Pastoral Renewal
“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30 The Message
Ministry can be exhausting. From the beginning, God understood that, and so He ordained periods of work and periods of rest. However, under the press of the urgent needs of ministry pastors can neglect caring for themselves and their families, and miss “…the unforced rhythms of grace” in their own lives. We can help you learn to live “freely and lightly.”
Planning in a real rest! Does your church have a Sabbatical Plan in place? Many churches do not. Sabbaticals are as old as Genesis, but often aren’t a part of many churches or pastors. Regular sabbaticals are the perfect way to stay recharged and refreshed, and help keep a church fired up and on track. But how do you approach a church that doesn’t have a tradition of pastoral sabbaticals? Get started by downloading a little booklet designed to help a pastor and his or her board take a first look at sabbaticals:
Feel free to make as many copies as your church needs! If this is a new idea, we can help prepare your church and give you guidance in maximizing your sabbatical.
Do You Need Someone to Talk To?
Ministry can be a lonely experience. If you need to just talk, or get a reference to a place of pastoral refreshment or counseling, we can help. Just give us a call at 715-693-6771.
We like a plan that is used in the Evangelical Free Church and commend it for your use too!
Take Time Daily – Limit the evening meetings and church events to no more than 2 or 3 per week. Make sure you get adequate time for sleep!
Take Time Weekly – Six days of labor, and a day of rest. Don’t have time for it? Trust God, obey Him and take the day off. Make sure you change your pace.
Take Time Monthly – Plan on a monthly personal retreat day away from the church and office so that you can stay centered on God’s agenda. If you have a secretary, let her plan it into your schedule and protect that time.
Seasons of Life – Plan proactively to take an extended break from ministry. Not to get an advanced degree, or write a book, but to rest, re-create and renew with God. In today’s pressure cooker environment, we recommend a sabbatical break every five years Your church not have a plan for sabbaticals? Read on…
A real rest! Does your church have a Sabbatical Plan in place? Sabbaticals are as old as Genesis, but often aren’t a part of many churches or pastors. Regular sabbaticals are the perfect way to stay recharged and refreshed, and help keep a church fired up and on track. Get started by clicking here: Sabbatical-Policy-Booklet to download the brochure and get started. We can help prepare your church if this is a new idea, or give you guidance in maximizing your sabbatical time.
Healthy pastors and healthy leaders are at the core of any healthy church. Take steps today to really “recover your life.”
