Beating Burnout Interview #1 with Dr. Thom Rainer – Beginnings of Burnout

A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Dr. Thom Rainer, President of LifeWay Resources, and discuss burnout. 

Before heading into the interview, I never met Dr. Rainer. And I painted an image in my mind of a very Type-A, CEO, workaholic type guy. Why did I want to talk to him about burnout?

He leads thousands of employees…surely he must be on the brink of burnout himself.

But, I knew that for over the last year, I consistently saw him share information and write on staying healthy in church ministry – paid or not. Just being in church. The duality between my assumptions of him and the things I knew he shared intrigued me.

Well, color me embarrassed. The adage about assuming was true for me. Dr. Rainer was kind, vulnerable (as you will see from the videos this week), and his heart for pastors and the church just emanates from him. What was one interview turned into five. His wisdom and compassion is just so good, and so needed.

This is the first of five videos I’ll share with you this week.

We talk about the beginnings of burnout, how someone intervened for him when he could have gone down that road, and the big question: how do you approach someone you think is burning out?


I hope he insight adds a little encouragement into your life today!

You can find resources on burnout on my website, including Beating Burnout: A 30-Day Guide to Hope and Health that released last week.

It found a home at the #1 spot in devotionals on Amazon for a few days, and I’m so grateful to those of you who believe in the book, its message, and want to get healthy! If you want to get it on Amazon, just email me the receipt and I’ll send you the free audio book!

Hope and Health,

Anne