Andy, you’ve been at this for years in all different stages of life. I’d love to hear more from your experiences in this area.

I think one of the really important things is to have quality friends and good distractions. Movies, concerts, books, parties, sports, excersise, art…these are good things to get our minds off of our stress and tension. And then sometimes you just have to get away from your circumstances it seems.

Time with God.
Prioritize.
Develop good work habits.
Learn to deligate.
Learn to multi-task.
Rest.

- Lack of interest in life

- Spiritual dryness

- Inability to perform normal tasks

- Overreacting

- Difficulty sleeping

- Excessive tiredness

- Depression

- Trouble with nerves

- Certain physical problems

It seems to me that burnout can be prevented through a series of “check points” or stages in which care is offered (I got this idea from Brent Lindquist with LinkCare.) In essence, I’m talking about a continuum of care that would look like this

Master Care → Self Care → One Another Care → Pastoral Care → Clinical Care

The first stage is Master Care, meaning that one’s relationship with God is the most vital aspect of taking care of oneself. Some issues are completely resolved in this stage through open & honest conversation with God. In burnout, this may bring unrealistic expectations that the Great Commission is “My Great Commission” to the surface. Through relationship with God, sin may be revealed and dealt with.

Next is Self Care. There are strategies that we as individuals can put in place to keep our output from exceeding our input. This would include setting appropriate boundaries, finding rest, etc. While there are outside influences in this stage, ultimately, the individual maintains the final authority to say yes or no.

One Another Care follows self care. This is where teamwork fits in. Team members who work so closely on the mission field come to know one another much more intimately than most other professions. For this reason, teams can offer better mutual support of one another than the home office or even home churches. This is especially true in locations far removed from receiving outside help like pastoral or clinical counseling (which I think refers to most, if not all of our locations). I know that when I was living in Costa Rica, my team was adamant about helping to make sure that I took time off during short term team season. I needed their accountability in finding rest. I also needed to know that they didn’t expect me to be the super hero and to accomplish everything on my to-do list.

Next is Pastoral Care. This would be necessary if an issue is unresolved at the team level or if the problem persists in spite of the nurturing of one’s teammates.

Finally, Clinical Care may be necessary to address some of the issues that result. For example, in some cases of burnout, clinical depression, panic attacks or anxiety may persist. I believe that these are best addressed through professional counseling and sometimes should be coupled with medication.

With this in mind, I think there are vital questions to be asking ourselves:

What am I doing to help prevent burnout in my own life? (What steps am I taking in my relationship with God and in personal boundaries).
And

What am I doing to help prevent burnout for my teammates? (How am I communicating expectations? Am I setting an example of being transparent in my own needs?)

I truly second the thought that Jeremy said about us not being in this alone, it is absolutely true that being a part of a well-oiled, properly functioning team is the key to avoiding, or handling, burnout. It isn’t the way of life so much in the “real world” of work in the states. Or at least, the teams are fractured - one for work, another for home, another for church… here in Helene it is one team for everything! Which means that if one person is hurting, we all are affected. But we also have a very close group of people to help lift us up when we need that, encourage us when that is so necessary, and to speak truth - whether we think we want to hear it or not! Living in a community as we do here can be very difficult, but overall I find it to be one of the most excellent experiences of my life. It would be strange to live all by myself again, as I did for years before coming here.

Burnout is a great topic, (and I mean the kind we experience in ministry Allen!) and it can also highlight another fantastic aspect of Alternative Missions. I am so glad to be part of a team of people and not responsible for all aspects of ministry on my own. I have a friend who has been ministering in the D.R. and he is out there on his own. He’s experiencing great results, but he’s home after just one year and not sure if he’ll go back simply because of the strain of doing it all by himself.

Having a team of people ministering together is so great. That means that You aren’t the only person responsible for short term teams, or balancing the books, or raising ministry funds. It means we have a family of people who take on some of those responsibilities and help us carry the burden. A team that is functioning properly means a team where every person is doing their part to balance the ministry load. Waves can come and go, but with a strong, committed team, we can weather almost any storm.

Which reminds me, let’s be sure we’re all in prayer for more workers. All of our ministry locations are in need of more workers. We need teachers in Helene, church planters and team hosts in Puerto Viejo, Construction minded persons for all locations, administrators in Tepic and much, much more. We want the RIGHT workers at the right time. Let’s all be agreeing in prayer together for just that!