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Children's Ministry

10 Powerful Ways to Avoid Holiday Burnout

Alissa Ellett Leave a Comment

Avoid burnout this holiday season, maybe for the first time ever. The holidays are such a busy time in the church. On the one hand, it’s a series of weeks that hold fun, tradition and connection. And on the other, the unrealistic demands placed on church leaders can make the “most wonderful time of the year” kind of a nightmare. Come January, you’re depleted, frustrated and wondering if you can keep doing this to yourself and your family.

It doesn’t have to be this way! Read on for a list of ideas we’ve come up with to help you avoid burnout and cultivate wholeness. Don’t forget to share in the comments what you have found helpful in your own journey!

avoid burnout

How to Avoid Burnout at the Holidays

Take care of yourself. Self-care is so important in order to avoid burnout. First, make rest a priority. Second, eat a variety of healthy foods to give your body the fuel it needs to do its work. Additionally, avoid foods high in sugar, which cause inflammation and fatigue. Third, exercise by doing something you enjoy. Fourth, unplug. Fifth, be still in the presence of the Divine through prayer and meditation.

Look to God for approval. You are already good, worthy and loved deeply to your core. You can only do your best, and how much or the quality of what you produce doesn’t increase any of these. Though there is helpful constructive criticism, you are incapable of satisfying all people. Remind yourself of this often in all situations, whether things are going amazingly well or you’re receiving criticism.

Do non-ministry activities. First, throughout the holiday season, get involved in things that are not associated with the church. When you’re busy and much of your energy is required, carve out time to enjoy something outside of ministry. For example, take bike rides, make art, color, read a book, do yoga, cook a favorite meal, write poetry, go see a movie.

avoid burnout

Delegate. You cannot do it all on your own. First, you will find energy and avoid burnout doing the things you’re naturally gifted to do. Second, there are countless people in your congregation who are incredibly gifted and would find purpose in being a part of tasks. So, invite others to become involved. You likely need to do far less than you have on your plate.

Lower your expectations. Often times we are our own worst critic and hold ourselves to an unrealistic, Pinterest-driven standard of perfection. Stress can come from our own demands. First, in lowering your expectations, you invite yourself to be more realistic in their expectations. Second, we encourage awareness in ourselves and others of the true priorities of the season.

Understand your place as pastor. The church you serve isn’t your church. Theologically and historically it’s God’s church and practically speaking it’s your congregants’ church. Consequently, you, as a ministry leader, are a guide and facilitator of God’s work. But, it is up to the people in the pews to be the church they hope for.

avoid burnout

Place your work in perspective. You are one person in the long life of the Church working within a deeply rooted institutional culture. During the holidays, and always, make decisions for the long-term health of the faith community. Moreover, understand you won’t alone shift its course. And find peace in realizing that you’re important but not necessary for the evolution of any church community.

Find time with family and non-church friends. The holidays can be a season of such demand on ministry leaders’ time. Make it a priority to spend time with your family to avoid burnout. Additionally, block out time with friends who don’t go to the church. This keeps you grounded and restores your energy. Furthermore, it simply helps you enjoy the holidays for what they are rather than the work they require of you.

Say “No” more often. In spite of what you or your congregation might assume, you aren’t needed at every holiday activity. Decide where you do need to be, then where you want to be. And say no to everything else. You have the power to set boundaries that invite your own flourishing. And consequently, you’ll be even more effective in your work.

Unplug. Take time every week to turn off all your devices and be present to your surroundings. Fill the time with something restorative. And be sure to tell the important people when this is happening. This unplugging practice lowers anxiety and will increase your sense of groundedness in a season that can feel frantic.

avoid burnout

Be Well

It’s our hope as you move into the months ahead that you find rest for your mind, body, and soul. We hope you avoid burnout but even more that you experience joy and wonder. We all hold some power in creating the life for which we long. So, be protective of your time, energy and relationships. This upcoming season is a gift for you to relish, too.

The Jesus Storybook Bible: A Review

Alissa Ellett 5 Comments

The Jesus Storybook Bible is one of so many children’s Bibles. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the variety and unsure which is best for your bookshelf. So, here at ICM, we’ve compiled our thoughts in this blog series where we’ll be reviewing some of today’s most popular children’s Bibles. Once you find your fave children’s Bible, check out our post on ways of reading scripture with your kids to get the most out of it!

