Do you know why you are burning out?

The demand of leading a growing church, family, or organization is intense. My administrative weakness was exposed when our church outgrew our infrastructure. A few of us began to feel like everything was falling on our shoulders. This lid was keeping genuine followers of Jesus from being assimiliated into healthy Fellowship and Volunteer teams. With the exception of my wife and kids, I was not meeting the relational expectations of so many around me. I lost my day off and was losing my passion. If you feel overwhelmed, maybe our experience will help.

Take Responsibility
Its a humbling moment, but liberating.

God Moment
Seek God. Really go after him in prayer, fasting, and Bible study. In rest, I discovered three truths. We are never created to bear more than what God intends. Ministry must be compelled out of a love for Christ. How often do we do because we feel like we owe it to God or others? The church belongs to Jesus. He is always victorious. The challenge we faced wasn’t new. We learned how the early church overcame a similar issue in Acts 6.

Let Go of Responsibility
I grew up in a church where its expected that the pastor do everything. Preach every Sunday. Do all the management and administration. Provide all the pastoral care. The problem is it simply isn’t possible or Biblical. We rob others from doing ministry and become the lid to growth. Its a shortcut to burn out. Our job description is found here and we are commanded to equip the body to minister to the body. This will help us stay focused in being a passionate follower of Jesus, lead a healthy family, be devoted to studying and preaching the Word, focus on the Great Commission, and lead areas in our strengths.

Ask For Help
We invited friends David Chrzan (Chief of Staff-Saddleback) and Justin Lathrop (Networking Guru) to spend a day with our key staff and advisory council. We locked ourselves in a conference room. We asked the right questions and together discovered the right answers.

Change
With growth, comes change. Change in personell, systems, and structure. Its not comfortable or easy, but needed for health. Our new executive team includes discipleship, operation, worship services, and church planting. God raised up the right leaders who are empowered with authority to identify the challenges and fix them. They are a direct answer to prayer and complete miracle. Over the next couple of days, I’ll introduce who they are.

Give God His Glory
We must stay humble. If we are healthy, we will naturally grow, bear fruit, and multiply. But it will be God who adds and we must remind ourselves often. It’s never us or about us. Its about Jesus.

What helps you from burning out?

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