Zeal without Burnout, by Christopher Ash

Topics: Mentality, Ministry, Burnout, Depression

To be honest, I had selfish reasons for getting this book. Last year I had severe depression and burnout, to the point where I almost failed my final year of college, and when I saw this book on sale at a Children’s Ministry Conference, I tried to hide the fact that I was buying it so I bought 3 other books along with it. Yes, I understood that burnout and depression are common experiences for many ministers but I guess I didn’t really internalise that.

This book deals with those subjects from a brilliant place of experience, referring to other cases and lives where pastors and ministers have had to walk alongside their congregants or even refer to their own lives when it comes to depression and burnout within ministry. Ash also pulls no punches when it comes to our relationship with God and what we are capable of and what God is capable of. He does this incredibly well, being clear and concise, holding nothing back but also not flooding one with unnecessary information.

I can hear the question already; do I need to read this if I’m not going into ministry? Well you don’t need to read anything, but I would highly recommend reading this anyway. The applications made throughout are entirely transferable to almost any line of work I could think of, and I think also provide a healthy framework for any Christian in the workplace. All in all, I think every Christian who is working or studying should read this book, and think and reflect about what it says.

review by Tom Hinson