Our world is moving at a very fast pace that it is very easy to experience burnout.
One burnout that most people are scared to admit is “church burnout.” Why? They don’t want to come across as unspiritual or backslidden.
The truth is that at some point, we all experience the physical and mental exhaustion that comes with doing ministry. Take a poll of your church leaders and workers and you’d be shocked how many of them are facing burnout. How do you combat this ministry lethargy? We have put together a few ways in this post.
How to Fight Church Burnout
Are you currently experiencing church burnout? Continue reading this section to find out ways to fight this issue.
Acknowledge the Problem
The first step to fighting church burnout is acknowledging the problem. A church leader has so much work on their shoulders. From church administration to financial management, from counseling and praying for others to preparing sermons. The list is endless.
Once you begin to experience a physical or mental drain from handling these responsibilities, you are likely burning out. Sometimes, you feel that you just need to rest. But then, even after sleeping all night, you still wake up feeling drained. It is time to acknowledge that you are facing “church burnout.”
Pray
If you are feeling a church burnout, it might be a sign that you need to pray some more. Sometimes, the Holy Spirit uses these experiences as a signal to nudge us to come closer. The scripture shows us severally where Jesus Christ excused Himself from the crowd to pray.
Take some time out to pray to God. Tell Him exactly how you feel without mincing words. You’ll be shocked at what revelations you’ll receive. Sometimes, He may instruct you to take up certain new roles, forgive an offender, or move to a new assignment. How will you ever know these without speaking to Him in prayer?
Talk to Someone
Another thing that you can do is to tell someone exactly how you feel. In this case, you should find some close that you can trust. Not someone that will end up using your weakness against you in the future.
Discuss your vulnerabilities and what you think you need to do to get out of the rut. Ensure that who you are speaking to is someone that can offer you valuable advice. Ask for their honest opinion and how they dealt with church burnout when they experienced it. The more open you are about the situation, the easier it is for you to deal with it.
Take a Break
Sometimes, the reason behind the burnout is that you are over-exerting yourself. Our minds and bodies need to slow down sometimes and take a break from regular activities.
An easy way to deal with and avoid burnout is to schedule some days off work to refill your tank. You should spend some time outdoors, go to the beach, see a movie, or hang out with friends. Just do something out of the norm. Enjoying nature is one of the ways to refresh your mind quickly. Sometimes, you might need to travel on vacation to rest. Doing this helps to prepare you for work and spur creativity.
Create Boundaries
One of the biggest challenges of pastors and church leaders is being able to create boundaries. There is a huge probability that you will bring your church administrative duties home. You’ll probably be trying to fix up your sermon while at the dinner table with your family.
Doing all of this will drag you into a place of church burnout faster than you can imagine. You must create time for family. Note that family and social relations help you to refresh and refuel your tank. Separate work from family and your social relationships. Creating boundaries ensures that you allot time to different aspects of your life.
Know Your Limits
You must always take time to ask yourself if you are biting more than you can chew. Not knowing your limits is one of the fastest ways to get burnout. To know your limits, you must be fully aware of your abilities. Also, you must be honest enough to acknowledge when you are going overboard.
Understand yourself so that you can know when you should slow down. Ensure that you don’t tip yourself over the edge. Once you notice that you are, slow down and take a break.
Use Apps
There are so many apps that can help you handle church responsibilities. For example, a church app like ChurchPad helps with church administration, digital donations, and church communication. Several other apps help with preparing sermons, church accounting, and even check-ins.
Finding the apps that you need is very important. Learn how to use these apps and employ them to take the pressure off your shoulders.
Conclusion
Are you facing church burnout? These suggestions should help you deal with church burnout effectively. Tell us your experiences in the comments section. Don’t forget to check ChurchPad for resources on how to improve church administration.