^[1]contagious and take the ministry in scary and risky directions, so it’s best to avoid these dreams altogether. It’s always safer to wander aimlessly by staring at your feet than it is to walk toward God’s beautiful horizon and risk tripping. From studentministry.org [IMG user rating]

^[1]moves across the country. On Friday’s he often gives away a freebie of his own material – the latest being a whole load of training resources for small groups which was excellent. A post that has been highlighted by a few people recently is his post on How I will crash and burn (out) in minstry – it should be compulsory reading for all Children’s and Youth Workers. Go check it out.

^[1] Burnout Lookout I liked this really honest and challenging post from Tim Schmoyer about Burnout, well worth a read …….. in fact, well worth pinning on the wall: [IMG match.jpg]” …….. Burning out in ministry is not a sudden event in time that will take me by surprise, like a bursting firecracker on the 4th

^[1] Burnout Lookout I liked this really honest and challenging post from Tim Schmoyer about Burnout, well worth a read …….. in fact, well worth pinning on the wall: [IMG match.jpg]” …….. Burning out in ministry is not a sudden event in time that will take me by surprise, like a bursting firecracker on the 4th

^[1]at discerning what NOT to do as there is SO MUCH that I can do for my job and all of it so worthy, God-centred and serving young people and the community. However it’s also important to BE there to serve next week and the week after rather than be burnt out (head’s up to Ian for the link) Fortunately though I was busy watching the film, resting and not worrying about work so I hardly picked up on this!!! Seriously I’d say if you liked Shaun of the Dead you’ll love this. If you like the Incredibles and

^[1] Tim at Life in Student Ministry wrote a great post this week about burnout. This post is one that could be applied to every department and pastor in church. Below are a few highlights but make sure you go read his full post. 2. Accept responsibility for everything.

^[1]3. Become emotionally attached to every situation. Whenever someone has a need, be the first to jump in, provide all the emotional support they need and rescue them from the problem. After all, everyone needs a savior..Read the rest of the article here.

Great Post Tim…it always helps to keep it real…this is something we all need to be reminded off often.

^[2]

That is a great list Tim. I especially relate to numbers 5 and 6. Might I recommend a post on how to come back from a burn out? I had it big about a year ago. I took a stress test and maxed it out and then an online test cinched it for me. The biggest tip I have for when I am getting burned out has to do with my driving. If I am in a big hurry to a meeting that I am not late for and could be late for even if I was, then I am approaching or are already in burn out mode.

Paul: Sure, you can recommend a post on how to come back from burn out, but anything I have to say at this point would be completely theoretical. Sounds like you might be more of an “authority” on this than me. If I come across some good infro on this I’ll post a link to it.

[...] From studentministry.org [...]

This is one of those posts that kind of pierces the heart a bit because it makes me feel in equal measure uncomfortable because it’s so real and yet heartened because there are other youthworkers out there who are wrestling with the same things. Great post, real truth. We become people who “do” rather than people who “are” all too often, but changing that so it affects the ministry is difficult because it means changing mindsets that we see all around us and are probably deeply ingrained in us. When you realise which ones of these are most relevant, any guidance on how to go about changing to become more healthy? Excellent post, thank you.

[...] I’m not the only one thinking about these things. Tim Schmoyer posted about this, which I believe is a significant and profound list which probably makes all of us stop [...]

Thanks Tim. Good honest stuff, we need to hear.
The only thing I think is missing (although its kind of in number 11) would be:
“Go it alone – you really don’t need any helpf to be accounable, or people to come round and support you. You and God is enough”!
Now you can really mess it all up!

@ Clair: “…it means changing mindsets that we see all around us and are probably deeply ingrained in us.” I think that’s true, but I think it’s also the mindset we’ve ingrained into ourselves. We tend to approach ministry like a job and feel that we need to evaluate our work by the same standards other people are evaluating us, regardless of whether they have any ministry understanding or not.

@ Pete Lev: That’s a great addition! It’s kinda in #2, as well, but I think you stated it much clearer. Thanks!

Tim this is awesome (in the truest weighty sobering sense of that word) stuff! There is great pressure on youth ministers- some of it is internal and we bring it upon ourselves and much of it is external and is heaped upon us – the church can be merciless taskmaster!
The list you have posted are real and present dangers for all of us.
I’ve been doing this thing for around 15 years now… I’ve seen a lot of gifted guys & girls come and go during that period, many of them broken on the wheels of youth ministry, some of them even falling morally because they neglected key priorities such as the word, prayer, accountability & vulnerbility.

My hope is that churches who employ youth staff will recognise more and more the responsibility they have to help ensure their workers don’t burn out… and while there may have been some stides forward on this (better pay, time off, role agreements etc) there is still a long ways to go (I’m referring mainly to the Irish/Uk context here).

Personally… the big changes for me came when I got married 10 years ago and when my 2 daughters were born. It was sometimes and still is a challenge and battle to ensure my wife and kids top the priority list. I don’t want my family to become a casualty of my youth ministry passion – if you don’t have your family you don’t have your ministry. And I don’t want my little girls growing up to hate God or the Church because that is what kept their Dad busy and unavailable to read them stories or tuck them in at night.

