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So I'm almost ready to start my sabbatical. But the burning question that everyone asks is simply this: what exactly is a sabbatical? It sounds like one long vacation where you get paid for doing nothing. I suppose every Pastor going on a sabbatical has to "defend" the fact that this isn't just a extended vacation, but something that is necessary and beneficial for any congregation. That need to defend probably is because churches have not taught the necessity of a balanced rhythm in life. We hear the words sabbatical and we think old testament law and throw it away. But even though we are not bound by the law anymore, the principle that God gave at creation of taking a break is a utmost importance, especially in our fast paced world of constant burnout. So before I tackle the initial question, let me step back a bit and ask a more foundational question. Is a sabbatical biblical? The word 'sabbatical' is rooted in the Hebrew word Shabbat ( שָׁבַת) and there's a lot of biblical tradition surrounding the use of that word. The most obvious is the practice of a sabbath day described initially in Genesis chapter one. God reste d (יִּשְׁבֹּת) on t he seventh day and tells his people to have a weekly observance of Sabbath to develop a rhythm of life that would help us balance our lives in both our bodies, minds, and spiritual lives. The Sabbath was made for a humankind, and not humankind for the Sabbath; so the son of man is Lord, even of the Sabbath. Mark 2:27–28. Additionally, in Leviticus 25, God commands that the land, lie fallow every seven years. Even the land needed a sabbatical to recover from the yearly rotation of harvesting crops to replenish the nutrients in the soil. In the same way, Leviticus 25 also talks about the Year of Jubilee - every 50 years a big celebration happens where there is no harvest or producing of anything, but rather debts are forgiven and offerings are made to God. So biblically, Sabbath in all it's forms, has the idea of rest, rejuvenation, renewal and celebration. These things, for a time, take the place of hard work and production. Marva Dawn in her book Keeping the Sabbath Wholly says: "We cease not only from work itself, but also from the need to accomplish and be productive, from the worry and tension that accompany our modern criterion of efficiency, from our efforts to be in control of our lives, as if we were God, from a possessiveness and our enculturation, and finally, from the humdrum and meaninglessness that result when life is pursued without the Lord at the center of it all." So what is a sabbatical? It can take many forms as long as those key biblical ideas are part of the process. So here is a stab at a definition of sabbatical at least for me. A sabbatical is an extended period of time away offered to leaders of a church in order to equip both the leader and the church for the next season of ministry. This is done, not only by enhancing a leader skills, but also by providing a space away from the "tyranny of the urgent" for spiritual renewal, rest, celebration, study in order to reconnect on a personal (rather than professional) level with God and influential people in the pastor's life. So you can call it an extended study leave, a renewal leave, a refresher leave. Call it what you want, but the benefit of a sabbatical, especially for a pastor, is to remove oneself from the busyness of life since our job often entails living without any margins at all so that we can practice the sabbatical disciplines of rest, rejuvenation, renewal, and celebration. This short-term sabbatical and the regular practice of Sabbath rhythm of life, can help prepare the pastor for a long-term ministry rather than short-term career burnout. So what are some of the things I may be doing? This list is not exhaustive nor is it set in stone, but will give you an idea of what my time away might look like Study and Continuing Education Reading books primarily on self care and long term ministry Going to Athens, Ephesus and Corinth to strengthen my faith in its historical roots. Beginning to write a book or study guide on a relevant topic that comes from initial things I learn. Personal Rest Reading, praying and pursuing spiritual disciplines to deepen my own faith. Relearning self care: talking with mentors and counselors. exercise, including backpacking for an extended time. Road trip to re-connect with old friends and ministry partners Rejuvenation and Celebration Devoting more time to my wife including time away. Attending worship services in a variety of plavces to expand my understanding of worship, church and family. Celebrating my 40th Anniversary with a trip with my wife. Renewal Rediscover Spiritual Disciplines that feed my relationaship with Jesus. Especially the discipline of reading the Scriptures Devotionally (Instead of for study or sermon prep.) . How can the church family help make this sabbatical beneficial? Pray consistently for my family, and the congregation throughout the sabbatical. Put in extra effort to assist the church by attending regularly, serving, donating, reaching out, and praying. Participate FULLY in the church Program that will be happening while I'm away If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. But remember, I leave on August 1st and won't be back or in contact till November 1st. If there is an emergency or concern during that time, please call an elder and they will be glad to help. Also, if you subscribe to the blog on the main page ( www.pastorsprogress.org ) , you will get notifications whenever a new blog post is up. Be Blessed

