Three months off. Wow! What an incredible gift. After five years of gruelling pastoral ministry, my church generously offered me a three-month sabbatical. Being fully aware that this was a terrific gift, I wanted to max it out; to really make the very most of it.
A refreshed, invigorated pastor is better for the local church.
Sabbath, from the Hebrew word shabbat, means something like stop. It’s about a cessation. The principle of the weekly Sabbath is woven into the fabric of life. It’s a given. Everyone needs to rest properly, at least one day in seven. However, a pastoral sabbatical isn’t a given; it is actually a gift. And I was aware of the tremendous privilege and opportunity afforded me. For only a tiny fraction of churches are in a position to extend such a grace to their pastor.
Sabbatical: Convictions and Goals
The practice of a long-term sabbatical originated in European universities, when they were still part of the Church. The idea was that the professors required one year in seven to become students again—and to refresh their calling. Thus, a sabbatical didn’t mean a holiday. It meant a change of work or ministry, often in a new environment, and a reduced workload to allow for holistic rest and refreshment.
My congregation was giving me time for spiritual realignment.
I approached my sabbatical with similar assumptions. I wasn’t being granted a lengthy holiday. No, my congregation was giving me time for spiritual realignment and substantial rest.
Broadly speaking, my goals were threefold:
- To be spiritually refreshed and realigned. I was after comprehensive rest. There would be loads of time for leisure, quiet, Bible reading, prayer, meditation, and to read good Christian literature.
- To be of service. Though I was to have time away from the local church I served in, I desired nevertheless to carry out constructive gospel ministry in a different context. It was my prayer that serving the kingdom elsewhere would be stimulating and invigorating.
- To love my family. Wife and children: my hope was to enjoy meaningful time with my wife and our two boys, work on our relationships, and have some fun together.
My sabbatical convictions remain the same. If I ever was given another sabbatical my goals would be similar. But I made several fundamental mistakes when it came to my previous sabbatical, which I’ll share below.
1. I Failed to Plan
I was clear about my three broad goals (above). But as it is sometimes said, ‘the devil is in the (lack of) details.’ My attitude was: ‘I have a few ideas, dates, and activities nailed down. When the time arrives, I’ll wing it. I’m sure I’ll do the right thing.’ No. Looking back, this was bad stewardship on my part. I have since spoken to several other pastors about their sabbatical mistakes. Atop most of those lists is the failure to plan properly.
2. I Didn’t Consult Other Pastors
Part of my failure to plan was that I never consulted other pastors. I should’ve spoken to other pastors—and listened carefully. I should’ve laid my plans before them and asked what they thought; and I should have encouraged them to ask the difficult questions. Moreover, I didn’t read a single article or book on having a good sabbatical or resting well.
3. I Didn’t Properly Consider My Family
By this, I mean I wasn’t thoughtful enough. Naturally, my wife couldn’t take three months’ leave; our sons also had to continue with their schooling. So our domestic rhythms continued. But with more forethought, I could have included them to a larger degree in my sabbatical. I was away from home for six weeks, but I should have carefully considered how to serve them better and enjoy them more when I was home.
4. My Church’s Leadership Wasn’t Sufficiently Involved
My sabbatical was not merely a personal gift for my own benefit. For there’s a real sense in which a refreshed, invigorated pastor is better for the local church.
The wisdom of other leaders in my church would’ve been valuable.
The wisdom and input of the other leaders in my church would’ve been valuable. But the matter of my sabbatical was hardly discussed, and this mistake was from both sides. My elders thought: ‘it’s John’s sabbatical. Let him do as he seems fit.’ And from my side, I didn’t even consider asking my brothers for their input. This was a serious omission on my part. We should’ve spent time in discussion. We should have drafted a document: Our Pastor’s Sabbatical: Goals, Expectations and Non-Negotiables. Every church that makes provision for a pastoral sabbatical should have a document outlining such arrangements.
5. I Didn’t Navigate Social Dynamics
Honestly, I wasn’t smart enough. How do church relationships continue during that three-month period? Should I have cut myself off completely? I was well aware that some conversations (calls, WhatsApp, and coffee dates) would inevitably move towards the church. In hindsight, I should have said ‘no’ more than I did; on the contrary, I said ‘yes’ far too often, finding myself drawn into unhelpful ministry banter and church conversations. My tip: err on the side of being too ruthless. Say no to the coffee date. Don’t take the phone call.
6. I Wasn’t Disciplined Around Social Media
The use of social media is always going to feature in discussions about rest and refreshment. Being constantly connected is a guaranteed way of destroying your sabbatical. There’s simply no way that you can declutter your soul while constantly reaching for your phone. While I’ve never been a social media junkie, I should have been more disciplined.
7. I Made Poor Strategic Decisions
During my sabbatical, I offered to help a church without a pastor. The arrangement was that I would preach once a Sunday and lead one Bible study per week, for six weeks. On the upside, I got to enjoy a beautiful part of my country for those six weeks. There I could serve the church in need and also dust off my mountain bike, hit the hiking trails and remember how to use my camera.
I worked too hard and came away depleted.
The problem wasn’t that I agreed to ministry. The problem was how the initial ministry commitment expanded, almost imperceptibly. Before long, there were pastoral visits, and I was advising a call committee. Well-meaning congregants invited me over for dinner, and I had a hard time saying no. I can’t say those six weeks of my sabbatical were refreshing or restorative. I worked too hard and came away from them depleted.
8. I Neglected My Physical Health
I should have given more attention to this. It was an ideal time to get fitter, tweak my diet, start new routines and lose some weight. None of that happened to the degree it could have.
9. I Didn’t Have Enough Pastoral Care or Accountability
Three months is a significant chunk of time to be ‘doing your own thing.’ I needed regular pastoral input. I needed someone to check in on me, to ensure that I was sticking to the game plan. But I had no such person.
10. I Never Rested
All of the above considered, this is the bottom line. Now, please don’t get the wrong impression. Though I made mistakes, my sabbatical wasn’t a total disaster. I am very glad for it. To this day, I’m grateful I had it. There were substantial benefits. But very avoidable mistakes were made.
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