Some of the best advice churches could adopt to help us keep ourselves healthy and burn out free was given by Mike Yaconelli. It was in the context of the quick turnover of youth staff but it equally applies to this issue. I’m pasting it below (sorry for the length) but it is wonderful and if only Pastors and churches could see the value in doing it. I wonder how many of us have experienced these burn out reducing measures?

“I have a solution for the long-held belief that youth workers average about 18 months in a church before they move on or are moved out. I guarantee if pastors implement my suggestions, the average stay of a youth worker could triple or even quadruple. We’re talking miracle here.

Believe that your primary job as pastor is to care for the spiritual life of your youth worker. Support the youth worker at any cost, because it will cost you.

Explain to the church that you expect the youth worker to be “out of the office” most of the time because a youth worker’s office is his car, McDonald’s, football stands, band hall, and surfboard.

Remind the church that when your youth worker’s at camp, she’s working.

When your youth worker makes a mistake, come to his defence. Help the church understand that mistakes are part of the job and that you couldn’t be more pleased that you have a youth worker who’s taking risks and pushing the envelope.

Keep pushing to increase the youth worker’s salary and the youth budget.

Once a year, encourage church members with means to provide a weekend getaway at a cabin or beach house or condo for the youth worker and her family. Stock the refrigerator with food, arrange baby sitting, and tell her to take the weekend off—she deserves it.

Support his family. Encourage the youth worker to divide the day into three parts and work only two of them. Check on his marriage, and give him plenty of slack when the new baby arrives.

Before the job even starts, meet with the youth worker and then the board to make sure everyone’s on the same page when it comes to expectations and results. Whatever you do, make sure that numbers and attendance are not the sole or primary success markers.

Don’t expect that, now that you’ve hired a youth worker, she’ll do all the youth work. Expect the congregation to volunteer to help the youth worker, and if there’s no response, go with the youth worker to personally invite others to help. Believe that, for every five kids in the junior high or high school youth group, there should be one volunteer adult meeting with those kids on a regular basis.

Part of the youth worker’s job description should be the expectation that she takes one day a week on silent retreat, three days every three months, and one week a year just for working on her soul. Also give her a restricted budget for books that are just about our souls.

Ask the wisest elder in your church to attend the youth meetings and report back each month what he saw.

Continually affirm and encourage your youth worker.

Paul, thanks for sharing Mike Yaconelli’s tips. Knowing that we’re genuinely supported and backed by the church really makes a huge difference.

What I don’t get, though, is when church leadership tells you they support you because they “have” to. I’ve heard this in an annual review before: “We don’t agree with a lot of what you’re doing, but you’re our youth pastor so we have to support you anyway.” What’s that about? That’s like saying, “We really don’t want to support you, but we have to support you now anyway because it was too much trouble to communicate with you about such-and-such earlier.”

Mike Yaconelli’s list here would be great to send out to pastors, although it might seem weird if pastors received it from their own youth pastor. Maybe we should all send it to each other’s pastors instead? :)

^[3][...] burnout? Tim Schmoyer, a youth pastor and avid blogger recently posted about why we will burnout. Click here for 11 mentalities that will be sure to push you over the edge.Labels: [...]

[...] I know that in ministry, if I don’t take alloted time to relax and rest in the short-term, I’ll eventually burnout in the long-term. The temptation is continue working and accomplish as much as possible, which may [...]

^[3][...] How I will crash and burn(out) in ministry Posted by rockinyp 13 days ago ( ^[4]) View profile Category: [...]

[...] over at Life In Student Ministry recently posted about how he (and many others) could/would/do burnout in student ministry. While Tim does a great [...]

Thank you for the post on Burnout. As with many other youth workers, I fully agree with your views. How does one “snap-out” of it, especially when you realise once you are in it that you are burned out?

[...] For additional reading, I highly suggest Tim Schmoyer’s post How I Will Crash and Burn(out) in Ministry. [...]

I think you are right on about burnout, but I have a further question.

My husband and I moved halfway across the country this summer after graduating from college because we found a wonderful church where my husband could fill a staff position as youth pastor.

Every month since August has been darker for us, and I know as we have tried to give this church our all (being new and very naive) we have fallen into an apathy. We can't afford 2 tickets to fly home for Christmas, just the straw that broke the camel's back.

My husband is so tired of giving and running on empty. It is so hard for me to watch, and my efforts hardly make a dent in his work load. We are very close to being burnt out, and just this morning he told me he would like to start looking for another job :(

What do we do from here? Obviously we've allowed several of those 10 "ways to burn out" begin to smother our lives. I know this is a hard time, and I think we can get through it, but now that we're at this place where so many things seem hopeless, I don't know how we take back what we lost or make a change in our lives apart from leaving the church… at least for a time.

Any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated, as well as your prayers.

[...] For additional reading, I highly suggest Tim Schmoyer’s post How I Will Crash and Burn(out) in Ministry. [...]