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Home » Church Leadership, Featured

Leadership: Balance or Burnout?

Submitted by James Higginbotham on November 4, 2007 – 2:27 pm4 Comments

As a leader, it can be difficult to balance life: family, friends, work, church services, and volunteering. I learned the hard way that I am personally a workaholic – this is how I eventually came to Christ. But even after I became a believer, I still had to deal with my workaholic tendency when it comes to service in the church. I want to explore three key lessons I have learned to prevent burnout and improve my life balance as a leader.

First, let’s examine three diagrams that demonstrate how we get into a burnout situation:

So, what are we to do as leaders to find more time to get more done?

Never Serve Alone

As leaders, we know it is better not to serve alone, but we still get into those habits of “I can do this faster than if I trained someone to do it for me”. The problem with this is that we end up loading our plates full of work and never take anyone with us. Sometimes, it is often better to do nothing than to do something alone, so always find someone to help you clean up, get service prepared, greet visitors, or make a hospital visit. There is much others can learn from you, much you can learn from them, and more you can do together than separately.

Never Lead Alone

Leading can sometimes be lonely – you often feel the burden of your responsibilities and shoulder it alone. It doesn’t have to be this way! Begin to find others that can help you lead a portion of your responsibilities rather than you leading it all. The Staircase Method is a great example of how to structure your leadership to accomplish this and grow the future leaders around you.

Never Live Alone

Those leading at church, working a full-time job, and having little time for our family can set ourselves up for true failure. What would happen if you lost your spouse due to lack of good quality and quantity of time with them? Would you regret those extra hours at work or church?

Puts things in perspective, doesn’t it? Prioritize your life! Don’t end up alone by neglecting your family. Define your time limits and stick to them! If you are single, replace the concept of family or spouse with friends, as they are important as well – they will keep you grounded!

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4 Comments »

  • Ryan says:

    It’s so interesting to read your thoughts on here. I work for one church and attend their sister church. Last year, the church I work for read through a book called The Equipping Church and then we had a weekend retreat based on the principles in the book. It’s very similar to what you’re talking about and I think could save so many problems in ministry.

    I made the big mistake of trying to do everything myself. This caused two problems: Burnout for me, and a ministry that was lost when I felt called to another church. I should have trained people in the ministry and brought people alongside me. Instead, people panicked because I was doing pretty much everything. Thanks so much for your great reminders that we need to equip people make a greater impact in ministry.

  • Ryan,

    It is a tough balancing act between doing what you are called to do and doing it with the future in mind. It requires us to be mindful of the many needs today while focusing on what will be needed in the future, without us being there. Thanks for sharing your experience!

  • [...] Agile Ministry shows us visually in an article entitled Leadership: Balance or Burnout? [...]

  • [...] However, there may not always be someone available to lend a hand, often forcing the leader into a Balance or Burnout situation. Here are some tips for getting started with the right [...]