Becky Jones

First of all Grace, I am so sorry to hear that you are feeling so burnt out. That is a really hard place to serve from. I work as a Regional Connector for Thrive and a main focus of my work recently has been leading workshops on volunteering. The more I lean into this conversation, the more I hear from people experiencing burn out. I want to just start by saying that Covid 19 was extremely hard on the volunteer world globally. It isn't just in churches we are hearing of burnout - it's a global issue. There are many reasons for it, but all that to say - it is very real. I am so glad you are naming it. I think we need more open and honest conversations on it in our churches so we can navigate this reality in a better way.

To answer your question - how can I recover while still serving: I would encourage further conversations with your team. I firmly believe everyone needs to take a Sabbath. What has this looked like for you? What does this look like for volunteers within your church? Often in churches we are trying to maintain systems that were set in place pre-covid that are not necessarily functioning well post-covid. I encourage churches to asses their resources (volunteer numbers) and then look at their programing. Do the numbers work? Often, post-covid - we need to think creatively in ways we did not need to pre-covid. 

When we are serving in ministries to further the work of our churches, I firmly believe God wants us to be able to serve well. Are we resting well to serve well? Are we being spiritually filled so we can represent Christ to those we are serving in a volunteer capacity? I am happy to have further conversations about volunteering. Please feel free to reach me at [email protected]. As a regional connector I am happy to connect 1:1 or talk about doing a workshop in churches so we can explore ways that we can work together as the body of Christ to serve our church communities well.

I have a big recommendation for anyone planning to jump into this book - get the audio version! To hear the author reading it to you is like a lovely walk with her as she shares Indigenous wisdom. It has made this book very dear for me. I feel like she has brought me closer to God through her exploration of His creation. Highly recommend this book - especially if you are starting out on a long road trip. Download it and be prepared to want to find the nearest marshy area and take a closer look at the wonders of the earth at a microscopic level!

Thank you everyone for the ongoing feedback on this post. It is clear that we are living in very challenging times as we raise our children. I have 2 teenage girls myself, so the conversation of safety in a relationship is extremely important to me. I have worked hard at insuring that my children have been very connected to their church community as they grow up. I pray that they both are able to form romantic relationships that have God at the centre and that respect is also at the forefront as well. However, I would be naive to think that they will be free from the dangers of an abusive relationship. As a mom, I feel it is my responsibility to talk to my kids about some of these hard issues. In addition, I think it is important that we work with our community to find support. Therefore, in an effort to find more resources for this post, I reached out to the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to find out what organizations they turn to for support regarding abuse. They have, what I feel, is an excellent website dedicated to abuse response and prevention. Specific to our conversation, they have a number of resources on Intimate partner violence. I hope this provides you with resources you can share with your own teens, whether it is in your church or in your home.

Hi again! I wanted to just add a couple specific links for you that are from our friends at MCC:

Here is the webpage from MCC's Abuse and Prevention Website that is a list of education and prevention for all ages.

This lists resources for all age groups. However, specific to our conversation on teen dating violence, check out 

Ending Violence in Teen Dating Relationships: A Resource Guide for Parents and Pastors. You can borrow the book online to see if it is a helpful option for the teens you are walking beside.

excellent!