Sabbatical for the Volunteer Christian Leader

Wilbur Reid III

 Sabbatical for the Volunteer Christian Leader

Volunteer church leaders are busy. In addition to the typically demanding work

week, they have family responsibilities that include driving kids to practices, maintaining

the lawn, housework, and generally doing everything that makes a healthy and happy

home. On top of that, they feel a calling and a responsibility to support the kingdom of

God in their local church. They spend hours each week as elders, deacons, Sunday

School teachers, nursery workers, and small group leaders. They provide maintenance

for the building and grounds, sing in the choir, and work with the youth group. This

busyness leads to fatigue and burnout in church leaders. In a poll of church leaders,

75% said that “the busyness of my life gets in the way of developing a relationship with

God” (Zigarelli, 2005, para 8). An antidote is as old as mankind: a Sabbatical.

The concept of sabbatical is derived from the Old Testament idea of the Sabbath,

which literally means “rest” (Crawford). God created for 6 days, but on the 7th day he

rested (Gen 2:1-3). Throughout the Old Testament, God instructs the Israelites to work

for 6 days and rest on the 7th (Exodus 20:9-10, 23:12, 31:15, 34:21, 35:2, Lev 23:3, and

Deut 5:13). God also instructed them to observe a sabbath year with the land. They

were to farm the land for 6 years, but the 7th year was a time of rest for the land (Exodus

23:10-11). A time of rest and preparation was used by great Biblical leaders such as

Moses (Exodus 2), Paul (Gal 1:17-18), and even Jesus (Matt 14:23, Mark 6:46, Luke

5:16, 6:12).

The Old Testament concept was put into practice in universities during the

middle ages. The university professors, who were also the doctors of the church
(Crawford 2009), were granted a leave every seventh year for study and to refresh the

individuals spiritual calling. The practice has continued through the intervening

centuries and is still used by colleges and universities today. Some churches also

provide sabbaticals for their ministers (FB Synod).

An interesting development in recent years is that American corporations are

beginning to see the value of providing their employees a time of rejuvenation, with

benefits accruing both to the corporation and the employee. Some of the Fortune 500

companies that support sabbatical programs include American Express, FedEx, IBM,

McDonalds, Nike, Newsweek, and Procter and Gamble (Pagano, 2009). Sabbaticals at

reduced or no salary have been particularly popular with corporations in this weak

economy, but it has also been beneficial for employees who want a few months to be

invigorated. It is estimated that 25% of small companies and 14% of large corporations

offer sabbatical programs (Pagano, 2009). A sabbatical is not to be confused with an

extended vacation. A sabbatical should be a “planned, strategic job pause – paid or

unpaid – whereby an individual takes time to disconnect from what is usual, to travel, do

research, volunteer, learn a new skill, or fulfill a lifelong dream before returning to

regular work” (Pagano, 2009).

So, how can we apply the principals of sabbatical to battle fatigue and burn out in

volunteer church leaders? There are numerous sources of information for sabbaticals

for professors, ministers, and corporate managers, but there is a dearth of information

on the idea of a strategic job pause for volunteer church leaders. Too often, church

volunteers are stuck in the same jobs for many years without a break.
 After teaching Sunday School classes for about 15 years, I found myself

dreading the preparation and waiting until late Saturday night before starting to prepare

for the lesson to be presented the next day. My declining enthusiasm over the years

resulted in a less-than-excellent learning experience for the class. After taking a couple

of years off, I regained my enthusiasm for teaching again and was given a 3 month

advance notice before the start of my next teaching opportunity. I spent those 3 months

studying and preparing for the next series. The positive feedback from the class was

confirmation that a revitalized teacher is more effective.

Church leaders should insure that all of their volunteers and staff are able to take

advantage of a sabbatical in their church work. The time off from a particular job will

allow them to experience new facets of service and they will be re-energized to serve

more effectively. The time period does not need to be 6 years on and one year off, and

will vary between different individuals. Perhaps it is 4 years of work, followed by 3

months of rest.

What should a leader do during his or her sabbatical? First, enjoy the worship.

Take the time to relax and grow closer to God. Second, grow as a person and as a

leader. Use this time to read the books that you haven’t had time to read. Take an

online university course on a topic that you are interested in. Go to seminars to learn

more about your area of ministry. Visit other churches and talk to their leaders and see

what is working well for them. If your ministry is the nursery, visit the nursery of other

churches and see how they do security, stock the supply room, and staff volunteers.

There are a lot of options, and no two sabbaticals will look the same.
 A benefit and a challenge of utilizing sabbaticals in church is the need to get

more people involved. The challenges are obvious, but the benefit is that people that

have been on the sidelines become involved in the ministry of the church and the load is

lightened for the 20% of the people that have been doing 80% of the work.

Universities and churches have applied the concept for their staff for centuries.

Corporations are learning the secret. It is time for our churches to apply the idea of a

sabbatical for volunteers. Their work for the kingdom should be a joy, and does not

need to lead to fatigue and burn out.

References

Crawford, F. (2009). Sabbatical Leave (Spiritual Renewal) for Pastors / Staff. Retrieved

May 30, 2009 from www.tnbaptist.org

Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA (2009). Sabbatical Guidelines for Pastors and Rostered

Laity of the Florida-Bahamas Synod ELCA. Retrieved May 30, 2009 from

www.fbsynod.com

Higgins, A. (2008) Understanding Church Burnout and What to Do About It. Retrieved

May 30, 2009 from www.churchmafia.com

Pagano, E. (2009). Sabbatical Misconceptions and Why I Need a Break. Retrieved May

30, 2009 from www.yoursabbatical.com

Pagano, E. (2009). Bold Places. Retrieved May 30, 2009 from www.yoursabbatical.com

Zigarelli, M. (2005). The Epidemic of Busyness Among Church Leaders. Regent

Business Review. Retrieved May 30, 2009 from

http://www.buildingchurchleaders.com/articles/2005/100405.html
Writer’s Biography:

Wilbur Reid III is a businessman and elder at First Christian Church of Roswell (GA).

Education includes a BS from Milligan College, an MBA from the University of

Tennessee, and he is currently working on a PhD at Regent University. He grew up on

the campus of Johnson Bible College, and now lives in Marietta, GA with his wife, Chris,

and 3 daughters: Chelsea, Kerri, and Kayleigh.

(feel free to edit, as desired)