Thursday, November 19, 2009
Are People a Renewable Resource?
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People are the core resource in any effective ministry. Committed and caring individuals accomplish the daily tasks, dream the big dreams, make the phone calls and write the thank you cards, and have the meaningful conversations that help realize the dreams of ministries across the world.
But do Christians view people in ministry as a renewable resource? Or does ministry require so much from Christians that the energy and resources of people are burned up, expended, and eventually un-renewable?
A quick theory on Christian productivity:
Christians believe they should be working harder than the "average" person, so their level of work and productivity is always at about 110%. Therefore, "above average" is the new expectation for all Christians in ministry. You are expected to sacrifice, to give when it hurts, to be a servant. Subsequently, the Christian who wants to go "above and beyond" is going to give even more than 110%, somewhere around 120%-130% of their energies (obviously these percentages are just for the sake of example, and not meant to be literal).
What is the result? An unsustainable draining of the most valuable resource in ministry - the people themselves. The people get burned out; are sucked dry; are tired and wasted - like a mountain being strip mined or a forest being thrashed and burned. The ministry goals have a higher value than the people themselves.
This has often been my experience with ministry in the church and within professional ministry jobs, such as Christian education or pastoring. Burnout is common. Christian volunteers suffer from stress headaches, feelings of being inadequate, and never quite think the job is done. Their resources are being sucked dry and will never be renewed.
Shouldn't we consider people the most valuable, sustainable resource we have? Shouldn't we be keeping ourselves in check, making sure that we are renewing our spirits and our bodies however necessary so that we can continue to give back to the ministries we believe in?
"What good is it if a man gains the whole world, but loses his soul?"
People are the core resource in any effective ministry. Committed and caring individuals accomplish the daily tasks, dream the big dreams, make the phone calls and write the thank you cards, and have the meaningful conversations that help realize the dreams of ministries across the world.
But do Christians view people in ministry as a renewable resource? Or does ministry require so much from Christians that the energy and resources of people are burned up, expended, and eventually un-renewable?
A quick theory on Christian productivity:
Christians believe they should be working harder than the "average" person, so their level of work and productivity is always at about 110%. Therefore, "above average" is the new expectation for all Christians in ministry. You are expected to sacrifice, to give when it hurts, to be a servant. Subsequently, the Christian who wants to go "above and beyond" is going to give even more than 110%, somewhere around 120%-130% of their energies (obviously these percentages are just for the sake of example, and not meant to be literal).
What is the result? An unsustainable draining of the most valuable resource in ministry - the people themselves. The people get burned out; are sucked dry; are tired and wasted - like a mountain being strip mined or a forest being thrashed and burned. The ministry goals have a higher value than the people themselves.
This has often been my experience with ministry in the church and within professional ministry jobs, such as Christian education or pastoring. Burnout is common. Christian volunteers suffer from stress headaches, feelings of being inadequate, and never quite think the job is done. Their resources are being sucked dry and will never be renewed.
"What good is it if a man gains the whole world, but loses his soul?"
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