Grace Place Wellness

It is recommended that congregations consider the sabbatical time for their ministry leader as a time of health and hope for the congregation and its lay leaders. Thoughtful planning is important for achieving a positive experience for the ministry leader and the congregation.

WELLNESS EXPERTS AGREE THAT A MINISTRY SABBATICAL SHOULD INCLUDE AT LEAST THESE THREE ELEMENTS:

1. A time for personal relaxation.
2. A time to pursue personal interests.
3. A time of renewal around things that will directly benefit the congregation

Congregation planning should be done by the same team that is assisting in the sabbatical planning for the church worker. Budgeting for increased expenses will be necessary. Setting aside a small portion over several years can reduce the financial impact during the sabbatical year. The congregation sabbatical focus could be connected to the focus of the pastor’s sabbatical, but it also could focus on special congregational needs or interests.

Ministry leaders and congregations can have significant fears related to the concept of a ministry sabbatical. Discussing and addressing these fears is critical to sabbatical success. Members may fear “What will become of us if our pastor is gone for three months?” Professional workers may fear another person filling their leadership role. The congregation sabbatical planning should address these fears.

These questions will help the ministry leader/church worker form a ministry sabbatical plan:

• In what areas of my life do I need renewal of health and hope?
• How can I broaden and deepen my faith and vision during my sabbatical?
• What are my strengths, gifts and competencies that I could build upon during this sabbatical time?
• What are the areas of greatest stress in my work and life?
• What are the most important things I hope to experience during the remaining years of my life?
• What are the things I would like to let go of?
• What are the things I have been praying for?
• What are my core values?
• What would I like to learn or experience during this sabbatical time?
• What changes would I like to make in my life or work?
• Can I envision what it will be like to move into a three-month sabbatical?
• What will I do initially?
• What will it be like to be released from ministry duties?
• How can I include my spouse and family in the sabbatical time?
• How will my home life be different?

The following questions may be a helpful guide in developing a sabbatical plan and then communicating it to the congregation:

• What are the issues or challenges that could bring health and hope to the congregation during this three-month period?
• What are the resources available to facilitate any process work that is done?
• Do the people in our church understand the concept of sabbatical?
• What can we do to help them with understanding? (It can take up to two years for proper preparation of the membership.)
• Are the leaders of our congregation supportive of the concept of a ministry sabbatical?
• Is there sufficient trust in our relationship to have a sabbatical?
• Is there an understanding that sabbatical time will provide the opportunity for health and growth for the congregation as well as the ministry leader?
• Is there a policy in place for sabbaticals for all the ministry leaders here? (A policy is a first step.)
• Is there a plan in place to make provisions for ongoing ministry during the ministry leader’s absence?
• Pastoral care
• Administrative oversight
• Supervision of staff
• Management of programs
• Pulpit supply
• Should we create a committee to help manage the sabbatical planning?
• Would we benefit from teams managing areas of ministry in the ministry leader’s absence?
• Are there other trusted people available to fill in for the ministry leader during the sabbatical time?
• What will the sabbatical cost? (Normally the ministry leader’s full salary and benefits are paid during the sabbatical time. Car allowance/mileage may or may not be included.)
• What additional costs will there be for the church?
• What additional costs will the ministry leader experience during the sabbatical?
• What personal or professional issues does the ministry leader hope to address during the sabbatical?
• What issues should the congregation be addressing during this time?
• As the time for sabbatical comes closer, would it be possible to plan a special blessing or liturgy to mark the event?
• Is there a re-entry plan in place prior to the sabbatical beginning?
• How will the ministry leader report on the sabbatical experience?
• Whom does the ministry leader need to spend intentional time reconnecting with when returning?
• What roles will need to be re-negotiated?
• What expectations will need to be addressed?
• Would the ministry leader benefit from a coach as the sabbatical plan is developed?
• Would the congregation benefit from coaching to develop a sabbatical policy and plan?
• Will the ministry leader be able to maintain a “complete absence” from the congregation even when remaining in town?
• How will emergency situations be handled within the congregation?
• Will there be any restrictions placed on the ministry leader following the sabbatical?
• What should the ministry leader be doing intentionally to prepare staff, leaders and members?
• How do we see this sabbatical helping the congregation with renewal?
• How can a sabbatical help maintain long-term relationships with professional church ministry leaders?
• What will be different for the ministry leader and the congregation during the sabbatical time?
• What will remain the same for the ministry leader and for the congregation?
• What ethical issues should be discussed prior to the sabbatical? (e.g. Is it appropriate to use sabbatical time to explore or pursue other jobs or calls? Is it appropriate for the church to review its relationship with the ministry leader who is gone?)

