Dear exhausted worship leader,
Who is struggling to keep your head above water…
Who is rarely appreciated for what you do…
Breathe.
Believe you stand as a child of the King.
You are accepted, loved, forgiven, and perfect.
If you failed every day for the rest of your life, you would be a success because God has chosen you.
Your weakness is a testimony to God’s strength. He is molding you to reflect His greatness on a greater scale.
Isn’t that what you want people to see?
That your God is worthy.
That your God is awesome.
That God is your highest aim, your greatest treasure.
It’s in stepping away from the crowds that you find who you are.
Then, you can return with something to say, something to give, a glory to represent.
May the Word dwell richly within you so Christ shines ever brighter through you.
May today be a day of rest, refueling, and a repositioning of your heart.
Don’t give up. You are helping us see Jesus.
Question: Are you feeling exhausted? What lessons are you learning? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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Thanks for this, David. I have just started a three month Sabbatical from my ministry work, and it is much needed. I am blessed to have this opportunity. Our church has been through a long valley over the last 12 years, and God has been faithfully with us. But there are scars and wounds that need healing. This speaks right to our hearts as worship leaders. Thank you.
Neil, I pray you have a restful, God-centered sabbatical. What an opportunity!
Hey Neil, can you tell me what you plan to do for a sabbatical as a worship leader? My church has just approved my taking one as well within this coming year after 15 years of being in the position of Worship Pastor. I’m just trying to think of what would be the most beneficial way to spend it, and what all the options are! Are you resting, or writing or traveling or …? If you don’t mind sharing. Of if anyone else has any experiences they would enjoy sharing. I would love to hear them!
Hi, Marsha!
Congrats on your Sabbatical. And congrats for working with a leadership team that gets it and understands the need for something like this. I work 1/4 time at our church, and supplement my income giving private lessons and freelancing as a performer and composer. I purposely scheduled my Sabbatical for the summer months when my teaching load would be low and I could schedule more days in the week to rest.
My Sabbatical went very well, and was a deep blessing to me and my family. The main thing I learned to do was to simply STOP. I rested. I slept late for a while. I began to learn what it meant to be still again, to be in the moment. It was tempting to offer to help on things while I was away, but I was advised against it, thankfully. In the words of my wise bride, “The Sabbath is largely a discipline to get us to trust God for what we’re not getting done.”
As time went by, a spent more time in intentional Bible reading. Not study per se, but just soaking it in. I did some journalling, and I would like to develop that discipline more. Re-learning to pray was a big part of the process. I would speak out loud to Jesus as if He were sitting with me in a nearby chair, or walking with me on hikes. My intimacy with Him grew greatly.
I also read two very helpful books: Brennan Manning’s “Abba’s Child”, and Peter Scazzero’s “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality”. This second book was a huge blessing, and my wife is now reading it and we are trying to apply some of what he discusses in our lives and marriage.
I did some traveling with my family. A co-pastor lent us their time-share for a few days. I got away with my wife for a weekend. I went camping with some guys from the church.
We also attended another church from another denomination. (I serve in a non-denominational fellowship, and we attended a Lutheran fellowship for the summer.) This was a huge benefit, as I was not tempted to try and compare worship styles and skills, and I ran into almost nobody we knew, thus avoiding the temptation to explain the Sabbatical or step into any ministry roles. I met with the pastor at the temporary church and explained what was happening and they welcomed us with open arms for the season. Our children stayed at our regular church and attended with friends, thus keeping them from resenting the time away.
I was also accountable to a mentor who has helped others with their Sabbaticals. He oversees several Navigators ministry workers throughout the Northwest. We modified the Navigators’ Sabbatical guidelines for my own work. We met every two weeks to discuss my “issues” and check on my heart as we proceeded through the weeks away. It was so good to have someone safe to talk to about my ministry, my family, and my own needs. I’d be happy to send you the PDF we started with and you could see if it would be helpful at all in your situation and ministry. I’d just need an e-mail to send it to. You can contact me at neilpatton@emeraldbible.com .
Rest. Learn to say “No” to things that are not necessary. Relearn how to say “Yes” to your kids and your spouse, instead of pushing them off to do more work. God will bless your time of being with Him.
Many blessings to you!
Neil
Neil Patton
http://www.neilpatton.net
http://www.pattonmusic.com
great post. I talk with worship leaders every day who are dealing with burnout and who just feel exhausted. It’s great encouragement to read something like this because it is so easy to get caught up in the day to day things that need to be done as a worship leader. Thanks for the post.
Thanks Robert! Glad to have you on here.
I’m at a place where I need to take a break. I actually just shared with my congregation that I’m going to step down for a season. I’m excited, scared and not sure where to go from here. My pastor and friends support me, but being in ministry for 15 years makes it a challenge to do anything else. It’ll be interesting to see what God has in store for the Ross clan!
Are you taking a sabbatical or stepping down for an unknown period of time?
My greatest point of exhaustion right now is that I am at a church where I really don’t fit the culture. They are great people and love God, but they really enjoy and believe in their laid back, go with the flow feel and like things a bit more structured. However, I firmly believe God has called me to this place. I feel like I am constantly working in my weaknesses, not my strengths, and that has me exhausted. I am trying to learn to rely on God, not my strengths, to do his work. Very hard for me.
Anon, it’s probably not good if you’re constantly working in your weaknesses. What about your role energizes you?
