Zeal without Burnout - Hardcover

Christopher Ash

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1784980218 ISBN 13: 9781784980214

Publisher: The Good Book Company, 2016

Synopsis

Thousands of people leave Christian ministry every month. They have not lost their love for Christ, or their desire to serve him. But for one reason or another, they are exhausted and simply cannot carry on.

Christopher Ash knows this experience all too well. As a pastor of a growing church, and then in his role training people for ministry, he has found himself on the edge of burnout a number of times, and has pastored many younger ministers who have reached the end of their tether.

His wisdom has been distilled into this short, accessible book, in which he reveals a neglected biblical truth and seven keys that flow from it. Understood properly, and built into our lives as Christians who are zealous to serve the Lord, they will serve to protect us from burnout, and keep us working for God's kingdom and glory.

About this title

About the Author:

Christopher Ash is a pastor and author. He was Director of the Proclamation Trust's Cornhill Training Course from 2004-2015. He is married to Carolyn and they have four children and three grandchildren.

Review:

Books like this are a needed resource for the weary pastor. Christopher Ash draws on years of personal experience and rich biblical wisdom to provide ministers with a tremendously encouraging resource to persevere and thrive in the ministry. This is a book all pastors need to read and take to heart for the sake of their church and for the sake of the fruitfulness of their ministry.
-- R. Albert Mohler - President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Many pastors are familiar with the weariness that accompanies ministry. Like a wise and gentle friend, Christopher Ash provides us with encouragement and practical help so we can sustain zeal and avoid burnout. While this book is a gift to pastors in particular, everyone who reads it will benefit.
-- C.J. Mahaney - Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville

This book is blessedly humbling and helpful. It's full of honest testimony concerning this thing called burnout. I'm grateful to learn from this testimony and from the biblical wisdom that enfolds it. Christopher Ash has given us a call to zeal without burnout - but rather with humility to trust our all-sufficient God who has provided for us in his Son.
-- Kathleen Nielson - Author, speaker and Director of Women's Initiatives for The Gospel Coalition

Exceptionally wise, practical, and important. Pastors aren't the only ones who are prone to burnout. Women's ministry leaders, pastor's wives, and cross-cultural workers, take up and read! Sit down with a friend so you can discuss "Zeal Without Burnout" together. It will give you a whole new appreciation for who our great God is, and who he has designed us to be.
-- Gloria Furman - pastor's wife, mom of 4, author of The Pastor's Wife and Missional Motherhood

Reading Zeal without Burnout by Christopher Ash is like sitting across from a godly father and friend who loves you enough to look you in the eyes and tell you that you that the world is not going to come apart at the seams if you take some time off to take care of yourself. Anyone who worships the god of productivity and therefore has forgotten how to take a break will benefit from this book.
-- Nancy Guthrie - Bible teacher and author of the Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament series

This book is for everyone not just people in ministry because we all live very busy lives and are susceptible to burnout. In Zeal without Burnout, Christopher Ash speaks plainly, wisely and encouragingly. He does so because he has been there. If you want to take a first step by asking whether you are on your way towards or in the midst of burnout, this book will help you. His advise is grounded in a basic understanding of our humanity and our limitations. He then gives practical guidance in light of those limitations. As I read through this easy to read book, I found myself evaluating my own life and found comfort as I recognized my limitations and took to heart his advise. I will be recommending this book to everyone!
-- Timothy Lane - Author and President of the Institute for Pastoral Care

This book will not require much of your time investment cover to cover, but careful digestion of its biblical wisdom will reap dividends a hundred fold and then some. Whatever your temperament, I don't think any Christian worker can afford not to read it.
-- Adrian Reynolds - Director of Ministry, The Proclamation Trust, UK

Christopher's exposition of the simple truth that "God is God and we are dust" liberates, humbles and strengthens with practical and pastoral wisdom. Read this if you are feeling weary and be refreshed in God's grace. Read this even if you are feeling energetic because prevention is better than cure!
-- Denesh Divyanathan - Founding Pastor of The Crossing Church (Singapore) & President of Project Timothy (Singapore).

There are far too many victims of burnout in pastoral ministry. I was very nearly one of them and almost had to pull out after just four years. Christopher Ash's wise counsel, learnt from scripture and through long, and sometimes bitter, experience, would have helped me enormously in those early years and is still what I need today.
-- Vaughan Roberts - Rector of St Ebbe's Oxford and Director of The Proclamation Trust

As a pastor of 12 years and no longer young, I praise God for Christopher Ash's self-disclosing cry that we are but dust! We live moment by moment as frail beings given health and strength by our sovereign Father, but those are limited by his grace so that we never forget that he is God, not us, and that we desperately and constantly are constructed so as to need him. May this book help us end the corporate church conspiracy to seem stronger than we are, even omnipotent, and leave us content to keep being wisely weak and daily dependent until Jesus returns.
-- Dr. Andrew Nicholls - Medical Doctor and Church Pastor

This is a brutally honest but profoundly joyful little book. Packed with personal testimony and Biblical insight we are gently reminded of the dangers of behaving like we are God. It is humbling, refreshing and will be a great help to many who want to keep going to the finish line.
-- Jonty Allcock - Author and lead pastor at The Globe Church, London

I m so grateful (and relieved!) that someone of Christopher s experience has written so candidly about burnout. Interspersed with several others testimonies, this is a very real, down-to-earth but always wise book. There s straight-talking but a soft heart, compassion for the broken alongside a desire for healthier expectations for normal ministry. My only frustration: it left me wanting more!
-- Mark Meynell - Associate Director (Europe), Langham Preaching, Langham Partnership

I need this book, and I suspect I'm not alone. As a friend and former colleague of Christopher, I have seen first hand his zeal for the Lord. And I have also seen how that can lead to near burnout. Full of biblical and applied wisdom, this book will rescue many a minister and ministry.
-- Robin Weekes - Minister, Emmanuel Church Wimbledon

It's something we all want - zeal without burnout - and here is a book to help us. Christopher explores the dynamic between a life given to Christ and serving Him in a ministry job. The personal stories make it accessible, practical and at times touching. A great read for any team even before you go through busy times.
-- Nat Schluter - Principal, Johannesburg Bible College

In this marvelous and much-needed book, Christopher Ash manages to warn, encourage, expose and comfort in equal measure. Every page is humane, penetrating, rich, wise and above all, gospel-saturated. This book came to me as a word in season from a humble brother (and the other brothers and sisters who shared their stories), and I am sure God will use it to do the same for many, many others.
-- Gary Millar - Principal, Queensland Theological College, Australia

About this edition

• Publisher: The Good Book Company
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1784980218
• ISBN 13: 9781784980214
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 112