Avoiding Burnout in Ministry
Felecia and I along with our friends and colleagues have encountered areas persons in all types of ministry need to be cognitive of and they are:
- Take care of yourself emotionally, physically and spiritually. You cannot help anyone for a long period of time if you are not at your best.
- Be careful not to exclude your spouse from key decisions in ministry. Your spouse is your sounding board and partner in ministry.
- Take a Vacation each year with your family. (No Friends)
- Have a night that is scheduled just for you and your spouse or close friend.
- Keep ministry boundaries with persons you are in ministry with.
- Every four-six years take an extended formational leave for up to six months to refresh yourself in your ministry.
- Recognize and deal with conflict upfront, avoiding conflict only brings pain later on in ones ministry.
- As Pastor T. D. Jakes stated "Get the junk out of your trunk". Clean up your past hurts and pains. See a therapist to help you resolve these issues so your ministry can prosper.
- Keep good cognitive listening skills. Often we hear what is not there or perceive what is not real due to a lack of good cognitive skills. See the book "Feeling Good" on the resource page.
- Do not take yourself too serious, learn to laugh.
- Learn to do ministry with a team of people allowing them to have ownership of the vision or goals they hope to achieve. Never do it alone, we are built to do it together in agreement with our Lord.
- Work in your strengths to maximize the work of God.
