A Conversation for Those Standing at the
Intersection of Faith and Mental Health |
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Trade-Offs Over Techniques |
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Burnout is real. It’s real for many pastors who are trying to get everything done but never can seem to check that last item off their list. It’s real for social workers who are trying to help everyone on their caseload but never able meet all the needs they face. It’s real for family members supporting a loved one but unable to adequately care well while also covering their other daily responsibilities. A combination of exhaustion and a lack of healthy rhythms affects the mental wellness of myriads of clergy, helping professionals and caregivers. It’s even leading some to opt for a less vexing career path. So, what can be done about this trend?
Of the numerous avenues of answers we could explore, one worth our attention is the matter of time management. For instance, one pastor recently told me that during his sabbatical a pivotal resource for him in finding healthier rhythms was a book called Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. The book’s title is an allusion to the fact that four thousand weeks is the average number of weeks we humans live. Burkeman chose this title to startle us into seeing just how limited the span of our lives really is and, therefore, just how impossible it is to get done all we’d like to get done. According to the author, what’s needed more than a new time management technique to “fit it all in” is a new mindset about time that recognizes we simply can’t “do it all.” In other words, trade-offs are required more than new techniques.
For my pastor friend, this is just what he needed to hear as he was reminded daily that there were more needs and tasks than he’d ever have the time to address. So when the stress of this reality hits us, it often means a hard trade-off is required more than a clever technique. Now, to my knowledge Burkeman would not identify as a person of faith. In fact, at times in the book, he critiques certain perspectives held by Christians like me. And while I disagree with some of Burkeman’s arguments, his overall thesis jives quite well with biblical admonitions found in places like Psalm 90, which asks God to “teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” This biblical impulse to think wisely about how we use our limited time as finite humans is important if we’re going to stay in it for the long haul as pastors, mental health professionals or anyone else seeking to come alongside hurting people.
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David Eckert, Director of Intersect |
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Upcoming Events Below are events seeking to equip people in matters related to the intersection of faith and mental health. |
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Faith Based Care Leaders Community Training This training is designed to assist faith-based care leaders through a variety of panel discussions. Topics include: -
Empowered Caregiving
- Affordable Housing
- Mental Health, Spirit Care
- Community Collaboration
Registration is $25 per person or $180 for a group of 10. To register, send a check to Boots & Wings Project at 124 W 5th Avenue, Collegeville, PA 19426 or Venmo @soul-utionsforcaregivers. When: Wednesday, March 13th, 9:00am - 2:15pm Where: Abington Presbyterian Church 1082 Old York Road, Abington, PA 19001
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Spiritual Tools and Resources for Practitioners
The Montgomery County Health & Human Services Behavioral Health Training Institute will be hosting a free online training centered around providing practitioners/supporters/workers a way of navigating the faith and spirituality of those they serve as a part of their Spring 2024 Training Series.
Spots are filling up quickly, so be sure to register soon!
When: Wednesday, April 10th, 10:00am - 12:00pm Where: Online via Zoom
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| Journey to Freedom and Safety: Domestic Abuse Awareness for Faith Communities The Interfaith Domestic Abuse Coalition will be hosting an event centered around domestic abuse awareness. Topics of discussion will include: - Survivor Stories
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Law Enforcement & the Criminal Justice System
- The Psychology of Those Who Abuse
- Stories from a Survivor, Advocate, and Minister
- Foundational Teachings: Overriding the Challenges
- Child Witnesses & Teen Dating Relationships
Registration is $20 per person. When: Thursday, April 11th, 9:00am - 4:30pm
Where: Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church 625 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 |
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Recommended Resources
Below are resources for the purpose of wellness, education, and service. |
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Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman
As a way to portray time management in a new and refreshing light, Oliver Burkeman "introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing how many of the unhelpful ways we’ve come to think about time aren’t inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we’ve made as individuals and as a society―and that we could do things differently." |
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Time Management is a Myth with Oliver Burkeman
Truth Over Tribe, a faith-based podcast, had released a podcast back in April 2023 with Oliver Burkeman revolving around his approach to time management. |
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Looking for a way to help those in your community? |
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| Intersect Donation Page
Intersect now has their own donation page on the Access Services website. Any donations can be designated to specific aspects of Intersect. Funds will be used to: -
Offer consultation to ministry leaders and mental health professionals
- Empower faith communities and mental health providers with trainings on faith and mental health
- Provide spiritual support and collaboration between faith communities and human service providers
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| Intersect: Community Needs Facebook Group
This Facebook group functions as a care portal for faith communities who are looking to meet local needs in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. We will post needs specific to the individuals supported by Access Services. These may include needs for relational support, material resources, and/or monetary donations. We encourage you to share this page with your family and friends. While we started this page to provide concrete service opportunities to local faith communities, we encourage any community members who are interested in giving back to join!
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1. When have you noticed yourself experiencing burnout?
2. What trade-offs do you need to start making given your limitations as a finite human? |
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Do you have something to contribute or a question to ask? |
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