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How to Burn Out During the Holidays: A Guide for Pastors and Church Leaders

Logos

This sponsored post was provided by Logos.

It’s October, but if you work at a church, it’s already time to talk about Christmas. That says a lot about what holidays mean for those in ministry. Whether you’re a pastor or volunteer, if you’re not careful, you might spend more time cutting out paper snowflakes for the foyer than preparing your heart to lead others in worship.

Consider this a Screwtape letter for the Christmas season: three ways you can burn out by New Years—and three ways Logos and Proclaim, which are on sale now, can help you fight back.

1. Neglect the inner life.

Martin Luther once said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” This was from a man who translated the entire Bible into German, wrote dozens of Christian classics, and ignited the Reformation.

There is nothing so pressing that it puts prayer and Scripture reading on the backburner. In fact, the more pressing the matter, the more important God’s presence.

While Logos is a power tool for sermon prep and Bible study, it can also strengthen your devotional life. Logos helps you prioritize personal prayer and study every time you open it. The home screen features Bible reading plans, prayer lists, and selections from lectionaries. You can even consult user-made reading lists on any theme, like prayer or thanksgiving.

And that’s just the beginning. Base packages come with hundreds or even thousands of resources that engage your mind and heart, making your options nearly endless for staying spiritually nourished during the holidays and beyond.

2. Do everything yourself.

A one-man band can never be an orchestra. Yet many Christian leaders attempt a similar feat when planning holiday worship services.

Proclaim Church Presentation Software, from the makers of Logos, is a great way to share the load. For one, its developers and designers have already done a ton of work for you. You can choose from hundreds of pre-made templates, pull up hymn and carol lyrics in seconds, enjoy automatic formatting, and choose from Pro Media’s 14,000+ motions and stills, including holiday-themed pieces. That means you don’t have to design or format anything yourself.

proclaim

Second, Proclaim is built for collaboration. You get unlimited installs, and your work saves in real-time across every device. That means anyone involved in the service can work on the presentation at the same time, and no work gets lost.

Right now, you can get three months of Proclaim and Pro Media free when you purchase a Logos base package. Enjoy a free trial just in time for the holidays—it’ll last through the New Year.

3. Study at a snail’s pace.

I love libraries, but sometimes I get this uneasy feeling when I walk into one: All of this knowledge, and most of it is totally hidden from me.

Not so with Logos. Logos is like having your own research assistant—and that research assistant has your entire library completely memorized. Not only does it scan every resource in seconds, it takes you right to the relevant material. That way no insights remain hidden from your eyes. They’re handed right to you so you can use them.

In my version of Logos (7 Gold), I looked up “Matthew 5:17–20” in the Passage Guide, and in less than 10 seconds I got 20 categories—categories—of resources with relevant material in them, from commentaries to theological journals to maps and atlases. From there, I can easily scan the list and click on any item, and it will appear instantly (like the commentary did in the bottom left of the image).

Logos

Get Logos for the lowest price ever offered.

Now through Oct. 11, you can get Logos 7 Starter for under $200—the lowest it’s ever been. In fact, you can take $100 off any base package. Plus, you’ll get 3 months of Proclaim and Pro Media free:

  • Get Bible study software that saves you tons of time and makes your study more extensive.
  • Get presentation software built for collaboration, so more people can share the load when planning for your services.
  • Get Pro Media for instant access to beautiful designs, including Thanksgiving- and Christmas-themed graphics for your presentations.

Don’t burn out before the New Year. Get Logos and Proclaim before October 11 to save money, time, and headaches as you head into the holidays.

Hurry, the offer ends 10/11.

Get a base package.


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