Table of Contents
Introduction
A Word of Encouragement
Greetings fellow traveler and welcome to the "Sabbatical Handholds" Solomon page. If you're here, you are most likely considering or requesting a sabbatical. Our hope with this document is that we could provide some "handholds" for you as you begin the process of dreaming and discerning with the Lord what your sabbatical season should be like. As you read, please keep this important thing in mind: no two sabbaticals will look exactly alike, so feel freedom to renew in your own way! During a sabbatical, your "role" is to rest in the Lord, and as long as you're accomplishing that goal, you will find some modicum of success! Below you will find a collection of tips and suggestions which we hope will help you as you plan.
Proverbs 16:9 tells us, "The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps." During the planning and execution of your sabbatical, keep this verse in mind and be willing to surrender your plans to the Lord as He establishes you during this time of renewal and recovery. We hope and pray you sense the Lord and His Spirit during this process, and we ask Jesus to guide you as you plan. God bless!
A Special Note to Potential Sabbatical Advisors/Coaches
First off, thank you for considering or agreeing to be a sabbatical advisor to our staff. As you can imagine, a sabbatical is a unique and powerful opportunity to hear from God. However, potential “downsides” do exist – people have experienced discouragement, loneliness, isolation, and loss of perspective. A significant part of the solution to avoid these pitfalls is a spiritual friend, and that's one of the most succinct ways to describe a sabbatical advisor. The primary role of the sabbatical advisor is not teaching or even directing, rather they take the initiative to come alongside and listen, clarify, suggest, and possibly protect. A sabbatical advisor shepherds the staff through the sabbatical process, helping them achieve their God-directed goals. The content below could be helpful for you to read, so you have a sense of what our staff will be walking through. If any questions come up along the way, please don't hesitate to reach out to our liaisons below.
Overview of a Sabbatical
What is a Sabbatical?
A sabbatical is an extended time of spiritual rest, renewal, rejuvenation, reflection, and refocus. It is not a vacation or Paid Time Off (PTO), nor is it only continuing education. It is a guided process where one deliberately trusts God for the outcome as they disengage from normal ministry responsibilities and leadership involvement for study, rest, renewal, and evaluation of life and ministry. This can include reading books, attending seminars, studying, writing, prayer, etc. A sabbatical has an intended purpose and plan at the outset. This plan and purpose should be agreed upon between the local church leadership or ministry and the employee. At the conclusion of the sabbatical, individuals will be expected to give an account of their sabbatical time to both their local ministry leadership and to Reliant.
Why Offer Sabbaticals?
They're a Tool for Longevity: As many of you know, much of ministry is accomplished from the inner life, and many of the challenges and difficulties faced in the field often take a toll on this inner life in unique ways. Sabbaticals provide field staff with an opportunity to stop, assess, and reflect on how their own walk with Christ is going and this space for a season of respite from the unique physical, emotional, and spiritual demands of ministry can lend itself to renewal. In some instances the sabbatical can even help staff recover the personal message of the Gospel of Jesus for themselves. This renewal and recovery help foster longevity in some of the most effective ways that we've seen.
They're a Safeguard Against the Cult of Personality: Sabbaticals also offer a safeguard against the cult of personality, because it requires key leaders and key up-front teachers to step away for an extended period of time. Pragmatically this requires pulpits to be filled, responsibilities to be covered, and information to be de-centralized. All of these things create opportunities and latitude for other leaders to step up and take on various responsibilities. And it also gives great opportunities for the congregants to be impacted by other leaders from up front.
They Create a Helpful Leadership Vacuum: From this, Sabbaticals also create a natural leadership vacuum for younger leaders to be inspired to step up into. Multiplying skillsets into younger staff doesn't happen organically, and by stepping away for a season, your leadership roles can become new opportunities for excited young staff to sink their teeth into.
There are loads more reasons to offer and take sabbaticals, but in short, they're good for the staff, and they're good for the ministry at large, and we hope by offering them, our partner ministries will embrace and institute a rhythm of sabbatical into the lives of their organizations.
Testimonials
“The sabbatical is going really well – amazing, really. Feeling so much more vibrant, alive, connected, rested, reflective, and healthy. It’s been so good for my parenting, my marriage, and my heart, mind, and body!”
“Most refreshing season of my life and got me even more excited about jumping back in. A big takeaway is “realizing that I am wired differently than others and I don’t have to try and be like someone else, and that brings value.”
“This sabbatical helped me experience a healthy perspective on the reality that God is in control, and quite capable of orchestrating life and ministry without my help. It was refreshing to step back from the responsibilities of ministry and personally focus on abiding in Christ.”
“Just as important as it was to account for several weeks of transition into the sabbatical at the beginning, I would make sure to purpose a couple of weeks of transition back into ministry, and that would include getting coffee with a number of leaders in the church. As well, if I were to take a sabbatical again, I would try to be away from the distractions of home as much as possible, and I would take a couple of more three-day personal getaways incorporating prayer and fasting."
