Church burnout rates may be at an all-time high for church leaders says author, speaker, and founder of the Transforming Center, Ruth Haley Barton – and she’s on a mission to fix it.
Ruth is the talented visionary who believes that congregational responsibilities can put unbelievable stress on church leaders that can literally kill them.
In this interview, Ruth tells us about her renewing work that is so critical to churches and their mission.
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Synopsis
Ruth Haley Barton’s message of rest, relaxation, and rhythm needs to resonate with more church leaders – too many of whom seem destined to burn out. Here are my notes from the interview:
Stress is Up
Perhaps this didn’t need mentioning – but the existence of Ruth’s vibrant ministry attests to the increased stress clergy and church leaders are feeling today – as expectations go beyond what their training prepared them for.
The 1-1-1 Rule
Since exhaustion is the most frequent malady Ruth sees in her practice – she recommends 1 hour a day, 1 day a week, 1 week a year – for quiet meditation (1 hour daily) – Sabbath (1 day a week) – and retreat (1 week a year).
Rest / Worship / Delight
These are the only activities Ruth allows for herself (and recommends to others) when it comes to taking a Sabbath. How do our Sabbath day activities stack up?
About Ruth Haley Barton
Ruth Haley Barton is the founder of the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to strengthening the souls of pastors and Christian leaders and the congregations and organizations they serve. She has been a student, practitioner, teacher and leader in the area of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation for twenty years. A trained spiritual director and retreat leader, she is the author of numerous books and resources on the spiritual life, including Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, Sacred Rhythms, Longing for More and Invitation to Solitude and Silence.
Ruth holds degrees from Northern Theological Seminary, Wheaton College and Loyola University. She has served on the pastoral staff of several churches and taught at Wheaton College Graduate School, Denver Seminary, Northeastern Seminary, Mars Hill Graduate School and the Renovaré Institute. Visit thetransformingcenter.org for more information about Ruth and to read her blog posts
Books Ruth Recommends
The Sabbath – Wayne Muller
The Power of Full Engagement – Jim Loeher and Tony Schwartz
Sponsors I Mentioned
Turnaround 20/20 – Learn from experts who have conquered obstacles to growth and watched God turn things around. Turnaround 20/20 is a unique congregational development conference that brings together 20 experts who speak for 20 minutes each. People like Nelson Searcy, Charles Arn, George Hunter, and Elmer Towns will focus on a specific area of congregational development and are out to spark new ideas and innovations for you and your church. Turnaround 20./20 is Tuesday, October 23 in Nashville, TN.
