death by ministry

when God called me to ministry as a teenager, i had no idea what He was getting me into.  i struggled with self-doubt.  knowing i wasn't good enough to be used by Him, and wondered how long it would be until God figured that out too.  i've grown to realize that God's ability to use me... lies totally in what He is doing around me and my willingness to be obedient to what He has placed before me.  

honestly, this past year has been extremely difficult for me ministry wise.  i won't go into the details here, for multiple reasons, but there have been days when i've asked myself if i will be able to handle another day "on the job."  this past semester, i found myself in a group of BSM staffers participating in  working on spiritual disciplines and growth.  this past week we all sat together and discussed our journey.  here are some of the things we all have in common:

1. we seldom (if ever) take a Sabbath.
2. our schedules are crazy and hectic.
3. we all have dealt with feeling overwhelmed.
4. when we are overwhelmed, taking care of ourselves is the first thing to go.

our conversations have been on my mind the rest of this week.  in the midst of my scheduled free time, i have been thinking/praying through what i need to do differently so that i can be more effective for the tasks God gives me.  as i've read and searched online in the blog-world, here are some things that i've found worthy of sharing.

the burnout rate of ministers astounds me.  being in vocational ministry myself, i have been forced to think about the importance of taking care of myself (physically/emotionally/spiritually) before i can adequately do the ministry that God has given me.  i have realized that some of the stress of my life is my fault.  for example, i let technology rule my day, even my free time.  so i'm making some changes.  i've made a big decision, honestly one that i'm not sure how long will last, i've canceled my internet and satellite at my house.  i am committing to not answering my email/phone while i'm resting/spending time with people/taking a day off.  i want to see the impact these changes will have in my life.

here are some statistics gathered by mark driscoll, pastor at mars hill church (found here), and while i'm not a pastor... i believe they display a drastic problem today in how vocational ministers do ministry:

• Fifteen hundred pastors leave the ministry each month due to moral failure, spiritual burnout, or contention in their churches.
  
• Fifty percent of pastors' marriages will end in divorce.
  
• Eighty percent of pastors and eighty-four percent of their spouses feel unqualified and discouraged in their role as pastors.
  
• Fifty percent of pastors are so discouraged that they would leave the ministry if they could, but have no other way of making a living.
  
• Eighty percent of seminary and Bible school graduates who enter the ministry will leave the ministry within the first five years.
  
• Seventy percent of pastors constantly fight depression.
  
• Almost forty percent polled said they have had an extra-marital affair since beginning their ministry.
  
• Seventy percent said the only time they spend studying the Word is when they are preparing their sermons.

here is a video clip from part of driscoll's "death by ministry" series.

Watch Death By Ministry Part 9 - Mark Driscoll in Faith Videos  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

click here to view another blog that has part of this series.

God created a weekly Sabbath.  am i so arrogant to think that God needs me 7 days a week to do what He needs to do?  i'm realizing, if we don't make observing Sabbath a practiced spiritual discipline, God will make it happen for you.   

what are your thoughts?