Contrary to what people might think, a pastoral sabbatical is not a break from worship. It is not a vacation from Jesus or church, attendance or Bible reading or anything of the sort. By-the-way, this applies to both the pastor and the congregation. This false perception is where the danger lies because the purpose of sabbatical is the exact opposite. As I've written about before, the essence of a sabbatical is to take a break from the every day patterns that we get drawn into that can drain the passion, joy, innovation, and vibrant faith from our lives. A time of sabbatical helps us rediscover our relationship with the Lord without the pressure of every day life crowding in. Even the apostle Paul recognized this in his life when he said: "Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches." 2 Cor 11:28 So what does that look like both for the Pastor that is on sabbatical and the church who is hopefully using the sabbatical break to renew and rediscovered themselves outside the leadership of the pastor? For the Pastor it means that I get to go and worship God without having to think about what I'm going to preach or what needs might come up or anything else that has to do with every day Pastor ministry. I get to rediscover who I am in the presence of the Lord. I mean, it's just me and Jesus not Pastor Phil and Jesus. There is a freedom to worship without the burden of concern for a short period of time. There is a great difference between knowing and preaching the theology of redemption and just spending time with Jesus and thanking him for MY redemption. Those in my congregation have heard me talk about this a little bit. It is very difficult for a pastor, especially one who has been in ministry about 30 years straight to simply sit and worship God without any responsibilities. Plus there's even the added benefit that I can sit with my wife and family... maybe even hold her hand during worship. You see, it's the little things that matter so much sometimes that those of us in full-time ministry don't get to experience all that often. The first danger for the pastor during a sabbatical is that he doesn't take that break from the normal routine. I know guys that have gone on sabbatical and have preached in other churches. I personally believe that's problematic. Not that I don't think that a pastor should do some service during his sabbatical, but it should be different than what he normally does. The second danger is that the pastor doesn't worship at all, and takes a complete break from all things that are "churchy." You can't be you unless you worship. We were created to worship and that's something that should never be cut out for any reason because it lies at the essence of who we are as followers of Jesus. You can't be you unless you worship. For the church , a sabbatical means that they can rediscover themselves outside of the pastoral leadership. In fact, a sabbatical will give some sort of idea how well the pastor is doing his job. Paul summarizes a Pastor/Elder's job like this in Ephesians: "So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." Ephesians 4:11-12 So on a practical level, what that means is the congregation will have to discover what their spiritual gifts are to fill in for the ministry that the pastor normally does. If the pastor has not trained people and has done all the ministry himself the church might stagger and stumble. But if the pastor has done a good job, the people will pick up the football and run it to victory. I am excited about my church exploring their abilities and gifts. I am hoping that ministry will increase while I am gone so that when I can come back, I am not filling in any gaps because God's people are right there. But here is the danger for those in the congregation. They may see my sabbatical as a time to take a break from worship, and in doing that, like the danger for the pastor that's similar above, they may not discover who they really are in Christ. They may not live in the power of the resurrection and rejoice in the spiritual gift that God has given them for the producing of much spiritual fruit. So my brothers and sisters, whatever you do, do not take a break from the body. Attend worship regularly. Participate as much as you can in the renewal programs that are going on in the congregation. But why even bother go? I can think of a number of reasons. Don't stop worshiping and attending services because: No one is a second class member. Everyone is needed and of utmost importance to the body of Christ. If you don't show up, you might miss what God wanted to teach you that day If you don't show up, you might miss out on the opportunity to help someone God wanted you to help that day If you don't show up your understanding of who Jesus is, will not grow because you have not worshiped If you don't show up, you proclaim to the world that there are things more important than worshiping the god of creation. If you don't show up, somebody else will have to pick up your football with gifts that they don't have and fill in the gap that God created you to do. If you don't show up, you may grow in Christ, but you won't grow together with your brothers and sisters in Christ and that's the whole purpose of having a family. If you don't show up, something will be missing from our church and we will be poorer for it. Sabbatical is not a vacation. It's not a vacation for the Pastor from church. It's not a vacation for the congregation from church either. It is a unique opportunity to grow in ways that otherwise would be almost impossible. So be proactive and determined to worship and grow during this sabbatical and renewal period for if you do, you won't be in danger but rather be a dangerous warrior for the Lord.

Reading List Preparation and the Need for Renewal Part of the goal for any sabbatical is the idea of renewal. I think this is necessary for any job or career we might have. Especially since, in the Western world our identities are often connected to what we do for a living. Of course this is unhealthy. At a very basic level, my identity is not wrapped up in what I do, but in who I am – specifically for the Christian, who I am in Christ. So renewal is partly the process of breaking away from what you do to rediscover who you are. The ultimate benefit of renewal is when one returns to their normal life, they can continue doing their job more effectively because they are serving out of who they are and not out of some other reason such as "I need to make money" or out of guilt because I'm supposed to do this job and I can't find another. Whatever the reason, there is no sustained power in those reasons nor will a person find joy and purpose in their job. Burn out, short term or long-term, is inevitable. Biblically, humans were created to work. Work was a blessing, giving to human beings before the fall. Of course the fall radically transformed our work so the need for some sort of renewal or revision is really important if we are going to finish strong in whatever we do. With that mind, one of the books that I plan on reading is Pastoral Pause: A Practical Guide to Renewal Leave by Gregg Pimlott. Maybe you want to read along with me? I would love to hear what you think about the book (comment below). Or, if you're part of my congregation, I want to hear all about what God taught you about renewal and restoration when I get back. I'll keep you posted as I build my reading list for this fall. Blessings.