The issues below should be addressed and included in the preparation of a ministry sabbatical policy for your church:

• Purpose and Parameters of the Sabbatical.
• Eligibility:
• Does the policy include part-time staff?
• Does the ministry leader need to have served for a certain period at the congregation before the sabbatical?
• Will there be an expectation that the ministry leader remain at the congregation for a period of time after the sabbatical?
• Length: Typically, a three-month sabbatical every four to seven years is recommended.
• Scheduling and Priorities.
• Funding Options and Plan:
• Congregation may want to set aside funds each year to save for a sabbatical year.
• Congregation may offer to match funds that a ministry leader sets aside for a future sabbatical.
• Congregations have held fundraisers to finance the sabbatical period.
• Sabbatical Covenant.

Ministry sabbaticals can bless both the church worker and congregation. They are designed to be a shared experience, and the membership expects that they, both as a congregation and as individual members, will receive specific, tangible benefits from the sabbatical.

• START PLANNING EARLY

Many congregations will discuss a sabbatical for years and formulate a policy. Once the commitment is made, a formal planning process needs to be initiated.

It is suggested that the ministry leader begin the planning process with the congregation at least 12 months prior to sabbatical leave. This timeline can be helpful for both ministry leader and congregation to “get ready” for the sabbatical.

The planning process should be led by lay members and presented to the congregation by lay members. This serves to reinforce the sabbatical as a shared experience.

• DOCUMENT THE MINISTRY SABBATICAL

If you can’t write it down, you don’t have a plan. Clear and articulated goals that relate to the congregation are written in a way that the congregation can understand and are mission-centered.

If you have a good plan, writing the grant proposal is easy. If you don’t have a plan, writing the proposal forces you to create one.

• HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR THE MINISTRY SABBATICAL TIME

It can be a life-changing experience for the leader but also a time for the laity to discover their strengths for ministry apart from the leader and their ability to shine in the extended absence.

While it is tempting for the leader to try and over-plan the sabbatical, it is best to keep the goals simple.

One pastor first thought of taking a long trip during his sabbatical time. He soon realized his time was much better spent reconnecting with his wife and family and spending quiet times at home and retreat centers.

• EDUCATE

Educate, educate and educate the congregation about what a sabbatical is and what the goals are for the sabbatical.

Send pre-sabbatical mailings to each family that include a letter from the committee, a weekly schedule of events and the sabbatical goals.

• SABBATICAL TIME

A sufficient sabbatical time of three months or more allows time to establish new, healthy habits and behaviors for the leader and to plant them into their daily lives.

Some of the most important experiences are in the closing weeks. At the conclusion of a sabbatical, the congregation should have a benchmark to compare the state of their wellbeing over the course of our ministry.

• COMMUNICATE WITH THE CONGREGATION

Communicate in general terms why the sabbatical is necessary to build a consensus, then fill in the details about activities. Details may include:

• Fourteen months before the sabbatical, the congregation is told informally that a planning team should be formed.
• Approximately eight months prior, there will be a formal presentation of the purpose of the sabbatical at a congregational assembly meeting, and, at about the same time, information should begin to appear in monthly newsletters.
• Four months prior, launch a funding campaign.
• About one month prior, the pastor can lead discussion groups.

We are learning that in some cases there can be tax implications connected to the money received to enable a ministry sabbatical. Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) does not give tax advice and finds that implications can vary by situation and even location. We advise that in the planning process for a sabbatical, the pastor and congregation consult with a trusted tax expert or CPA.

Neither LCEF nor its representatives give legal, accounting or tax advice. Consult your tax advisor as to the applicability of this information to your own situation.

