A few years ago I had the privilege of meeting Pastor Wayne Cordeiro at a Leadership Network meeting in Dallas…and the Lord used him that day to both challenge and encourage me in incredible ways.
Recently, through a recommendation by Bob, I picked up his book, “Leading on Empty,”...and COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!
If you are a senior pastor…seriously…I can’t say this strong enough—GET THIS BOOK ASAP…GET AWAY BY YOURSELF…AND READ IT! Pastor Wayne does an outstanding job of talking about leadership burnout from the senior pastors’ perspective…and how it can be prevented.
(Reading the book made such an impact on me personally I bought a copy for everyone on our SMT…and also for the guys who were in my last coaching network. BTW…if you were in my last coaching network and haven’t gotten your copy—get in touch with Lindsay and she will take care of you.)
Pastors—here’s the deal…MOST people do not understand us! In fact, I’ve always said it takes a pastor to understand a pastor. Well, Wayne is a pastor’s pastor. Here are a few highlights from the book…
- “We don’t forget that we are Christians. We forget that we are human, and that one oversight alone can debilitate the potential of our future.”
- “Pastors are expected to lead even when the desire or inclination to do so is severely challenged. I knew others loved me, but living up to the expectations systemically ingrained into the fabric of who I was became the person I could not escape.”
- “Gradually my creativity began to flag, and I found it easier to imitate rather than innovate. I was backing away from the very things that used to challenge and invigorate me.”
- “Zeal and good intentions can fuel us in the beginning, but they won’t last over the long haul…high self expectations can eventually eat full time shepherds alive.”
- “I was fixing everybody’s problems except my own, and I needed time to replenish my spirit.”
- “I wonder how much more effective our churches would be if we made the pastor’s spiritual health—not the pastor’s efficiency—our number one priority.” Quote from Philip Yancy in the book
- “In a sense, a pastor never punches out. Of course some may, but for those who see their profession as a calling, they simply cannot.”
- “Many times we won’t make major course corrections until the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of making the change.”
- “While everyone in our great church loves the Cordeiro family, I have come to realize that nobody is fighting for my family. That’s my job.”
- “Yesterday’s great ideas get tired today, and churches, even great ones, can get tired. Without wise and hungry leaders, a church’s endeavors will flatline.”
I could go on and on…TRUST ME…GET THIS BOOK!!!