Hi Reader,
Twenty years ago this month, I burned out. I was 41 years old. I had just delivered the biggest talk of my life to 2,500 leaders in Atlanta—and when the plane landed in Toronto, I felt like I fell off a cliff into the abyss.
For the next several months I went from numb to despairing to suicidal ideation.
And here’s what made it harder: leaders with enough muscle memory can fake it even when they’re dead inside. I did that when I got back up to preach in August 2006.
Nobody around me could tell. But I knew. Inside, I felt like I was dying.
This podcast episode is different. I’m telling my story and sharing the 5 things I’ve learned about how burnout happens. With 24% of pastors seriously considering quitting ministry right now, this one is for them.
I talk to pastors and church leaders every day who are on the verge of burnout or are heading there. I also talk to leaders who haven't burned out and never want to. Man, I hope that's your story.
I took two decades of learning and insight and put them into a two-part episode. Today, part one, including some things I've never talked about before.
I made this for you.
🎧 Listen now and take the next step toward healthier leadership. Watch it on YouTube or tune in wherever you listen to podcasts.
This episode is brought to you by...
Global Christian Relief
For a lot of us, the persecuted church can feel distant. But the global church isn’t an idea, it’s a family. And when one part of the Body suffers, we don’t get to stay spectators, we’re called to action.
Global Christian Relief supports our church family in places where following Jesus carries a cost—Nigeria, Pakistan, Syria, India, Iran, and many more. They bring Scripture where it’s restricted, provide emergency relief when crisis hits, and offer long-term support so the Church can remain and grow strong.
When you support the global church, you’re not supporting a cause, you’re standing with family.
American Bible Society
It’s hard to know what’s really going on in people’s lives. Are they growing? Are they fighting battles you can’t see? That’s why the American Bible Society created the Next Step for Church assessment.
It shows pastors exactly where their church is growing, where it’s not, and what to do next. In as few as three weeks, you can get real insights about what’s happening in your church, at no cost.
Sign up for their upcoming Live Q&A to ask questions and see how it works.
