SkintightTransformation

A Question from God

What are we dying for?

This is a question God asked me this morning. It caught me by surprise because the reality is, most people are LIVING for something. Living for their family, the weekend, their kids, a paycheck... Almost anything.

Philippians 1:21 says, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (NASB)

There is a big difference between living for something and dying for something. Dying involves sacrifice and it is intense. Dying for something requires a passion that lives deep within us. Jesus demonstrated this kind of passion when he died for our sins.

So what am I dying for? I'm not living for a career in ministry... I'm dying for pastors, small and medium sized churches and for the salvation of my family!

WHAT ARE YOU DYING FOR?


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Sabbaticals for Pastors 101

Taking time for sabbatical rest is crucial to the success and longevity of your ministry. How often you take a sabbatical and what you do while on sabbatical is incredibly important.

 

Rhythm

We all have natural rhythms to our lives.  We take our vacations at a certain time every year.  We ramp up ministry seasons for short periods of time and have special focuses in our churches on missions, prayer and leadership from time to time.  Getting into a rhythm can be helpful in sustaining a healthy ministry pace as well as setting up a good way to plan from year to year.

 

Just like our ministries, our lives have a rhythm also.  Take a few minutes looking at your yearly calendar.  Where are the natural places for you to rest?  Keep in mind that you may need a first, second and third choice.

 

Frequency

How often should you take a sabbatical?  For every person it is different but here is a good rule of thumb for pastors:

 

• Once a month do a quick recharge –            

Take 1 full day where you don’t produce anything for a quick recharge to your personal batteries

• Once a year, unplug-

Every year take 2-3 days, get alone with just you and God to unplug from your duties and responsibilities

• Every 6 years take an extended sabbatical

Plan an extended sabbatical that includes time away, time for family, time for counseling or coaching.  This could be for 1-3 months

 

Types of Sabbaticals

 

Quick Recharge

Most people assume that if they have one day off a week, it is enough rest and they simply continue with ministry and life.  For most people, however, this is not true.  Your mind, spirit and body need a regular recharge.  This could be a day for prayer and fasting, relaxing or time in the Word.  If we’re honest, most of us would admit that our one-day-off a week is more about catching up with things around our home and doing things that keep us just as busy as we would be at work.  Take one day a month for a quick recharge

 

Unplug

Ministry life can have a fast pace and it can take a toll on us over long periods of time.  Unplugging helps to get us out of task mode and focused on what God is doing.  It’s important to take a 2-3 days a year to get away and listen to God.  Consider that a good time to take a 2-3 day sabbatical, is right before you begin planning.  Use this time to discern where God is moving in your church.  One possible upgrade to this plan is to take a key elder or staff person with you and spend time listening and praying together.

 

Extended Sabbatical

This is the most difficult sabbatical for most pastors to take.  It requires more planning beforehand and it is more about getting you, the pastor healthy than it is about just resting.  Most of us identify who we are with what we do.  An extended sabbatical forces us to clarify our identity, passions and calling.  You can use this time to do almost anything… as long as it has nothing to do with work!

 

Where to start

If you haven’t taken a sabbatical in more than 10 years, then I would suggest you start small, versus jumping right into the extended sabbatical.  (an exception would be if you feel like you are on a crash course to ministry burnout)  Start with doing six months of the quick recharges and then move to an ‘unplug’ (2-3 day) sabbatical.  This way when the time is right for you to take an extended sabbatical you have some good disciplines worked out before hand.

 

You Need a Mentor

No matter which sabbatical you are taking you need to have a mentor.  A mentor is someone you talk to about what you will be doing on your sabbatical before it starts and your mentor is the person you connect with to process after your sabbatical.  If you do even a one-day sabbatical and don’t use a mentor you’re missing out on perspective and good accountability for how you use your time.

 

A mentor can be someone in your church, like an elder or it can be someone outside your church, such as another pastor or elder.  You can also choose to hire a coach.  A coach will be able to set you up with an agenda and offer you valuable outside perspective.

 

Do you have any sabbatical practices that are helpful?   Please share them!