Understanding Burnout in Ministry There’s a quiet crisis unfolding in many churches, and it’s not just about attendance numbers or budget shortfalls. It’s about the people behind the pulpit and within the walls of ministry leadership—pastors, worship leaders, volunteers, and staff—who are experiencing something many don’t like to talk about: burnout. Ministry is often described as …
Author Archives: Paul Dennis
The Other Side
“Leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side.” Mark 8:13 It’s been just about a year. Well, 1 year and 1 day to be exact. On a cold Saturday February morning, my family and I headed to the U-Haul store to get the truck so we could begin packing. It was …
Identity
It has taken me much longer to write and submit this blog than it should have. I believe that the reason will become obvious as you continue to read. However, just in case my thoughts or emotions aren’t as clear as I would hope, just know that this hits a little too close to home. …
Obedience
In my devotional reading this morning, it was about the transformation of Saul. Not the king in the Old Testament but the persecutor of the New Testament. We all know that Saul was a pretty bad dude. His job was to pretty much go around and find people who were followers of “the way” or …
Gratitude
My wife Tiffany and I have been married for 16 years. In the past 16 years we have moved 11 times. Just the other day, as we are beginning to pack up for our 12th move, my wife says to me before bed, “Did you know that every move we’ve ever made except for one …
Spiritual Markers
Where are you right now? What are you going through that has been tough? Maybe it hasn’t been recent. Maybe it was years ago and you went through something that, in the moment, you just didn’t understand why you were through it. Sometimes those things or moments are bad, painful, hard, or even things you …
Faithful Obedience
I’ve done a lot of crazy things in my life. This list includes but is not limited to: At the age of 11 a friend and I decided to pull the motor off of a lawnmower because it would smoke while running. In an afternoon, a friend and I had it apart and back together …
Legacy
This past Sunday, my pastor (and father) preached a message about leaving a life of legacy. He spoke from 2 Kings 13. The basis of his message was about how that, after Elisha’s death, there was a man that was being buried at the time that a group of raiders would come to town in …
The Ripple Effect
A few weeks ago I took some vacation time and our family headed south. Disney? Gatlinburg? The beach? Nope. We found a place that is doing, on a small scale, what we hope Restoration Farm will do. It was a small cabin in the woods of Tennessee outside of Ashland City. It was an awesome …
Appreciation
The month of October is known as “Pastor Appreciation” month in the life of the church. Having the opportunity to serve on staff in multiple churches, I have found that every church body seems to do things differently when appreciating their pastors. If you happen to attend a church where there are multiple staff pastors, …
Restoration Farm. A Dream. A Vision. A Reality 