But Peter and his 6 associate pastors were growing tired. They reached their capacity, and couldn’t keep up with the demands. They worked harder and longer hours, but it still was not enough. Peter began to see some trends. He and his staff were putting in longer hours, and the joy of ministry seemed to be slipping away. Peter had a deep desire to help his staff, but he too was already overworked.
Several months later, one of Peter’s associates came to him. He was busy, buried and behind, overwhelmed by his responsibilities, feeling guilty and inadequate. He was ready to call it quits—he decided to “take a break” from ministry. Peter wondered, “How do I care for my pastors, so they can stay healthy and maximize our ministry to our flock long-term?”
Believe it or not, the answer is not to do more. The answer is to do less, but more of the right things.
Below are three vital questions to help you focus so you can do more ministry with less burn-out:
- What is your ministry's main thing? Focus on it.
- What is your main strength personally? Excel at it and delegate the rest.
- Who are your main people? Make them your priority. Jesus did the same with his 12 disciples.
If Peter's story sounds familiar to you and leadership development is not YOUR main strength, consider outsourcing it. Check out our Outsourced Leadership Development Program.