Self Care for Developers Mary Frances Associate Program Director for New Congregations 200 Hour Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher Owner, teacher, student at Divine Power Yoga
Who Needs Another Lecture? 2009 Leadership Article by Lillian Daniels But ultimately, the notion of self-care does not work because we don't have in us what is required. Self-care is the Band-Aid we put on spiritual exhaustion, dark nights of the soul, and the disappointment of consecutive losing seasons in a long ministry. It seems odd that as Christians, we would tell one another that the answer to such woes lies in ourselves, and in our own will power and our own resolutions to do better. We take a spiritual problem that affects a community and give it an individualistic and therapeutic answer.
What are your obstacles?
Reserve Family Time And personal time And prayer time Set and honor the boundaries between work and family time/personal time Start a routine and stick to it Find an accountability partner
Protect Your Privacy Be aware of the challenges of having an office within your home. Have a different phone number than the ministry. Do not invite unannounced visitors or anyone else from ministry into your home during family times (family night, special dinner, game night, birthday parties, Saturday morning pajama parties, etc.). Do not expect your family members to take the role of phone receptionist, musician, Sunday School teacher, etc. Take a regularly scheduled day off.
Clarify Expectations Be clear about your role Be clear about the role of your family Be clear about the role of leaders in the new ministry
Build Friendships 70% of church leaders say they don’t have a close friend to share concerns with Friends outside of the ministry can be your best support Friends within the ministry can be problematic
Seek Help Seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness Spiritual director Counseling Support Group
Find a Mind/Body/Spirit practice Yoga Meditation Physical Exercise Learn new things Read something other than ministry books