Zeal Without Burnout is a compact, to the point, practical guide to effective stress management for pastors and Christian leaders. The target audience are people in pastoral ministry and vulnerable to the pressures of the job. A quick glance at the burnout statistics for people in these roles certainly vindicates the great need for this kind of book. As the book quotes, 1500 people each month leave pastoral ministry dues to burnout, conflict or moral failure in the USA alone (Quoted on page 16 from Today’s Pastors (2014) by George Barna). Pastoral ministry is a stressful, relentless and demanding profession. Developing practically and spiritually wise working habits that enable long term, viable ministry is the crux of the book.
The layout of the book is quite simple and easy to follow. After introducing the topic and defining the issues, each chapter addresses vital aspects of sustainable ministry – Sleep, Sabbath rest, Friends etc. – before ending with some encouragements. Each chapter has real life examples from pastors who have burned out or nearly burnt out.
Zeal Without Burnout is an easy read. It is short, straightforward and not wordy or technical with its theology or application. It is biblical but not theological. It is a practical book for practical people. I read it in a day or so and for busy pastors (who it is aimed at) this is helpful. The brevity of the book is both its strength and its weakness. You can read it quickly and easily and be left with some easily understood warnings and encouragements that should be easy to apply (although solid biblical principles are rarely easy to apply!). I found the real life stories from Christian leaders insightful and engaging as they made the theory of burnout tangible and real. For those on the verge of burnout these examples would be deeply convicting and help in the self-care process.
However the brevity and simplicity also left me a little unfulfilled. Aside from the personal stories and basic biblical principles outlined there wasn’t a lot of ‘meaty’ content to think through and mull over. Some deeper biblical reflection and examples might have helped. However for someone on the verge of burnout, the style and content may be just what they need. It was nevertheless a good reminder to maintain biblical and healthy work practices that honour God, care for self, love family and serve wisely.
I would definitely recommend this book for those in ministry. Even those who are not burning out or under extreme pressure, the biblical principles, advice and real life stories this book contains and expounds are essential reading for those on the front-line of pastoral ministry.
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