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Sabbaticals are an important part of the life and career of a healthy pastor or ministry worker. Having a suitable sabbatical plan can help contribute to field staff being refreshed and refocused. It can also help field staff remain in the field long-term, giving them time for refreshment and reflection regarding their ministry path. Greetings Fellow Traveler! Sabbaticals are an important part of the life and career of a healthy pastor or ministry worker. Having a suitable sabbatical plan can help contribute to field staff being refreshed and refocused. It can also help field staff remain in the field long-term, giving them time for refreshment and reflection regarding their ministry path. A Word of Encouragement Sabbaticals are an important part of the life and career of a healthy pastor or ministry worker. Having a suitable sabbatical plan can help contribute to field staff being refreshed and refocused. It can also help field staff remain in the field long-term, giving them time for refreshment and reflection regarding their ministry path. I've Been Asked to be a Sabbatical Advisor/Coach? Sabbaticals are an important part of the life and career of a healthy pastor or ministry worker. Having a suitable sabbatical plan can help contribute to field staff being refreshed and refocused. It can also help field staff remain in the field long-term, giving them time for refreshment and reflection regarding their ministry path. 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? It is one of the greatest tools a missionary has towards the aim of longevity It's a safeguard against the cult of personality It's the greatest tool a church has towards longevity Make Sabbatical a Non-Negotiable Part of Your Ministry’s Culture Why Take a Sabbatical? It's good for you. It's good for the church How to Communicate with Donors All career employees employed by Reliant at least 7 years Have not already taken a sabbatical within the past 7 years Employed 20+ hours/week for the majority of their Reliant employment Warning title Not an Emergency Leave There are a variety of different types of leave you may be eligible for as an employee of Reliant. This policy is not meant to address issues related to an emergency leave or a paid or unpaid leave-of-absence. These can mistakenly be treated or referred to as "sabbaticals." These requests will be handled and processed on a case-by-case basis by the Program Team you are under. Typical Phases of a Sabbatical These are just “typical” it’s okay if your sabbatical doesn’t follow this. Phase Timeframe Description Phase 1: Preparing to Off-Ramp 5-6 months before sabbatical begins Release & Relinquish If married, have a 1 on 1 with your spouse to talk through the sabbatical Phase 2: Rest & Recovery 3 months Phase 3: Reflect & Refocus 4 months Phase 4: Preparing to On-Ramp 6 months Phase 5: Re-Entry or Exiting Common Sabbatical Parameters For full-time employees, full salary and benefits will be paid during the sabbatical For part-time employees, you will be paid for the same part-time hours you were normally logging at your ministry location Supervisor/Pastoral approval (board or church coach if you're a Staff Level 4 and higher) Reliant approval Agreed upon goals of the sabbatical time Can include rest, reading, prayer, time in the Word, continuing education, etc. Planning for the sabbatical should generally begin at least 3-6 months prior to its start Ideally, 3 months prior to the start of a sabbatical, a written Sabbatical Proposal must be submitted beforehand to both local church leadership and Reliant for approval See Sabbatical Request Form A summary report after the sabbatical is completed will be submitted to both the local church leadership and Reliant no later than 30 days after returning from the sabbatical A sabbatical should not be seen as a right or mandatory benefit that is automatically earned once every 7 years If a sabbatical is not taken, it cannot build up or accrue like Paid Time Off (PTO) Sabbatical Request Form UI Button color blue icon link title Sabbatical Request Form url https://docs.google.com/a/gcmweb.org/spreadsheets/d/13EkKldGarWiSmwFUZDeeCqNdX8AgTPJxac1vqiv63SA/copy?usp=sharing Share the Sabbatical Request Form with your program team once completed US Program: us@reliant.org Collegiate Program: collegiate.program@reliant.org International: international@reliant.org  Sabbatical Handbook We are working on a Sabbatical Handbook to be released at a later date Until then, please reference this resource from Navigators:  UI Button color blue newWindow true icon link tooltip You'll need to be logged in to your Reliant email to access from Google Drive. title Sabbatical Guidelines from Navs url https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tYbOAaC80jJyb6i9zj3Es6jLhu2lvH07/view?usp=sharing Sabbatical Proposal should include Reason for requesting the sabbatical Proposed dates of the sabbatical Potential benefits to the individual Potential benefits to the church or ministry Plan for covering job responsibilities during the sabbatical Specific goals and objectives for the sabbatical (books to read, travel involved, journaling, etc.) People you are supervising/coaching A summary of any anticipated reimbursements related to the sabbatical For more detail on what expenses qualify, please review the Reimbursements and Expense Recovery page on Solomon Proposal should ideally be submitted at least 3 months prior to beginning of the requested sabbatical Reliant's approval process for proposals generally takes up to 2 weeks Post-Sabbatical reports should include Spiritual benefits gained from the sabbatical Personal benefits gained from the sabbatical Benefits to the local church or ministry (if applicable) Summary of how well you met your goals and objectives for the sabbatical Summary of how your sabbatical went from your spouse's perspective (if applicable) Sabbatical expenses that generally are reimbursable Scaffolding for your Sabbatical Sabbatical Coach / Advisor They do this How do I select an coach or advisor? And this! And this! Sabbatical Rhythms Daily Rhythms Weekly Rhythms Monthly Rhythms Optional Sabbatical Support Group They do this How do I select a support group? And this! And this! What is Reimbursable? Tip It is highly recommended that you schedule an appointment with the Reimbursements Coordinator at reimbursements@reliant.org before making any major purchases and plans to ensure the costs will be eligible for reimbursement. Reasonable expenses for travel, meals, and lodging for the employee to participate in activities in which the intent is for training, mentoring, intense study, meditation, and reflection or similar purposes Meal per diem can be given for significant time away from the home. See See Per Diem - U.S. for further details Spousal and family travel, meals or lodging expenses must be deemed reasonable and necessary and are taxable if approved Books, conferences, study courses (Reliant Education Reimbursement Program may  may apply) Reliant sabbatical approval is required before any expenses can be reimbursed Please inquire with the Reimbursements Coordinator at reimbursements@reliant.org before making major purchases and plans to ensure the costs will be eligible for reimbursement Reporting Abuse Any abuse or misuse of an approved sabbatical granted by Reliant should be reported directly to the Program Team lead. This could include an employee returning to work during the time or simply treating the sabbatical like an extended paid vacation Other Resources Resources Books and Articles Confessions of a Former Sabbath Breaker by Eugene Peterson Planning Sabbaticals  by Robert C. Saler Clergy Renewal: The Alban Guide To Sabbatical Planning  by Richard Bullock & Richard J. Bruesehoff  Sample Away Messages for your Email Inboxes It is good to have an away message during this season. UI Text Box type info This is a great away message! Potential Retreat Centers & Programs Warning title Not an Emergency Leave This list is not an endorsements of the locations. Rather it is a collection of locations past sabbatical takes have had positive experiences at. Puerto Rico Hawaii Chad's Program Credits Many thanks to the following people: Bill at Navigators Gaia Stanley at New Life Church Eugene Peterson

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