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Burnout. An all too familiar experience for most of us. It's more than just feeling tired or overworked. It's that crushing sense of futility when your passion for ministry runs out, and it leaves you wondering if you can even continue the work you were once so excited about.

Jonathan Hoover, the author of Stress Fracture, Your Ultimate Guide to Beating Burnout, shares valuable insights from his experience and research, including practical strategies for managing stress, the importance of self-care, and maintaining emotional and spiritual health in leadership.

THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Jonathan Hoover shares the significant stress his father faced while pastoring their church.
• Jonathan Hoover explains how his father experienced severe emotional and physical symptoms of burnout.
• Markus Watson asks about the role of spirituality in addressing burnout.
• Jonathan Hoover highlights how the biblical story of Elijah offers insights into addressing burnout through rest and care.
• The world tempts people to believe they are infinite, leading to stress and burnout.
• Jonathan Hoover talks about 'super rats' and the dangers of endless adaptation to stress.
• Creating margin in life by setting limits can help prevent burnout.
• Monitoring multiple aspects of life, such as physical and emotional health, can help manage burnout.
• Jonathan Hoover introduces the concept of emotional exhaustion and how it impacts emotional regulation.
• Emotional intelligence decreases as emotional exhaustion increases.
• Burnout leads to a loss of passion and a fatalistic outlook on success.
• Minimizing distractions and increasing self-awareness are crucial in preventing burnout.
• To prevent burnout, people need to realize their own limits and adjust their workloads.
• Jonathan Hoover explains that emotional awareness is necessary for making lifestyle adjustments.

• RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:
• Jonathan Hoover:
  • Website – drjonathanhoover.com
  • Church website - Newspring.org
• Books mentioned:
  • Stress Fracture, by Jonathan Hoover
  • Leadership on the Line, by Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky
• Related episodes:
  • 136. Healthy Attachment and Spiritual Leadership, with Todd Hall
  • 175. From Burnout to Resilience, with Jason Young
  • 179. The Neuroscience of Spiritual Formation, with Jim Wilder

Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

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Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson explore the essential question: "What thirsts of my soul am I bringing to my congregation?" They discuss the importance of leaders acknowledging their own needs and the dangers of seeking fulfillment from their congregations instead of God. Learn how aligning personal needs with God's guidance can help leaders bring true abundance to their communities.

Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson discuss this quote from Alan Fadling in Ep 238, Lead with Less Anxiety:

"What thirsts of my soul am I bringing to my congregation in hopes they'll meet me there rather than learning to take the thirsts of my soul to God so that God could meet me in those places? And then I could bring abundance to the community of people entrusted to me.”


THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

1. Leaders must acknowledge their needs to avoid seeking affirmation from their congregations improperly.
2. Effective leaders should bring their soul’s needs to God rather than their congregations.
3. Leaders face the temptation of people-pleasing, which can derail their adherence to God's mission.
4. Being transparent about personal needs helps leaders avoid subconscious behaviors that could hinder mission-focused leadership.
5. Fulfilling personal needs through appropriate relationships prevents dependence on congregational approval.

Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

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This episode tackles the topic of being "othered" by those in church leadership, an important conversation for anyone in ministry leadership who wants to understand how to create an environment of embrace, of love, of belonging—and of being a healthy team.

Jenai Auman, the author of Othered, discusses her personal experiences of being othered by church leaders, the impact it had on her, and how leaders can cultivate communities marked by shalom and hesed.


THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Jenai Auman shares her struggles with toxic issues and resistance at a church where she was on staff.
• Advocacy for personal boundaries led to Jenai being labeled as the problem and asked to leave the church.
• Individuals often remain in unhealthy environments due to a shallow understanding of love and belonging, influenced by past trauma.
• Jenai Auman identifies with domestic violence survivors in her determination to fix the system from within.
• Through her painful experience, Jenai Auman gained transformative wisdom and spiritual growth.
• Emphasizing the importance of healing, Jenai Auman aims to avoid bitterness and repeating the harm done to her.
• The hesed of God demonstrates loving kindness and compassion, aiming for wholeness in a fractured world.
• The zero-sum game misconception causes competition for comfort and peace, but God's shalom advocates for abundance.
• By adopting an open-handed posture towards others, we mirror God's nature, fostering inclusivity and belonging.
• Jenai Auman advises those feeling othered to recognize their inherent belovedness without seeking external validation.
• Church leaders should focus on self-reflection and compassion, avoiding defensive othering.
• Jenai Auman discusses the concept of shalom as a state of peace involving love, wisdom, and understanding personal stories.
• Naming experiences of othering is crucial for healing, enabling reconciliation and peace.
• Jenai Auman reflects on how her experiences with othering have shaped her understanding of mutuality and divine love.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Jenai Auman:
  • Website
  • Substack
  • Email
• Books mentioned:
  • Othered, by Jenai Auman
• Related episodes:
  • 82: Narcissism and Spiritual Leadership, with Chuck DeGroat
  • 92. Against a Culture of Abuse, with Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer
  • 163. You Can’t Be Found if You’re Never Lost, with Steve Carter

Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.