrill, an adventure and a delight, full of amazing highs and irreplaceable glimpses of God at work. However, upon entering ministry, I completely lacked understanding of the pain that would accompany it. Pastoral ministry carries with it the potential of psychological, emotional, and even spiritual trauma. It can be dangerous. The statistics regarding pastoral burnout and failure are staggering. The pain and anguish that so many pastors endure is heartbreaking. These servant

August 1, 2012

Christian Standard

Learning to Trust

By Mike MacKenzie Jeff is not unlike many ministers we see. He has been in ministry for 25 years and has been reasonably successful. He accepted his current senior pastor position eight years ago knowing it was going to be a challenge. The congregation”s former senior pastor, who was also the founding pastor, had left under a cloud of suspicion. The church”s building program was hanging in limbo after a church split had seen half the members leave. And the finances were messy. But Jeff figured, with his experience, he had a responsibility to do what he could when he

August 1, 2010

Christian Standard

I Was the Big, Dead Tree

By Tim Harlow When I was a youth pastor, one of my favorite stories to reenact at church camp was from 1 Kings 18 when Elijah and the priests of Baal had a god-duel. The trick was to have someone with a roll of toilet paper soaked in lighter fluid in a nearby tree. At the right moment, he would light the toilet paper and let it slide down a wire into the altar””it was a great effect! I”m sure the real thing was even better. I can”t imagine how great Elijah must have felt knowing he was on the

August 1, 2010

Christian Standard

Avoiding Burnout, Surviving Burnout

By Mark A. Taylor Any of us could create situations that might lead to burnout among our Christian leaders. But burnout-afflicted ministers are not at the mercy of forces around them. They can control several steps that will lead to restored health. Ryan Connor this week makes some suggestions. R. Loren Sandford offers more in his book Renewal for the Wounded Warrior: A Burnout Survival Guide for Believers (Chosen Books, 2010). His advice for growing out of burnout can also help many of us from falling into it in the first place. Some of his ideas: “¢ Break the personal

October 7, 2007

Jim Putman

relationship in church leadership

Real Relationship

Relationship is essential to the church’s teamwork and mission. Jim Putman explains why leaders need honest friendships, unity, and encouragement to model love, resist isolation, and serve with spiritual endurance.

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