“I wouldn't have thought that I was idolizing my work, but seeing how difficult it was for me to be removed, it has given me greater opportunity to need to cling to Jesus for identity in the Gospel and not in my work."
“[The sabbatical] has afforded me a big reset in terms of what my role is, and is allowing me to seek the Lord and receive from Him afresh what direction He wants me to go in and what to do, rather than somewhat blindly continuing on the path I had been before."
How to Communicate with Donors
- After your sabbatical has been approved, we recommend sending out a prayer letter to your ministry team that announces the sabbatical and casts vision for how they can support you through the season.
- We suggest that this communication is sent out 2-4 weeks prior to your sabbatical starting
- If you feel apprehensive about telling your team that you're taking an extended break from your current ministry role, that is totally understandable, but keep in mind that a majority of your ministry team will be excited for you to have this season of rest.
- If they support other ministry organizations, they will most likely know this is common practice for support-based workers.
- This prayer letter is also a unique opportunity to make a special gifts ask so that you can have some financial flexibility in the account you're responsible for to reimburse potential expenses. (Note: Please see the guidelines below for clarification on what is reimbursable during your Sabbatical season.)
- During the sabbatical, we recommend that you send at least one prayer letter during this time, ideally right in the middle so they can get an update on how it's going and hear about any prayer requests you may have.
- Once your sabbatical ends, send a "recap update" and let your team know how the time went and what is next for you.
There is no magic formula to this specific letter. Best practice is to be honest, be helpful, and offer handholds for how they can partner with you and pray for you during this time. Below you will find some examples:
Sample 1:
This summer, we are taking a sabbatical. We will be stepping back from day-to-day responsibilities and allowing God to sharpen His vision for our lives. This time will include activities that allow God to speak into our lives and provide margin for us to hear him. Pray for guidance and that our hearts and minds slow down to hear from the Lord. Pray for humility as we step into a season of rest, reflecting, and contemplating. We are trusting God will give us grace as we learn to let go, knowing that God doesn't depend on us.
What is Sabbath and Sabbatical?
I wanted to give you a little background on why God encourages sabbath and sabbaticals and why we believe God is leading us to take one this summer. A sabbath is taking a step back from work one day a week to rest and delight and reground ourselves to God as the source of life. Sabbatical comes from that same idea, just a longer period as described in the Old Testament. God commands his people to allow their fields to lay fallow for a year of "sabbath" rest every seven years. This practice lets the essential nutrients replenish. Today, many universities and churches (as well as more and more companies) have adopted this biblical practice and applied it to professors, pastors, and missionaries by providing them an extended season of rest after they have worked 7 years. This space of rest creates the opportunity for replenishing essential nutrients in our heart, mind, and soul.
What is Sabbatical for us?
It has been 7 years since I have stepped into ministry full-time. You have played a pivotal role in our journey. We take your investment in our ministry very seriously. So, we want to sharpen our mind, heart, and soul as we press even further into God's heart for our lives. Our mission agency (Reliant) and our church (Seminole Christian Life) are supporting and encouraging us to take this summer (April-July) to pull back from day-to-day responsibilities and refresh as we cease, rest, delight, and contemplate.
For me, it is especially helpful to have this margin in order to more clearly define the gifting and calling God has given me. It will prayerfully allow me to move forward with confidence as we engage in the Gospel, train and equip disciples to be sent out, and care for our community.
During my sabbatical, please ask God to guide us. Ask Him to reveal those lies about our identity we often have (for example, that our identity and value comes from our productivity) and free us with His truth (that His love gives us value). Pray that we’d be faithful to this gift our church is providing us.
If you have any specific questions please don’t hesitate to ask, and thanks so much for being such a supportive community. We couldn’t do this work without you!
Sincerely,
Sample 2:
Note: This sample comes from one of our field staffers, Alan Hable, serving at the University of Illinois. This style of insert could be included in a prayer letter or with a Christmas card, depending on the timing of your sabbatical.
Sample 3:
Maybe you've heard the folk tale of the young lumberjack. His first day on the job, he eagerly felled more trees than anyone else. By the fourth day, his productivity had dwindled so much that his supervisor asked what was wrong.
The man said, “I don’t understand. I’m working even harder than before but cutting less timber.”
When the supervisor asked how often he sharpened his ax, the lumberjack replied, “I have too many trees to cut — I don’t have time to sharpen my ax.”
This is an "ax-sharpening" season for me. As I enter into a sabbatical, it is time for me to pause to ensure I have the necessary resources to continue in ministry in the coming year. God continues to provide opportunities for greater impact and broader scope, and I'm trusting Him for the resources to match that vision.
