After producing the YWAM Podcast for over 50 episodes and two years I abruptly stopped after our Christmas episode in December 2011. Unfortunately the reason I stopped the podcast was because I got burnt out …

A good definition of how I felt was written up by my friend Samuel John in an article about Burnout on his Missions Manual web-site:

How do you know if you’re getting burned out?  Everyday becomes hard and harder.  Off days, days you mean to relax, keep you frustrated and thinking about your ministry.  You see no point in the ministry any more   You feel unappreciated.  You constantly feel overwhelmed.  These are obvious signs of your workload being too heavy. It can feel like you’re trying to push a car uphill by yourself.

Seven signs that you might be burnt out (from Ministry Best Practice:

1. 
   
2. Can you sustain your current pace of life?
   
3. Are you better known online than in real life?
   
4. Do you feel trapped by your circumstances with no apparent way out?
   
5. Does it feel like there are more attacks from the enemy on your life?
   
6. When around other people do you pretend to be happy, but wish you were alone?
   
7. Are you actually enjoying life, or are you just trying to survive?
   
8. Do you feel lonely, isolated and misunderstood?
   

Some resources for burnout in ministry:

• 
  
• Member Care Radio – Burnout
  
• Mad Church Disease: Overcoming the Burnout Epidemic
  
• Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion
  

Some projects for 2013

• 
  
• Redevelopment of the International YWAMer web-site.
  
• Relaunch the YWAM News Podcast
  
• Continue to build online communities for YWAM
  
• Continue to collect resources for the YWAM Teaching Podcast
  
• Google Plus Hangouts for building the online YWAM Comminity
  
• Developing resources for YWAM locations to improve their communictions
  

Top image by guy_on_the_streets