Beating Burnout in Congregations

Beating Burnout in Congregations
Author: Lynne M. Baab
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 151
Release: 2003-08-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1566994705

"I can only shake my head in the face of the irony that all too often the very place where we look for life and health, the very place where we expect to nurture and deepen a loving relationship with God, can cause so many to experience the exact opposite." So remarks author Lynne Baab in this timely and discerning examination of burnout in congregations. What is burnout? What causes congregation volunteers to burn out? Why is unpaid service sometimes life giving and other times just another frantic commitment? How can congregations become oases of peace and nurture while still carrying out their mission and ministry? How can we recognize holy moments in the presence of God if we are moving so fast that life passes by us in a blur? How can leaders make congregations healthy places to serve? After reflecting on these important questions and dozens of interviews with congregation volunteers, Baab suggests, "We must not fear burnout; instead, we need to do a better job coming alongside people as they experience burnout, and help them figure out what they are learning."

Mad Church Disease

Mad Church Disease
Author: Anne Jackson
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2009
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 0310287553

Mad Church Disease is a lively, informative, and potentially life-saving resource for anyone in ministry---vocational or volunteer---who would like to understand, prevent, or treat the epidemic of burnout in churches. The book draws on research and interviews with leaders from across the United States, providing statistics, stories, and hope for healing.

Nurturing Hope

Nurturing Hope
Author: Lynne M. Baab
Publisher: Fortress Press
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2018-08-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1506434282

Trends and skills for those who offer pastoral care Christian pastoral care has changed a great deal in the past few decades in response to many factors in our rapidly changing world. In part 1 of Nurturing Hope, Lynne Baab discusses seven trends in pastoral care--shifts in who delivers pastoral care, the attitudes and commitments that undergird pastoral care, and societal trends that are shaping pastoral care today. She illustrates them with stories from diverse congregations where Christian caregivers are meeting those challenges in creative and exciting ways. In the second half of the book, Baab presents four practical, doable, energizing skills needed by pastoral carers in our time. Focusing on skills that help carers nurture connections between everyday life and Christian faith, she explores the need for carers to understand common stressors, listen, pray with others, and nurture their personal resilience. Grounded in an understanding of God as the true caregiver and healer, the author offers tips for readers who are training other pastoral carers or developing their own understanding and skills. Each chapter ends with discussion and reflection questions, making the book helpful for groups. Lynne Baab brings readers hope for their caring role and for their own spiritual journey.

Leading on Empty

Leading on Empty
Author: Wayne Cordeiro
Publisher: Bethany House
Total Pages: 219
Release: 2010-04-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441207422

Wayne Cordeiro found himself paralyzed by burnout. He had been in ministry for 30 years, and 10 years after founding what is now the largest church in Hawaii, he found himself depleted. Wayne took a season out of his growing ministry to recharge and refocus on the truly important. He was able to get back in touch with his life, get back in proper balance, and re-energize his spirit through Christ in a way that propelled him forward to greater levels of service. Wayne first gave this message at a recent Willow Creek Leadership Summit, where it was the highest-rated presentation by those in attendance. Pulling no punches, Wayne talks about the walls leaders must break through and how to move on with integrity. Included are ways to care for oneself physically and emotionally as well as spiritually.

The Silver Lining: A Practical Guide for Christian Grandmothers

The Silver Lining: A Practical Guide for Christian Grandmothers
Author: Nancy Wilson
Publisher: Canon Press & Book Service
Total Pages: 132
Release: 2016-11-16
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN: 194450379X

At last, a practical, Christian guide for grandmothers--and for younger women preparing for that stage of life! Since our culture is in love with immaturity, advice written for "older" women can tend to focus on changes: empty nests, new priorities, grown children getting married, etc. But the Bible tells us to focus on the things that don't change: In all seasons of life, God has good works prepared in advance for us to walk in. And whether you're a young woman, married, unmarried, widowed, middle-aged, or a great-grandma, you never quit exercising that faith in Christ. Grandkids and getting older, dinners and hospitality, mentorship and being an "in-law" all come with their own stretches of bumpy road, but faith and joy (and a little of Nancy Wilson's practical advice) go a long way. Women travelling through this season should be thinking in terms of family legacy--and in terms of eternity--as they seek godly wisdom, great joy, and a silver-haired crown of glory.

Privilege the Text!

Privilege the Text!
Author: Abraham Kuruvilla
Publisher: Moody Publishers
Total Pages: 442
Release: 2013-04-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0802485022

Privilege the Text! spans the conceptual gap between biblical text and life application by providing a rigorous theological hermeneutic for preaching. Kuruvilla describes the theological entity that is the intermediary between ancient text and modern audience, and defines its crucial function in determining valid application. Based on this hermeneutic, he submits a new mode of reading Scripture for preaching: a Christiconic interpretation of the biblical text, a hermeneutically robust way to understand the depiction of the Second Person of the Trinity in Scripture. In addition, Kuruvilla’s work provides a substantive theology of spiritual formation through preaching: what it means to obey God, the Christian’s responsibility to undertake “faith-full” obedience to divine demand, and the incentives for such obedience—all integral to understanding the sermonic movement from text to application. Privilege the Text! promises to be useful not only for preachers, and students and teachers of homiletics, but for all who are interested in the exposition of Scripture that culminates in application for the glory of God.

Prayers of the New Testament

Prayers of the New Testament
Author: Lynne M. Baab
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 63
Release: 2011-10-17
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830863214

Are your prayers stuck in a rut? In these eight-session LifeGuide® Bible Study from Lynne M. Baab you'll find new words and new ways to pray through the prayers of Mary, Simeon and Anna, Peter, Paul, John and Jesus himself. Their words and patterns serve as rich models for us in our own conversations with God, helping us get onto fresh new paths of prayer.

The Deeper Journey

The Deeper Journey
Author: Mulholland Jr., M. Robert
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2016-03-21
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830893741

M. Robert Mulholland Jr. exposes false selves you may hide behind and helps you to instead discover the true self that comes from being hidden with Christ in God. Not only will you encounter the joy of discovering your own self, you will also find a greater love for others and compassion for the world. The expanded edition includes a study guide for individual or group use.

Sabbath Keeping

Sabbath Keeping
Author: Lynne M. Baab
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 135
Release: 2010-10-18
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830868275

Let's face it: our times of rest need work. And God calls us to rest, and even shows us through his own example. With collected insights from sabbath keepers of all ages and backgrounds, Lynne M. Baab offers a practical and hopeful guidebook that encourages all of us to slow down and enjoy our relationship with the God of the universe.