In just over two weeks time Carolyn and I start a three month sabbatical from our usual responsibilities at Woodgreen Church.
I am frankly ready for it but I am also keenly aware of what a privilege it is to have one. I am grateful for those in the church who prompted me to consider it and for having fellow elders who acknowledged the need for it and then encouraged me to take it.
However, as friends - both Christian and non-Christian - have engaged with me about my sabbatical, I have also become aware of some misunderstandings surrounding it.
I thought it might be fun to tackle some of them in a blog...
1. A sabbatical is not a break from ministry
We tend to have a profoundly unbiblical idea of 'ministry' as Christians.
According to one dictionary I consulted, 'ministry' is: 'the work or vocation of a Minister of Religion'.
In one sense this is true.
This is certainly how most of us Christians use the word in everyday speak.
However in the Bible, 'ministry' is synonymous with 'service' and is something every Christian does whatever their vocation. We are doing ministry when we witness to a non-Christian friend. We are doing ministry when we put out chairs for a church meeting. We are doing ministry when we help out in creche. We are doing ministry when we encourage another Christian to keep going and not to give up. We are doing ministry when we pray. We are doing ministry when we show compassion in Christ's name to those in need. We are doing ministry when we do our secular job well and to God's glory.
Ministry is what we do when we live distinctively for Jesus.
That's why I don't really like the title 'Minister' for what I do, because in one sense we're all 'ministers'.
While my sabbatical will therefore be a break from my regular responsibilities as a Minister (capital M), I will not be taking a break from ministry (lower-case m). It is merely a change of ministry.
Instead of preaching every week and being engaged in pastoral visits, counselling and church meetings, I will be investing more of my ministry time in reading, studying and leading my family - all of which are essential to the effectiveness of my 'ministry' as a 'Minister' anyway. (See 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1)
A sabbatical then, is not a break from a pastor's calling. As a pastor I am called to serve the flock at Woodgreen, however unlike almost any other vocation, I do that first and foremost by maintaining my own spiritual vitality and freshness. And so investing in that is essential.
Paul said to Timothy:
'Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.' (1 Tim 4:16)As one who is constantly giving out spiritually, an extended period of time out from the relentless emotional roller-coaster of pastoral counselling, church leadership, difficult discipleship issues, and a weekly preaching deadline is vital. In addition, like the vast majority of pastors, I work a 6-day week and am also out most evenings in the week. Count up just that extra day per week and you've got 47 days per year (not counting weeks of annual leave) - or around 9 extra working weeks per year.
Please don't misunderstand me: I don't begrudge this time commitment, but the fact is that pastoral work is demanding and draining (most of which is by necessity under the radar and not seen by most) and all-consuming.
And that's without the added dimension that ministry (take your pick - lower or upper case) is also a spiritual battle.
And so time out to step back, reflect, recharge and be refreshed is really helpful. In order to be a good Minister, I am looking forward to a change of ministry.
2. A sabbatical is not a holiday
Because many people don't really understand what a sabbatical is, many just assume it's basically an extended holiday.
However, while I hope my three months will be refreshing, I don't expect them to be relaxing. The thought of sitting around at home watching daytime TV all day, with no sense of purpose or focus, would frankly drive me crazy! A good sabbatical is not downtime or me-time or sleep-in time - it's precious time to recharge and invest in reading, courses and research I wouldn't have the time or capacity to do otherwise.
To be sure, I hope it will be a time when (to use a metaphor someone suggested to me) the elastic band isn't at full stretch, but I am looking forward to stretching myself in other ways.
I have a pile of theological books that I am looking forward to reading. Perhaps I am wildly over-optimistic about how many of them I will get through, but I am excited about the prospect of reading theology that is not sermon series or church issue related.
I also plan to do some thinking around the place of corporate prayer in the life of the church. I've been in full-time pastoral ministry for 13 years now and this is something that I have never felt any of the churches I have been involved in have really nailed in practice. (We all know we SHOULD pray together - but how do we DO that in a way that engages the whole church?) I am looking forward to the chance to give some focused thought time to that.
Carolyn and I are also planning to do 3 DVD-based courses on marriage, parenting and counselling. I'm excited about this chance to invest in our own family and to do this as a couple together. Who knows, the courses we use may also be helpful to the church.
For those of you who are feeling concerned that I won't be taking any rest or family time - don't worry! We do have a couple of weeks of holiday planned within my sabbatical. The reclamation of evenings is also a luxury I cannot wait to take advantage of. I'm also looking forward to being available when the kids get home from school.
3. A sabbatical is not a period of treading water for the church
As I and the elders at Woodgreen have put together plans for my sabbatical, it has been particularly pleasing to see how willing people have been to step up and fill the gaps we will leave. It really hasn't been hard to fill them. I am so encouraged by this, because I see my sabbatical as a chance for others to use and grow in their gifts.
A sabbatical should be good for both pastor and church. It is never a good idea for either a pastor or his flock to become too dependent in each other, we should both be dependent on God alone. It is therefore a great opportunity for both to grow as we learn not to rely on each other. As the pastor takes time out to recharge and refresh, his absence creates gaps which provide opportunities for others to step up and use their gifts.
In Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul says that it is the job of pastor-teachers:
'to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up...'Sometimes these works of service can only happen when the pastor is absent!
I am therefore looking forward to returning in September and NOT picking up some of the jobs I have laid down because others have done them better than me!
What IS a sabbatical then?
This is a definition I have come up and which I find helpful:
Sab-bat-i-cal
‘a period of time away from the pressure of regular responsibilities in order to be recharged and refreshed for future ministry’A good sabbatical should leave a pastor keen to return and refreshed and recharged for another season of ministry in the church he has been called to serve.
Adrian Reynolds, Director of Ministry (the official kind) at Proclamation Trust, and a prolific blogger, recently posted a 7-part blog on sabbaticals. I thought it was a helpful and thought-provoking blog on a subject not often written about.
You can read it here: Sabbaticals - Seven Good Reasons.