Jesus Storybook BibleQuick Facts about The Jesus Storybook Bible

  • 352 Pages
  • Author: Sally Lloyd-Jones, Illustrator: Jago
  • Storybook format (a retelling of some of the Bible)
  • Age Range: 4-8 years old
  • Bestseller on Amazon
  • The Moonbeam Award Gold Medal Winner

A Closer Look

There’s no perfect choice for all children everywhere or even for your own child. Each children’s Bible is a mix of aspects to love as well as those that invite palm to forehead moments. In this series of reviews, we’ll always include what we think to be the pros and cons of each Bible and whether or not we’d recommend it to our friends. So, let’s dive in and take a closer look at The Jesus Storybook Bible.

Jesus Storybook Bible

Pros of The Jesus Storybook Bible

Engaging Illustrations: Award-winning illustrator Jago produces dynamic, vibrant illustrations. They’re beautifully expressive, engaging, and simple in presentation.

Digestible Story Length: The stories, which are retold compilations of several chapters, are short. This aspect makes it easy to hold the attention of young readers.

Table of Contents Included: Having a table of contents makes for easy reading, especially if a child has favorites they like to return to repeatedly.

Classic Stories Included: All the classic stories you’d hope for from a children’s Bible are included here.

Name Plate Included: The first page contains a nameplate for gifting it to a child. A parent, children’s director, teacher, or family member would appreciate this.

Compact Size: This children’s Bible is medium-sized (6.6 x 1 x 7.9 inches). It is small enough to stow in a child’s backpack for church or travel.

Appropriately Illustrated Characters: Figures are shown with olive skin and dark hair, honoring the Bible’s Middle Eastern context.

Biblical Passages Cited: Each retelling of a biblical story gives the biblical passages from which the author drew. This increases biblical literacy and makes for easy cross-referencing.

Jesus Storybook Bible

Cons of The Jesus Storybook Bible

Unfamiliar Story Titles: While the story titles are creative and fun, they aren’t the names we normally associate with biblical stories. This can make it difficult to find a particular story. Additionally, a child may struggle to make the connection between stories as they age and begin reading out of a complete Bible.

Imposed Narrative: In The Jesus Storybook Bible, the thread that holds all the stories together is Jesus. This for some is the biggest selling point. However, this was not the intention of the biblical authors. Furthermore, imposing the narrative of Jesus’ life and mission onto the Hebrew scriptures can present problems. To mention just one, such theology can easily lead to anti-Semitic thinking. That is, one can argue that Jews don’t know how to interpret their own holy texts and are “missing the point.”

Exclusively Masculine Language for God: God is neither male nor female but possesses a nature far more complex and integrated. If we are to use one gender to metaphorically describe God then we must use all genders. If not, using non-gendered language for God is ideal. This is standard practice in most seminaries; there is no reason it shouldn’t be common practice in the pulpit and faith education of young ones.

Inaccurate Biblical Account: Lloyd-Jones takes much creative license in her retelling. Consequently, there are inaccuracies in the biblical stories. For example, the story of Adam and Eve names the serpent Satan, a fallen angel. Satan asks Eve, “Does God really love you?” To begin, the biblical text doesn’t name the serpent Satan. Furthermore, the serpent doesn’t ask that question of Eve. Moreover, it’s debatable, non-biblical mythology that assumes the character of Satan is a fallen angel. Throughout The Jesus Storybook Bible, several of these unsound portrayals exist.

Jesus Storybook Bible

Conclusion

Children’s Bibles are all different, each with good qualities. And The Jesus Storybook Bible has some things going for it. The illustrations are beautiful and portray the characters appropriately. Its stories are short, and it includes all the classics. It contains a table of contents, scripture references, and a nameplate. And it’s an easy size to take along places.

However, there are several key things that take away from it. First, the story titles are unfamiliar. This can slow learning and make it difficult to find the desired story. Second, Lloyd-Jones weaves the life of Jesus into every story of the Hebrew scriptures. Third, Lloyd-Jones uses gendered language for God that is exclusively male. Fourth and finally, there are several inaccuracies in the stories. When teaching children, we hope to give them an understanding of their faith that invites little undoing and relearning. Enough of life’s events invite that through theological reflection without wild misunderstanding of scripture. In conclusion, in spite of it being a best seller on Amazon and a gold medalist in The Moonbeam Awards, we wouldn’t recommend The Jesus Storybook Bible.