In Christ,
Typical Phases of a Sabbatical
The timeframe below is based on a "6-month" sabbatical. Depending on your eligibility, local church/ ministry policies, or circumstances, your sabbatical may be a shorter length. If so, just adjust the timeframes to fit time frame.
| Phase | Description | Timeframe | Description |
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| 1 | Release & Relinquish | Approx. 3-5 months before the sabbatical begins |
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2 | Rest & Recovery | Months 1-2 |
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3 | Reflect & Refocus | Months 3-5 |
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4 | Realignment and/or Reassignment | Month 6 |
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5a | Reentry & Reengagement | After Your Sabbatical Ends |
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Scaffolding for your Sabbatical
Have you ever seen a historical building being renovated? The first step to this restoration process is for scaffolding to be constructed around the edifice. This scaffolding provides support and access as artisans and restorationists do the heartfelt work of bringing out the beauty beneath the layers of time. Your Sabbatical in many ways is a restoration project and the Holy Spirit is the our gracious artisan doing the healing work of renewal. During this process you'll want scaffolding around you so you have the support in place for the Holy Spirit to do His work. Below you'll see three primary modes of scaffolding. These are just starting points – feel free to add in any further supports that will help you find success.
Sabbatical Advisor
A sabbatical advisor can be a trusted friend, mentor, counselor, or spiritual director. It is not a formal role and they don't need to be affiliated with Reliant or an employee with Reliant.
The main qualities you'll want your advisor to meet are:
- Someone you trust and listen to
- Someone that can come alongside you to listen, clarify, suggest, and possibly protect
- Someone who is willing to help guard against loneliness and isolation
- Someone who is available to meet with you for a minimum of once per month
- You can meet more often if so desired
- If so desired, they could also take lead in providing updates to the local church on how the sabbatical is going.
Sabbatical Rhythms
Sabbatical rhythms are daily, weekly, and monthly practices that can act as anchors in your schedule. Many staff have reported feeling unmoored as they stepped back from their ministry duties. Establishing some rhythms in your schedule can help you with this feeling of drift. Sabbatical rhythms will also require some experimentation as you figure out what works and what doesn't work during that first month. Feel free to cast aside any planned rhythms if they end up not serving your sabbatical practice.
Here are some examples of the various rhythms. These are just a starting point; feel free to use different rhythms that may work better for you.
- Daily Rhythms - These are sabbatical practices and spiritual disciplines that you would like to practice every day. Some examples of daily rhythms are:
- Scripture readings
- Scripture memorization
- Prayer walks
- Devotional readings
- Light physical activity
- Journaling
- Weekly Rhythms - These are sabbatical practices and spiritual disciplines that may not be realistic to do every day, but you would benefit from doing them somewhat regularly. Some examples of weekly rhythms are:
- Extended times of silence and solitude
- More intense physical activity
- Meeting with a close friend for coffee
- Monthly Rhythms – These are sabbatical practices and spiritual disciplines that may not be realistic to do weekly, but you would benefit from doing somewhat regularly. Some examples of monthly rhythms are:
- Meeting with your sabbatical advisor
- Meeting with your sabbatical support group
- Going on a spiritual retreat
Optional Sabbatical Support Group
Anyone taking a sabbatical is in danger of experiencing lack of community, loss of perspective, and a sense of isolation. While we all need times alone, we live and minister in community. To meet this need for community you may find it helpful to establish a sabbatical support group. Ideally, this group consists of 3-5 people who have a good relationship with you. This group meets with you (and your spouse if married) each month to help process your journey in a safe environment. You facilitate the meetings, sharing first your current progress and then asking for input. (If possible, your sabbatical advisor can participate in the group.)
Caveat: The Sabbatical Support Group is optional and may not serve every person's sabbatical. Consult with your supervisor and sabbatical advisor on whether or not a sabbatical support group would serve you during this season.
Here are some handholds for what you should be looking for in a support group. Ideally, the people in your sabbatical support group should meet the following criteria:
- Have your best interest at heart
- Willing to speak truth to you
- People with whom you’re willing to be transparent and vulnerable
- Transparent means being open and honest about yourself
- Vulnerable means inviting others to speak into your life
- Willing to meet monthly for the duration of the sabbatical
If people in your support group are looking for further handholds on their roles, feel free to share the list below with them:
- Provide community for the staff on sabbatical and help offset isolation
- Help them be fully known and fully accepted (Gen. 2:25)
- Help them feel cared for and understood (Phil. 2:20)
- Keep their best interest at heart
- Speak truth to them
- Meet monthly with them as a group
- Beware of canceling an SSG meeting because a few people will be absent
- There are only 6 opportunities at most to meet, so the times are precious
- Beware of canceling an SSG meeting because a few people will be absent
- Help them work through their sabbatical plan
- Expect and encourage them to be transparent and vulnerable with you
- Pray regularly for them
Goals & Objectives
Goals and objectives are similar to sabbatical rhythms in that they can provide some structure and a point on the horizon for you to walk toward as you battle feelings of being unmoored. Goals and objectives need to be approached with caution as they can often become surrogates for "work." As you create a list of goals and objectives, be sure to share them with your sabbatical advisor and support group (if applicable) to help vet them and ensure that they will serve you in your sabbatical project.
