“No one does this for us!” was one of the comments that I heard from a pastor who attended the 3-day “Taking Resilience to Heart” workshop I conducted during our recent visit to IGSL with leaders from the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Ecuador. This was a time to slow down and reflect, share from the heart in community, and discern redemptive paths forward. 

            So much of what we do in ministry focuses on forming and equipping leaders for multiplying ministry impact. But what happens when the multipliers find themselves in burnout, spiritually empty, or stuck in trauma?  In such situations….what is being multiplied?  

            Most leaders are still carrying heavy burdens from the past few years which can hinder us emotionally, spiritually, vocationally, and also physically. I’m grateful for these men and women who trusted me and each other with their vulnerability and losses from the past few years of pandemic life.   

           Here are a few other comments we heard during the time and during our debrief of the event:

• “Thank you!  I have been numb for so long. I don’t connect with anyone anymore. I’ve just been going from activity to activity. My care for those in my flock has disappeared because I’m just going through the motions. I needed this to help me remember God’s care for me and gentle invitation to repent of the ways I’ve been coping with my pain and grief instead of bring it to the Lord.” – Lead Pastor in a Manila Church
   
• “I will remember this training for the rest of my life as long as I live because this reminded me of my identity in Christ in a way that has changed everything.” – Associate Pastor in a Manila Church
   
• “This has profoundly shaped my view of Christian leadership. I have always been trained I need to control my team and congregation because if I don’t, they will control me. This does not allow for transformation in community. I’ve learned the power of vulnerability for discipleship and transformation!” – Pastor from Pakistan
   
• “I think the best way to describe these few days is that we’ve been helped to reconnect with God as our Father, with ourselves, and with others after we’ve been stuck fighting one problem after another while trying to keep our families afloat for so long. We’ve been able to reconnect with our humanity and feel seen.” – Family Life staff member in the Philippines
   
• “Our family has been through so much struggle financially and we experienced church betrayal and we’ve had our plans changed because of the coup and violence in Myanmar. God is helping me understand all of the impact of these things on me so I can trust Him with them and see how He wants me to respond.” – Pastor from Myanmar
   
• “I lost 5 family members due to covid and I have not been able to move forward spiritually or in leading my ministries. I haven’t known how to begin to process that.” – Pastor’s wife in Manila
   
• “I’m excited about what’s next. We’ve not just had opportunities to share our lives, but you’ve helped us see where God might be preparing us to do next and begin to dream again – I’m getting excited again!” – Associate Pastor in Manila

        This ended up being a meaningful time of many leaders who just had not had a guided space for them to process their own experiences as a leader during the pandemic or the pandemic’s impact on their spiritual lives.  It was deep waters and I was exhausted by the end, but so rewarding.  Even more, it was so encouraging to minister to others out of the ways God has ministered to Christine and I over the past couple of years. It felt like a 2 Corinthians 1:1-2 type of ministry the whole time!

            Here are some of the photos of the time: