Proclaimer Blog
Sabbaticals – some practical tips
Perhaps you're thinking in your church – we could never do that! We don't have the resources, time, people etc. You may be surprised. Try it. Put it like this – if your minister burns out, you may have to carry on his ministry anyway, with the added burden of having a burnt out minister, quite possibly a broken marriage and a deflated church. Don't risk it.
Here's some practical ideas
- We used to say in our church (an idea we nicked, indirectly, from Woodlands Evangelical Church in Derby). For every year I worked I accured two weeks sabbatical entitlement. I could take this off in a block in consultation with the elder. So, in the event, after five years I took at 10 week leave. If I had left it 10 years, it would have been 20 weeks and so on. We all knew where we stood, and it was fair and agreed by the church in advance.
- In terms of what to study, if that is your thing, look for advice from WEST or Oak Hill or the John Owen Centre, all of whom will help you with planning a study sabbatical.
- Don't let the church see a minister's sabbatical as downtime, but rather training and developing opportunities.
- Plan a minister's sabbatical carefully but don't be overly ambitious
- If a minister has a family try to think how a sabbatical might be enjoyed by all of them.
- Consider, if possible, making sure that a minister does not lose out financially. He should certainly be paid – but if you agree ministry trips with him, consider funding them properly. Don't forget, paying for holidays, say, carries tax implications.
- Make sure your minister does not cut himself off from other Christians. If his friends are mainly in the church, this could be a real risk. I don't think ministers need to stop attending church during their sabbatical. It is, after all, their Christian family.
- Be rigorous about what a minister does (or rather doesn't do). Don't stand for "I'll still come along to elders meetings, of course…."