Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission
Ebook
Women Surviving the Great Commission
Missionary women have high expectations when they respond to God’s call; of themselves, their mission agencies, host cultures, churches, co-workers, and even of God. These expectations are often times impossible to fulfill and can lead to mental and physical exhaustion. Eighty percent of missionary women feel they have come close to burnout, whether they were married or single, traditional or tent making, new or experienced.
In Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission, Sue provides research and surveys from the field while Robynn lends her own personal experiences to demonstrate how burnout can happen and how God can bring life from ashes. Join them as they explore how to develop realistic expectations and yet maintain faith in our sovereign God who continues to accomplish the impossible.
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter One: The Exploration Begins: A Study of Expectations and Burnout
Survivor Tip #1: Remember you are called, chosen, and clay
Chapter Two: Robynn: A Survivor’s Story
Survivor Tip # 2: Make time to meditate
Chapter Three: The Exploration Continues: Expectations of Herself and Her Roles
Survivor Tip #3: Release expectations
Chapter Four: The Exploration Continues: Expectations and Her Sending Agency
Survivor Tip # 4: Endure with glorious power
Chapter Five: The Exploration Continues: Expectations and the Sending Church
Survivor Tip #5: Recognize the love God has for His Bride
Chapter Six: The Exploration Continues: Expectations and Co-workers
Survivor Tip # 6: Recognize the spiritual warfare
Chapter Seven: The Exploration Continues: Expectations of and for Her Host Culture
Survivor Tip #7: Heaven is our home
Chapter Eight: The Exploration Continues: Expectations and God
Survivor Tip #8: Leave room for God
Chapter Nine: The Exploration Continues: When God Doesn’t Meet Her Expectations
Survivor Tip #9: Trust God through the “if onlys”
Chapter Ten: Exploring Burnout Symptoms and Causes
Survivor Tip # 10: Count your “mosquito bites”
Chapter Eleven: Exploring Solutions: Dealing With Expectations to Avoid Burnout
Survivor Tip # 11: Pray for maximum blessing even when you have minimum energy
Chapter Twelve: Robynn’s Continuing Story and Some of our Conclusions
Appendix A: Sample Survey
Bibliography
Sue Eenigenburg and Robynn Bliss’ new book, Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission, is a unique resource that applies to women preparing for cross-cultural ministry or for those who have long-term experience. The combination of sound research and personal reflection assists women engaged in cross-cultural ministry in understanding the relationship between unrealistic expectations and burnout. The sources of these expectations are discussed in-depth, but the book also provides a balanced perspective of God’s grace in the midst of severe difficulty. The authors’ description of expectations starts in the first chapter by examining women’s responses to the Great Commission. Other chapters focus on expectations women have of themselves, their sending churches, agencies, co-workers, host cultures, and even God. Combined with the challenges of cross-cultural life and work, unmet expectations often lead to emotional, spiritual, and physical fatigue. If women do not seriously examine their expectations before serving cross-culturally, they may become candidates for burnout. Several chapters focus on Bliss’ journey as a demonstration of how her unrealistic expectations led to burnout and how God transformed her in the midst of difficulty. Why is such a book necessary? According to the authors’ survey of over three hundred female respondents from a range of mission agencies, eighty percent stated they had come close to burnout. This alarming statistic impacted both single and married women engaged in traditional or tentmaking types of ministry. All of the respondents conceded to feeling emotional and physical fatigue due to unrealistic expectations in the field (p. 171). One area of expectation mentioned by over fifty percent of the respondents was building relationships with nationals (p. 129). For example, one woman wondered about her friends’ motives in building their relationship: “I thought nationals would desire my friendship for who I was, not what I could give to them monetarily” (p 129). The authors make the point that workers need to go “as learners, not only of the culture and language, but also in areas such as how to build relationships” (p. 128). In the final chapters, Eenigenburg and Bliss explore symptoms, possible causes, and solutions of burnout in order to help avoid it altogether. They provide insight in developing realistic expectations and maintaining a strong faith in God’s purposes. Two things they suggest are becoming aware of symptoms and causes of burnout and developing a personal plan to continue in ministry while proactively working to avoid burnout (p. 187). Mission agencies, church workers, lay persons, and mentors will find the guidelines in this book helpful as they seek to support others in cross-cultural ministry. In reading this work, one realizes the lack of simple solutions. In spite of the complexities, the authors offer a fresh and authentic approach to the issues discussed in this book. This work will be a helpful resource for women seeking to live by faith and becoming whole persons as they participate in the Great Commission worldwide.
-Cheri Pierson, Assistant Professor, Intercultural Studies /TESOL, Wheaton College
Solid in its research and conclusions, profoundly deep in its personal reflection, Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission is an extremely valuable resource for those who are preparing to go or already engaged in long-term cross-cultural ministry. While filled with beneficial insight I am most encouraged by the emphasis on God’s grace and continuing transforming work through the pain of burnout!
-Dr. Steve Coffey, International Director, Christar
- Title: Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission
- Authors: Sue Eenigenburg, Robynn Bliss
- Publisher: William Carey Library
- Print Publication Date: 2010
- Logos Release Date: 2023
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Ebook
- ISBNs: 9781645080688, 9780878085231, 0878085238, 1645080684
- Resource ID: LLS:9781645080688
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-04-25T00:51:59Z
Robyn Bliss grew up in Pakistan and returned to North America to attend Briercrest Bible College. She and her husband Lowell ministered over 13 years in South Asia with Christar. Together they served in leadership, helped start an international fellowship, were on a church planting team, launched a Christian Ashram, and began a language-learning program. Robynn and her family returned to North America exhausted, but God in His tender grace restored and healed. Burnout was God's tool in revamping her expectations of who He meant her to be all along.
Sue Eenigenburg graduated from Moody Bible Institute and Lancaster Bible College. She has served with Christar for more than thirty-six years. She and her husband Don have four children and twelve grandchildren. Sue has served on four different continents. Sue is the author of Screams in the Desert and More Screams, Different Deserts. She also co-authored Expectations and Burnout: Women Surviving the Great Commission and Sacred Siblings: Valuing One Another for the Great Commission.