got mad church disease yet?

I have to say thank you for the youtube of this book. I myself can't wait to read it but i actually know of a couple people that very well could have Mad Church Disease.

I would love to have this book to read. It hits sooo close to home. I've worked in children's ministries for almost 26 years.....a missionary lady got me involved in VBS at the age of 12. There has been times when I've had to step back from doing things because of having too much on my plate and feeling like I wasn't getting what "I" needed out of church. But when I realized that it wasn't about me and my relationship with God became closer and more personal then my "burnout" seemed to disappear. I learned that my service to God in the church is not about "me" but about my relationship with Him. Burnout came when I concentrated on myself and what I needed from the church and from my self relationship with God.....and it affected my teaching. My husband and I decided that God was showing us to move on with our lives and take a step of faith.....leaving a church I'd attended since my late teens/early twenties was so hard. But 8 months ago we did just that and God has put us in a wonderful church family. My service to him has changed. I haven't gotten back into teaching yet....but I know it is to come again, because that is one place God has put my talents. But for now it's in the simple things of life.....being a friend, a listener, helping with cleanup after the youthgroup, baking for church events, and newly God has placed me back in childcare for women's bible study. God heals burnout when you listen to him and do things with His glory intended first.

The title alone makes it worth a look.

The right time in all our lives to read this book!!!! Thanks for this opportunity!!!

This hits close to home. The Lord called us to youth ministry when we were 18 years old and it was our life, 24/7 365 days a year..We had to stop after a couple of years into it because we were so burnt out . After years of doing jobs that weren't satisfying, always fighting, we surrended once again to youth ministry. We are now once again doing full-time youth ministry at a wonderful church. GOD IS GOOD!

OH, I know what burnout feels like!!! I would love to read this book, and if I don't win it, I plan on buying it.
I have a church full of people that feel burned out.. this may help my whole chuch...

Thanks for the info.

I am very interested in the book. Can't wait to read it!

WOW!

I love the youtube video; it is very insightful and well articulated. It speaks the heart of so many that have not been able to speak out or have felt trapped by this epidemic.

You need to stop hogging the book babe...I want to read it too! Haha! Just kidding, but let me know when you are finished with it. Love you!

me! money is tight and I so need to read this book. Hubs too.

Burn-out? Is that anything like having so many irons in the fire that the fire goes out? If so, I need this book. Thank you>

It's about time! I see it all the time in my church. People are all on fire and then the next thing you know ... they are all burned out. Ministries are suffering as a result. I know a few people that need this book ... and sometimes I think I come close to needing it as well. Between the pressures and stresses of ministry work ... then there is church politics and personalities to deal with too.

Interesting topic. I appreciate the commitment of the pastors at our church and have always wondered how it affects their families and their personal lives. This book sounds like a good discussion of that.

I think that Anne has hit on something that I've been feeling for a while now . Althought I'm not a church leader, I was involved in some of its ministries and have since stepped down. I feel bad about not being involved, but there never seems to be time to get involved anymore. So what do I do? I'm hoping that this book will be able to give me some answers and ideas on how to change that.

I LOVE Anne! She is My favorite Blogger! ( sorry Dan!) I cant wait to read this book! if i can win it .. all the better! LOL.. ( I hope that this doesnt ruin my chances of being picked!LOL)

Either way! I am Getting this book as soon as i can!

Can anyone tell me how I delete a comment?
Seriously, she one of my favorite bloggers too. But if you don't win the book, then you can make it up to me by buying it through the BibleDude Store! :-)

Yep - done inside the dashboard. If you need specifics, BD, shoot me an email (assuming you haven't already sussed the solution out already).

The book looks good!

LOL! Yeah, I know how... I was just trying to give Bonnie a hard time for saying that someone else was her favorite blogger...

Ever since I got saved and in every church someone always said to me that 20% of the church does 80% of the work. (We've moved a lot due to my husband's line of work.) I've seen burnout cause people to fall away from God. They think they are lacking in faith because even though they might be good at something and are needed in that position, they find no joy in what they do. They begin to resent the church and then God.

I experienced burnout myself last year teaching classes in a Christian high school that is part of my church. I wanted so badly to quit because it was killing me and my pastor made me feel (not intentionally) like I was going against what God had called me to do. The stress was so great that I got physically sick in March and have not yet recovered because my body is so depleted. It made me never want to teach in high school ever again.

However when I was in Florida at FOB, I was very involved in church activities but they were things that I loved doing. I never felt burnt out doing them. They energized me. I think that was a key for me. People who like to serve often feel that they want to be involved in everything or they feel guilty that they are not serving in a bunch of different ministries. A wise person many years ago told me to stick with one ministry and do it well. I got involved in 2, but only one which really involved a lot of my time and effort. At other times, I would do something to help out temporarily as we all do, but fully committed to only 2 ministries.

For pastors, especially in a small church, they are often expected to do everything and if a pastor happens to be a workaholic and/or a control freak that makes it 10X worse. He will eventually burn out unless a miracle occurs. Certainly his family will burn out and usually long before he does. Pastors' kids often turn their backs on God for a time because they see how their parents get abused by the congregation after they have worked so hard to build something wonderful for God. They certainly have a jaded view of people because they see the ugly things people do to their parents.

I am interested to see what Anne Jackson (who looks like a teenager still!) has to say about church burnout. It's a good subject and like Melissa says in her comment I know several people who are on the Mad Church Disease road.

As I ever flirt with the 30 year old birthday....I appreciate the teenager comment :-)

Thanks for sharing this book. Every time I have started to feel burned out in volunteer ministry in my local church the Lord has stretched me to do more....things I never thought I would ever do! He continues to grow me spiritually each new day as He requires new things from me to be used for His glory. Most of the time I am afraid, but because He asks I just simply take steps of faith to do what He wants me to. Praise God that He continues to find use for me in His kingdom!!!

We as the church need to remember something which I have seen time and time again as I searched for a home church. If the people and the staff are "only the perfect may come" types, then Burn out is inenvitable. If they are the "Welcome all you who are sick and broken, we are the hospital" type, the burn out is less. We must focus on what we are called to do, we are to minister to those that are in need. I grew up in the church but it wasn't till fairly recently that I started to get serious about my faith. I am learning more everyday and I will continue to search. New resources and information are a must, and are always needed.

I wish I had wrote the book myself back in 1993...when I came out of ministry burned out and abused. Yes abused, by those I worked with, by those I worked for, and mainly myself for not having the healthy boundaries to stop the dysfuctional dynamic that so often operates in Church ministries where guilt and shame are the underlying motivators. As Ann Jackson stated, "I know I was one"

"How can we bring hope if we are hopeless, or heal if we are broken?" <-- Thaaaaa't s a darn good point. :) 'Survival guides' for professions and vocations, especially mentally/spiritually demanding ones are a necessity. Anne Jackson's book is a much needed resource right now... and it's got a darn cool name, too. :)

The church is mad indeed. when God's people stop reflecting His character, it gives the devil giggles.

wow mad Church disease seams to have a strong hold on people. it had been in my home.
praise God that it left.

I have been researching the amount of ministers that are fired each month. The number is too large to fathom. A few years ago, I started ministering to ministers and their families as well as Church leaders who have to be the ones to fire them. This is a deep spiritual issue. I have just started a facebook group called "friendly fired". It is my hope to encourage as many of the brethren as possible. I have over twenty years experience in the preacshing ministry