Should You Take A Sabbatical?

During the summer of 2021, John McGee went on his first sabbatical in 20 years of ministry. Today, on the Church Leadership podcast, he shares reflections and takeaways from his experience.

It is absolutely crucial for church leadership that our leaders cultivate healthy rhythms of rest and rejuvenation. Because the key to success in ministry is longevity in ministry, leaders need to have plans in place to make sure longevity is possible.

This is not to say that sabbaticals are right for everyone and every church and organization. However, it is important to make sure that rest is a core facet of your church culture.

If you arrive at the realization that time away is necessary, make it a conversation with your team, leadership, and community. While retreating is important and solitude helpful, sabbaticals cannot be conducted in pure isolation. They need to be an event surrounded by the help and support of trusted partners in ministry.

A best practice for coming up with a sabbatical plan is to talk with those who have taken one before and found it helpful. It is going to become important to go into the experience with a solidified idea about what is going to take place and putting in systems of accountability to make sure those things happen.

When you return from a sabbatical, make sure to give yourself grace and understand that rest isn't going to change everything. Healthy patterns of rest and boundaries need to be in place in a work environment. Sabbaticals are not a recipe for fixing burnout or any other problem. The work needs to be put in both during seasons of rest and seasons of work.