We hope this review has been helpful and has given some food for thought. Share what children’s Bibles you have and love in the comments below!

5 Enormously Excellent Faith-Based Children’s Books

Alissa Ellett 2 Comments

Faith-Based Children's Books

If you’ve been searching for faith-based children’s books to add to your library, you’ve come to the right place! It can feel overwhelming to search when there are so many options out there. So, we’ve put together a list of our top five picks that we’re currently loving. If you’ve got favorite faith-based children’s books, share them in the comments!

DON’T HAVE TIME TO READ THIS POST RIGHT NOW? Download a PDF copy of this blog post to read later, or to share with friends or colleagues. Click here to download the PDF.

God’s Dream

Faith-Based Children's Books

God’s Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Carlton Abrams invites children into the worldview that we are all sisters and brothers no matter where we live, who we are, how we worship, what we look like, how different or similar we may be.

God’s Dream is one of our favorite faith-based children’s books because it:

  • contains colorful illustrations
  • is ethnically diverse
  • in written from an interfaith perspective
  • contains examples applicable to children’s lives
  • uses non-gendered language for the Divine
  • uses beautifully simple language
  • encourages compassion
  • is available as a board book

Read a review of God’s Dream here. And buy it here.

When God Was a Little Girl

Faith-Based Children's Books

When God Was a Little Girl by David R. Weiss and Joan Hernandez Lindeman is a retelling of the creation myth that invites the feminine into the story. The main character, Susanna, and her father pass the time during a long car ride as they imagine together a creator who is young, female, and full of joy. It was the 2014 Gold Medal Winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award for Best in Religion/Spirituality. Additionally, it won the 2014 Silver Medal for Children’s Picture Book in the Nautilus Book Awards.

When God was a Little Girl is one of our favorite faith-based children’s books because it:

  • contains vibrant illustrations
  • is simple for young readers and listeners alike
  • utilizes various ways of showing the creative movement of the Holy Spirit, e.g.: music, art, gardening, singing
  • is engagingly conversational
  • is ethnically diverse
  • encourages theological openness

Read a review of When God Was a Little Girl here. And buy it here.

In God’s Name

Faith-Based Children's Books

In God’s Name by Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso is a modern fable that celebrates diversity and, at the same time, the unity of all people. Additionally, it’s a spiritual celebration of the quest of all people of the world for the Divine and their belief in one God.

In God’s Name is one of our favorite faith-based children’s books because it:

  • contains poetic text
  • includes vibrant illustrations
  • expands and enriches divine imagery
  • uses life experiences to name God
  • speaks to children of all ages
  • is ethnically diverse
  • uses simple language
  • encourages children to look for God in the ordinary
  • is written from an interfaith perspective
  • is adapted for younger readers in board book format entitled What Is God’s Name

Buy In God’s Name here.

When God Made You

Faith-Based Children's Books

When God Made You by Matthew Paul Turner is a book about children discovering their place in the world and how their personalities, traits, and talents fit in. Furthermore, Turner’s words offer assurance that children are deeply loved and a unique creation in our big universe.

When God Made You is one of our favorite faith-based children’s books because it:

  • contains vivid, fantastical illustrations
  • utilizes playful rhyme
  • highlights children’s unique gifts
  • uses simple language
  • teaches self-worth
  • includes applicable examples to children’s lives
  • uses non-gendered language for God

Read a review of When God Made You here. And buy it here.

Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus

Faith-Based Children's Books

Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus by John Hendrix freshly reinterprets some of the oldest and best-known stories in human history and focuses on some of the many miracles that Jesus performed before his crucifixion. In conclusion, the book closes with a final wonder for all to see—one that changes faith and religion as the world knows it, forever.

Miracle Man is one of our favorite faith-based children’s books because it:

  • contains beautiful illustrations and evocative imagery
  • uses unique hand-lettering to weave the story into the illustration
  • increases biblical literacy
  • includes a list of Bible stories that inspired it
  • uses clear, simple language for young listeners and readers
  • visually depicts Jesus and people of his time with brown skin
  • tells the stories of Jesus without moralizing or commentary

Read a Q&A with the author here. Buy it here.


There you have it, our top five favorite faith-based children’s books. We hope you and your children fall in love with these books like we have and gain a richer sense of God’s presence in the world. Don’t forget to share the books you love in the comments below!

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