Slaying the Slump

May 2026

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Every pastor and ministry leader experiences “slump” times when ministry feels like a struggle; it is part of the human experience and is accented in church work. Christian writers call it the “dark night of the soul.”

These seasons of sadness, dryness and weariness can usually fit into one of four categories: (1) Burnout (total exhaustion from over-functioning). You feel like you have nothing left to give, and even small tasks feel monumental. (2) Compassion Fatigue (the cost of caring). After absorbing the trauma and grief of others for too long, you might feel numb, cynical, or unusually irritable. (3) Spiritual Dryness (a sense that your connection to God has gone quiet). Your “output” for others far exceeds your personal “input” from time with God. (4) Comparison Blues (measuring your value by the ministries of others). This is like comparing your life to those whose  Facebook posts  present perfect and happy lives; it is not realistic, but all of us succumb to it occasionally.

Counselors tell us to counter these low points by   shifting from “doing” to “being.” Rather than spend most of our energies and mental work on external production, we need to refocus our attention on what is near, what is now, what is known to be true – and to focus on the next thing, or the next step – and give our attention to just that one step.

Create time frames in which you are unavailable; turn off the phone and spend time with your family doing things that are not ministry related. One great idea is to turn off the notifications on your phone. Protect your days off by making them ‘sabbaths,’ in which you do no ministry work whatsoever – no exceptions.

 Another good practice is to engage in a hobby that relaxes you and has nothing to do with the church. Some leaders do woodworking, others hike, read fiction, fish, hunt – any activity in which you are not “the pastor.”

One idea we promote at the Bridge Network is joining a roundtable of pastors. Peer-level community provides an outlet where conversations and humor can take place at a level only pastors and ministry leaders can appreciate.

Certainly, if you are depressed for a long period of time, see a therapist or counselor who understands clergy dynamics and can help you process the “vicarious trauma” we transfer to ourselves when counseling others.

Dr. Lynn Hardaway