Josh was one of the most zealous workers we'd seen at church, but I realized he was three steps beyond "weary in well doing" when I read his letter:

"My walk with the Lord is nonexistent. I've allowed the pressure of church work to crowd out time with God. Now it seems impossible to get back in touch with him. We've also gotten seriously into debt, and I've been trying to do "ministry" while working five part-time jobs. I'm short with my wife and kids, and we're having problems. I'd like to talk to you … "

To keep volunteers from stagnation, frustration, and burnout, I'm learning from several pages in the Operations Manual.

Ezekiel: think empathetically

A friend dropped out of pastoring for awhile, taking a "normal" job. He later told me, "I have new respect for lay people. I can't possibly do everything I once asked of my workers."

I've thought a lot about his words. He was learning, like Ezekiel, to sit where they sat (Ezek. 3:15). When we do, we gain respect for people's schedules, and ...