Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.
—Kurt Vonnegut, 20th-century American novelist

You may wish to journal, pray, or meditate on these questions:

In what ways am I currently taking good care of myself?
In what ways could I take better care of myself?
Where do I currently feel joy or satisfaction in my congregational work?
In what ways does my congregational involvement feel like a chore or an obligation?
Are there changes I need to make in my life or in the way in which I interact with the congregation?

Invite family members and friends to reflect with you on these questions.

Find Out More

You may wish to add resources that informed this workshop to your congregation’s leadership library:

Lynne M. Baab, Beating Burnout in Congregations (Herndon, VA: Alban Institute, 1989)
Margaret Benefiel, Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations (New York: Seabury, 2005)
Ric Masten, Ric Masten Speaking (Watsonville, CA: Paper Mache Press, 1990)
Mary Oliver, Dreamwork (New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 1986)
Parker J. Palmer, Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999)
Thom S. Rainer and Eric Geiger, Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples (Nashville: B&H Books, 2011)