ADDRESSING THE UNCERTAINTY OF LEAVING FOR BOTH PASTOR AND CONGREGATION. I have been in the ministry for a little more than 40 years. Beginning in August I will take my first sabbatical ever. I want to begin by thanking my present church and giving me this much needed opportunity. Yet, as I begin my sabbatical in a little over two months from now, I confess that I have some jitters. There is a mix of excitement and expectation along with nervousness and uncertainty. I'm sure many in my congregation feel that way as well, as they are probably experiencing a pastoral sabbatical for the first time I have been convinced for a long time that I needed a sabbatical if I was going to be a long-term pastor and finish well. "But at the same time, leaving the people in my church, the fellowship, and the familiarity of our worship—even re-ordering the way I manage my time—brings a level of uncertainty that I've never experienced before. I know that this sabbatical will strengthen my relationship with God and improve my well-being. Still, I can’t help but wonder how this process will impact my congregation. So, I just wanted to quickly jot down the benefits of a sabbatical, not only for a pastor's health and spiritual growth but also for the congregation's health and spiritual growth. Sabbaticals are a valuable gift for pastors; they offer a chance to pause, reflect, and focus on self-care and spiritual renewal. For me, this means stepping back from daily responsibilities and rediscovering my personal walk with Jesus. As I've expressed before to my congregation, having pastoral responsibilities for years on end establishes a pattern in your life where every time you try to worship outside your congregation, you are still in Pastor mode. That is, when another pastor is preaching. It is very common to desensitize oneself to the speaking of the Holy Spirit because we are always wondering would I preach that differently? Should he have said this or that? I like this order of service. We should try that song in worship. etc. A sabbatical gives a pastor the time he needs to break that cycle so he can just become simply - a worshiper. Sabbatical also give pastors the opportunity to dive deep into personal self-care. We can get so busy that we neglect, exercise, eating, right, and good deep friendships. These things are not only good but necessary for a healthy ministry. I also look forward to reading books that I want to read rather than the ones I need to read for ministry. I eagerly anticipate connecting with God in new ways and allowing His Spirit to teach me new things. But what about the benefits for my congregation? To be honest with you, as I prepare for my sabbatical, I am genuinely concerned about how it will affect our congregation. Over the past 8 years, I have invested my energy in teaching and training the people in our church as the Scriptures and instruct me to do. My primary job as a pastor according to Ephesians 4:11-12 is to help equip each of you with the necessary tools and spiritual gifts to thrive in ministry. So I am leaving, trusting that my ministry has had an impact. And that while I'm gone, the church won't just survive but thrive because each one will step up and serve powerfully the way God has called them to. This is an exciting thing, because when I get back if the church is thriving, then I can just jump in on that momentum. This is where I realize that this sabbatical is just as crucial for you as it is for me. So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Ephesians 4:11-12 So, while I'm away, I encourage each of you to discover, experiment and refine your spiritual gifts. You are empowered to lead, serve, and be part of the body of Jesus at West Dighton Christian Church. This period will offer you a unique opportunity to explore and practice these gifts. There will be some training sessions that I encourage you all to attend. I'm praying that you will come to worship services regularly so you can grow together as a family, learning from one another and loving one another, so that the unity among us will be at an all-time high when I return on November first. This sabbatical will test how well I’ve prepared you for ministry. Have I nurtured you enough, helping you to develop the abilities needed to be the church serving one another and serving community? Though I am nervous, I am also encouraged because research shows that communities that empower their members during leadership transitions often see a boost in engagement and growth, sometimes up to 30%. Don't use the three months I'm away to just glide. Don't use it to catch up on other things that aren't 'church stuff.' This is an excellent opportunity to use this time to deepen your faith, both individually and collectively. Pray for one another, provide support, and seek opportunities to witness God’s goodness. Find your gift and take a step of risky faith and see what God can do. While the thought of leaving generates pre-sabbatical jitters, I am filled with joy thinking about how this experience has a great potential for growth and depth in our church. So, as much as you're trusting in me to make the most of this time away, I am doing the same for you. Asking God to pour out his spirit in such a way that we are compelled to do everything for his glory. This sabbatical is a leap of faith for all of us—a time for me to recharge and for you to thrive in your call as Mighty Warriors, – servants of the most high God.