A friend of mine left a print out from your website on my desk chair this morning. I was intrigued and the topic was just so perfect. I have been ‘leading’ the praise service for 9 years at my church; that is nearly 500 Sundays and I am indeed blessed to have God ask me to do this; it is and will always be my proudest achievement and honor. But, I do relate to swimming against burnout and trying to stay fresh. I think the part I struggle with is the worship leader part, but I suppose that is a journey. You would think that after these many years I would feel qualified. I feel competent, but not necessarily qualified. It is hard to have something new to say every Sunday. I don’t do the sermon (the pastor does that), just greet everyone, call them to worship with us, and manage the flow/transitions of the music. Anyway – thanks for the blog, it will be very helpful and I am glad I found it.
Hey Danny, thanks for touching base. I wouldn’t pressure myself to have something new to say every sunday. Enjoy being with your congregation and worship authentically. “new things” will flow naturally out of that.
I came across this blog by typing into a google search engine, “Sabbatical for Worship Leaders.” I’ve been leading our congregation into worship for only 5 years and already feel “ministry burnout.” My flesh trys to convince me that there is something wrong with ME, that I’m not cut out to be a Worship Director, but this short blog helps me to see that it happens throughout the country, in any type of ministry. I’m READY to take a Sabbatical. Even if its for 1 month. However, I am so nervous to tell/ask my lead Pastors for this time off because I know it may cause slight resentment. But I feel that in the long wrong, if I don’t take time away to rest and be with the Lord that my burnout will become more severe as time passes. How do I approach Lead Pastors that may not be as open to the idea as I would hope? Thank you!
Thank you for this post. I just told my Pastor last week that I was taking a break. I’m a volunteer worship leading/keyboardist. I’ve played keyboard for 7 years and only led worship for 2 of those and I’m already burned out! It’s a small congregation with no one else but me to play an instrument. So I’m always “on” for any special meetings as well as the Sunday morning and night services. It was hard telling Pastor I needed a break because he has enough issues with people without my adding to his stress. He supported me but was sad. It helped that I gave him a return date and reaffirmed that I wasn’t leaving the church.
I was wondering how to spend this time and this post and replies have given me the wisdom I need. I’m thinking about using the Pastor as my mentor for this time so that we stay connected in some form. What do you think?
So, I’m two weeks away from my 3-month sabbatical ending. I’ve done what was suggested: rested, attended a couple other churches, journaled, had a mentor. Today my Pastor told me that although he understood why I did it, it hurt the church. He said it was a step back for the church to go from my keyboard to iWorship and YouTube. He is anxious for me to be back. So now I feel terrible and not sure I want to go back.
Hi Friend!
I don’t know if you are still replying the comments… But i have to thank you!
That words were just… What i needed(Sorry if i can’t explain myself very well, the english is not my principal language… but here i go)
I’m a Young, inexperienced worship leader from Colombia, I’m 20, my parents are Pastors, and i always have lived like a Child of God… But lately… I feel tired… I’m Experience what you call “burnout”… I was start to thinking that noone appreciate my effort… al those nights staying to midnight studying (Musical an vocal… im Empirical so that have been always hard for me) all mi time…
But reading your words… actually I cried.
And I’m feeling full of energy again!
GOD BLESS YOU!
Infinetly
Thanks for create this… And for write what i just needed to read.
Blessings from Colombia!
Hi David,
I’m finding I’m having to take a sabbatical by “force”
Now I’ve come to accept it and am looking forward to wait God is going to do in the next few months. Overcoming a virus was one thing, developing laryngitis was another! I still persisted to worship, and thus brought on the sabbatical!
I’ve been serving all my church life and this is the first ever long period of rest in over 10 years.
Thank you.
I needed to hear that..
Personally, I appreciate everyone’s comments here. I am a volunteer Acappella Worship Leader of three for our local less than 200 church. I am proficient at reading music, learning new songs, have had some professional training and 40 years of growth (along with a full time office job). I get frustrated easily with my development of Sunday Worship time. Today, I thought of taking a sabbatical for a year. When I thought of what to do, besides visiting other church services to observe and participate, I thought of one more thing. I thought of finding a time, with Elders support, to teach new and old songs. I have a repertoire of at least triple the songs that this congregation knows and I find I am always limited on my choice of songs. Anyway, I would appreciate hearing what any accountability partner helped others focus on. And what else anyone would recommend for my time off.
This is exactly what I needed this morning… I’m a bi-vocational Worship Pastor, and about to go into my 1234th day of “work” of one type or another without taking a day off from either “job”. My worship has definitely suffered because of it, and I was ready to tell my senior pastor “I quit” after Easter next weekend.
Whether or not that will happen, I don’t know but thanks so much for your affirming words this morning. So often, Worship Pastors and church leaders get nothing but “constructive criticism” and rarely get reminded that we do inspire, we do lead and we do help people see Jesus.
I’m tired so tired my prayers is to be delivered from this position. I dont have the courage to quit. I don’t know how to quit. I was brought in this position under great distress. I replaced a worship leader who did nothing. The work was left to our lay leader and the person printing our bulletins. She made the transition of the position changing hands sheer hell. I decided to take over the bulletin to give it a facelift and be more proavtive in organizing worship. I’m spending so much money for effective programs and worship because I refuse to work through the politics of getting money from the Board. We have on average 30 in attendance, 5-9 in Sunday school, and the same number in bible study. I’m tired and don’t want to do this anymore. It takes up so much time that I neglect my family and my job. I feel like my church is sick and I should seriously consider movinhe’ll. I wake up thinking about what needs to be done and I go to sleep thinking about what has to be done. I get no relief, no break. Even when there’s a 5th Sunday, I still get no break because I planning ahead. I need peace. I’m so tired. I’ve decided to talk to my pastor this week.