Pastoral Sabbatical: Preparing yourself and your congregation

Pastor Chuck Hayes
Richland Center, WI Church of the Nazarene
Recommendations from his 2008 Pastoral Sabbatical

Preparing Your Heart for Your Sabbatical

• Pray – you are planning sanctified time
• Gather information about Sabbatical
• Ask yourself key questions:
  o What would make my heart sing?
  o What expectations do I have for this Sabbatical experience?
  o What do I fear that keeps me from planning a true Sabbatical?
  o What do I fear that might keep me from experiencing true Sabbatical?
• Establish a Theme
  o What do I want to study/learn?
  o Remember, a Sabbatical is sanctified time
  o Set personal renewal goals as well as vocational renewal goals
• Dream big, and then pare it down to fit your budget
• Include your spouse in all planning – How will their job and schedule effect your planning?
• Check calendar – How many weeks will you be away?  When is the best time
• Look for and gather resources necessary to make your dream a reality

Preparing Your Congregation for Your Sabbatical

• Visit with the Church Board and establish a Sabbatical Team (3-5 members)
• Use Sabbatical Team to create a Sabbatical Policy
• Plan beyond the immediate Sabbatical – keep future Sabbaticals for future pastors in mind
• Be sure to allow plenty of time for the congregation to embrace the idea of Sabbatical
• Establish a clear budget noting what expenses the church will be covering – Don’t forget cost of pulpit supply
• Plan to be accountable by written report after your Sabbatical – reporting to the Sabbatical Team, the Church Board, and the congregation
• Keep communication lines clear and express gratitude often
• Map out answers to the “Who is minding the store?” questions
• Who will fill the pulpit while pastor is gone?  (Tip: get high quality pulpit supply)
• Who will do funerals while the pastor is gone?
• Who will be in charge of specific activities while the pastor is gone?
• Who will know how to contact the pastor in case of extreme emergency?  What constitutes an extreme emergency?