Ministry burnout? Rest is part of the work

By God’s grace I have a busy life. I pastor a large church in a deprived area. I am a husband and a father of four wonderful children and have many other ministries and responsibilities that cause much worry to dear Christian friends.

Many have gifted me books filled with advice on how to prevent “ministry burnout.” Not only do these books add to my burden, they are often embarrassingly out of date, reminding me of the same Human Resources (HR) rhetoric I heard in business 20 years ago.

Before we continue, I must stress that I do not wish to burnout. I am not against rest, neither am I against prioritising family time. Having a Sabbath day and regular holidays to recharge is incredibly important - and Biblical.