Promoting the healthy inner life of Christian leaders...
A WORD FROM PASTOR TOM EISENMAN
The demands of present day ministry are often overwhelming. Men and women in ministry that I meet with are typically pulling out all the stops to become more efficient, better time managers. But even with their best efforts at improvement, most still feel like circus performers trying to keep dozens of plates all up and spinning on poles. And more workshops on what to look for in poles and plates and how to improve spinning are not alleviating the stress.
It is tragic that so few men and women devoted to serving Christ today can honestly report that they joyfully give the majority of their quality time to people and activities that are their highest, heart-felt priorities. Instead, most just feel lost and overwhelmed, weighed down by crushing responsibilities, unrealistic expectations, and far too many squeaky wheels to grease. Something spiritually significant is missing. But the way out can be difficult to discern. How and where does a person begin to explore how to live out of a healthier rhythm of meaningful work and adequate rest and solitude?
When Jesus called leaders to follow him, he first called them to a relationship of growing intimacy with Him. It is when we, too, are living out of an authentic present tense relationship with Jesus that daily ministry becomes called activity of the Spirit. When we are living driven lives out of our natural selves, the eventual result will always be fatigue, spiritual emptiness, stress and burn out. Fruitful ministry and healthy leadership are the natural result of finding our spiritual balance and living out of an authentic center of an inner life of love. Our exterior ministry always should, as much as is possible for us, flow from a deep interior life in God.
Peter Scazerro writes, "The overall health of any church or ministry depends primarily on the emotional and spiritual health of its leadership. In fact, the key to successful spiritual leadership has much more to do with the leader's internal life than with the leader's expertise, gifts, or experience."
With You Ministries is about helping you explore ways to make Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 come true for you. Jesus says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly” ( The Message). This is the desire at the heart of With You Ministries, that you will recover your life, life as it was meant to be.
It is tragic that so few men and women devoted to serving Christ today can honestly report that they joyfully give the majority of their quality time to people and activities that are their highest, heart-felt priorities. Instead, most just feel lost and overwhelmed, weighed down by crushing responsibilities, unrealistic expectations, and far too many squeaky wheels to grease. Something spiritually significant is missing. But the way out can be difficult to discern. How and where does a person begin to explore how to live out of a healthier rhythm of meaningful work and adequate rest and solitude?
When Jesus called leaders to follow him, he first called them to a relationship of growing intimacy with Him. It is when we, too, are living out of an authentic present tense relationship with Jesus that daily ministry becomes called activity of the Spirit. When we are living driven lives out of our natural selves, the eventual result will always be fatigue, spiritual emptiness, stress and burn out. Fruitful ministry and healthy leadership are the natural result of finding our spiritual balance and living out of an authentic center of an inner life of love. Our exterior ministry always should, as much as is possible for us, flow from a deep interior life in God.
Peter Scazerro writes, "The overall health of any church or ministry depends primarily on the emotional and spiritual health of its leadership. In fact, the key to successful spiritual leadership has much more to do with the leader's internal life than with the leader's expertise, gifts, or experience."
With You Ministries is about helping you explore ways to make Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:28-30 come true for you. Jesus says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly” ( The Message). This is the desire at the heart of With You Ministries, that you will recover your life, life as it was meant to be.
 |
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Jesus |