It is best to consult a tax professional in the early stages of sabbatical planning and will be helpful if that expert helps prepare your taxes. It is also possible to have money set aside by the congregation to help cover any tax implications. Expert advice will help both pastor and congregation navigate tax questions.

If a large grant is received for the sabbatical, it is important to consider any tax implications.

Make sure the expectations for the ministry leader’s absence are made clear from the pulpit as well as in written correspondence.

• The sabbatical is a sabbatical: the ministry leader must separate himself/herself from the congregation, physically, mentally and emotionally.
• Some congregations’ commitment to a sabbatical is included in the ministry leader’s call. The congregation should start setting aside money in a sabbatical fund at that time.
• The process of creating the proposal, presenting it to the congregation and discussing it in pre-sabbatical congregational meetings and small groups can be a valuable exercise in self-evaluation. Establishing interim leadership roles for professional staff and lay leadership did much to strengthen the congregation.
• One obstacle that may need to be resolved is the fatigue going into sabbatical from all the extra work of planning and preparation. Adequate time for planning is necessary, and it should be expected that fatigue would be part of the entrance into the sabbatical time.
• Trusted peers can help you see if you might be trying to pack too much into your sabbatical—thereby possibly defeating its purpose.
• The blessing of sabbatical time doesn’t just come from rest. It also comes with “difference” in one’s daily life.
• Renewal is experienced through doing different things.
• It would be good to have a ministry sabbatical policy in place before a specific individual asks to use it. Even proposing a policy can be a lightning rod experience for a congregation and ministry leaders.
• Some would agree with Roy Oswald’s urgent plea for congregations to endorse a sabbatical policy for its ministry leaders. A three-month ministry sabbatical every four to seven years would produce an effective ministry in a congregation for 20 years.
• Consider utilizing outside facilitators to guide round table discussions. Our leaders are now beginning “Coming Back Together” round table discussions with ministry leaders about sabbatical lessons learned.
• Coming back from sabbatical can begin the discussion of a new focus of the role and responsibilities of the ministry leader as well as a new leadership style that meets the present needs of the congregation.
• If the ministry sabbatical is for a pastor, choose a sabbatical interim pastor carefully. One congregation identified a retired pastor who was familiar with the congregation, and it was a good experience for both.
• Consider having a “theme” for your sabbatical. One congregation chose the theme, “Breathing Life into Old Bones,” and it applied to both the pastor and the congregation, which was an older historic church.
• A helpful idea as you start planning your sabbatical is to send out a newsletter early in the process to explain the sabbatical.

The word sabbatical is drawn from Sabbath. The Hebrew word for Sabbath means to “close or rest” and is connected with the last day of creation when God rested (Genesis 2:3). God both models and commands Sabbath rest for His people. “Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy” (Exodus 20:8-11). Jesus affirmed the importance of rest saying, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). The Biblical example of Jesus’ own frequent withdrawal to a quiet place to meditate, pray and be renewed is a model. In His ministry, the constant demands of people led Jesus to step away on a regular basis. See also: Genesis 1 and 2; Exodus 20:8-11, 23:10-12; Leviticus 25:1-7 (Sabbatical Year), 24:8-25 (Year of Jubilee); Psalm 23; and Ecclesiastes 3:1-8.

Roy M. Oswald, a senior consultant with the Alban Institute, suggests that the rapid change and complexity of congregational life and ministry raises the need for three months of sabbatical rest and renewal every four to seven years. He believes that 20-30% of ministry leaders he speaks to are in a state of severe burnout. Another 20% of the same audience is on their way to severe burnout.

Richard Bullock and Richard Bruesehoff in Clergy Renewal: The Alban Guide to Sabbatical Planning, suggest the following motivations for considering a ministry sabbatical:

Continual spiritual growth facilitated by periods of rest and renewal is vital toward being an effective minister.

Pastoral responsibilities are not contained within normal office hours and regularly involve weekends.

Rapid changes in parish ministry can increase the likelihood of burnout without periods of rest and renewal.

Burnout makes ministry and the minister dull, hollow and uninteresting.

It provides the opportunity for congregations to examine their dependency on the ministry leader and consider expanding the roles of lay leaders.