Setting Up an Away Message
Email is often the enemy of rest and can be a temptation to re-engage with ministry during this season. As a final step, you'll want to safeguard your sabbatical season by setting up a clear, direct, and helpful away message for all of your email inboxes. Below you will find some real-world example messages that you can feel free to copy and customize to your context.
Sample 1:
I will be out of my office, and on a Sabbatical, until (insert date). I am trying not to respond back to most of my email during this time. If you feel like it would be important that I read your email before (insert date), make sure to resend it with "URGENT" in the subject line. Thank you for your understanding, and prayers for renewal during this Sabbatical.
Sample 2:
Hello!
Thank you for your email! I will be away from work emails until the end of (insert month) taking a sabbatical. If you'd like to ensure that I respond to your email, please email me again after (insert date)!
If you are a ministry partner:
- with questions, concerns, need help or would like to change your giving, please reach out to gift.services@reliant.org
- with any questions about (insert ministry name) specifically, please reach out to (insert email address)
If you are a student, previous student, or parent of a student and have a need or question, you can reach out to (insert name), our (insert title), or our (insert leadership/governance team).
First Name Last Name, Title - first.last@reliant.org
Leadership/Governance Team - email@yourministry.org
With joy,
Sample 3:
I am currently on sabbatical and will not personally be checking email or doing my typical ministry roles until (insert date). For operational purposes, my assistant, (insert name), will monitor my inbox while I am on sabbatical to help facilitate connections with the appropriate parties.
Given an anticipated high volume of messages that will likely be difficult to respond to in a thoughtful manner, I will not be responding to any emails received during the duration of sabbatical. I value your time and giving appropriate thought to responding to you, and so I ask that you send me a new message after I return to work on (insert date).
If you have questions regarding (insert ministry), please contact our board at theboard@yourministry.org in my absence.
Grace and Peace,
What is Reimbursable?
Reliant acknowledges that sabbatical expenses can vary significantly from person-to-person, and, that a number of sabbatical expenses can easily blur the line between professional and personal costs. In order to bring simplicity and clarity to the expense recovery process, Reliant offers a Sabbatical Bonus to cover most sabbatical-related expenses.
Reliant employees who have received approval for their sabbatical may request a Sabbatical Bonus of up to $3,000 (plus an optional 25% taxable bonus) that will be paid to the employee as an ERB.
This bonus is designed to cover most sabbatical-related expenses including travel for rest/career evaluation purposes and family expenses. On rare occasion, some sabbatical expenses can be reimbursable beyond the bonus. Examples of theses expenses include a conference or training that an employee has been approved to attend while on sabbatical, and work-related coaching that the employee receives.
Click here to access the Sabbatical Bonus Request Form.
It is highly recommended that you schedule an appointment with the Reimbursements Administrator at reimbursements@reliant.org before making any major purchases and plans to ensure the costs will be eligible for reimbursement.
- Meal per diem can be given for significant time away from the home. See Per Diem - U.S. for further details
- Spousal and family travel, meals, or lodging expenses are now included in the Sabbatical Bonus
- Books, conferences, study courses (Reliant Education Reimbursement Program may apply)
- Reliant sabbatical approval is required before any expenses can be reimbursed
Resources
Books and Articles
- Planning Sabbaticals
- by Robert C. Saler
- Clergy Renewal: The Alban Guide To Sabbatical Planning
- by Richard Bullock & Richard J. Bruesehoff
- Confessions of a Former Sabbath Breaker
- by Eugene Peterson
- Sabbatical Guidelines
- Resource from the Navigators that we referenced for our handholds above
Retreat Centers & Programs
We do not currently offer any official recommendations for retreat centers or programs at this time.
Credits
Many thanks to the following people:
- Steve Brown at Navigators for sharing their Sabbatical Handbook, which provided much quotes, inspiration, and guidance for the handholds above.
- Gaia Stanley at New Life Church for her wisdom and insights on how to sabbatical well.
- Eugene Peterson for advocating for pastoral balance and rest during his time on earth.
Questions?
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2 Comments
Matt Elkins
Whoa. This is good stuff Russell Dietrich. I'll look forward to reading this more carefully here soon.
Mike Swann
matt.elkins@reliant.org, julie.thomas@reliant.org, mike.swann@reliant.org, mike.easton@reliant.org, cj.white@reliant.org
Would love to get your thoughts on this page!