“Moving from Burnout to Bonfire”

For a pastor who admits having been burned out early in ministry, embracing the bonfire metaphor for her ministry now seems dicey. Yet, Rev. Liz Miller offers this bonfire metaphor to describe a vibrant new stance and perspective for her ministry where she’s close to the heat of things, but no longer consumed by it; paying full attention, yet not holding tightly to particular outcomes. Listen to her lessons learned and new wisdom in this episode titled, “Moving from Burnout to Bonfire.”

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I moved from burnout in ministry 5 years in, to bonfire now – bonfires require constant tending, yet don’t want to over tend; find a rhythm that works;

And for me that’s what ministry feels like in the local church, keeping a close enough eye on things that you are connected and can respond when something needs you, but not being so close to it that you’re totally consumed and absorbed by what’s happening that you can’t respond when there’s a change.

Yet, it’s not about balance, per se; it’s more about having an awareness, a willingness to be off kilter a little bit and to just accept that you have to come and go and move in and move out as needed.

Laidback is very different from not paying attention. You are paying attention very much in the moment, yet laidback in the sense of not holding on tightly to a particular outcome;

The laidback approach is about being more attuned to the people and their gifts and their possibilities, rather than being attuned to expectations of a certain outcomes.