Are you tired and worn out from ministry? Isn't Jesus' burden supposed to be light? In the pressure-producing machine of our chaotic world, Jesus' words of rest don't often touch our lives. As ministry leaders, we know a lot about biblical rest, yet we don't often experience it. The ancient practice of sabbath provides ample wisdom on how to enter into rest in Christ. Sabbaticals is a guide showing us how to implement Sabbath principles into a sabbatical as well as into the ebb and flow of our entire lives. RUSTY McKIE serves as the lead pastor of Sojourn Community Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He has contributed articles for thegospelcoalition.com, AmICalled.com, and sojournnetwork.com. He has been married to Rachel for thirteen years, and they have two dearly loved children. Rusty loves working and resting alongside family and friends in his beautiful city, Chattanooga.
How many years has your pastor served in ministry? How are the pastor and pastoral family doing? Do you realize that those with the pastoral calling are "gifts" to you and the body of Christ? How are you loving and honoring that gift from Christ--your pastor? How have you thanked him/her for the self-sacrifice and faithful service? More churches than ever are looking for help initiating and navigating a ministry sabbatical for their pastor(s). Many of those churches have realized that "healthy churches are led by healthy leaders." They have been led of the Spirit to love, esteem, and honor their pastor (and pastoral family). This primer comes alongside the church, providing the rationale, the path, and the means for successfully initiating and navigating a spiritual renewal leave--a Sabbatical--for their beloved pastor(s) and pastoral family.This book is a companion toA Sabbatical Primer for Pastors: How to Initiate and Navigate a Spiritual Renewal Leave. THIS PRIMER ANSWERS THESE QUESTIONS: What is a ministry sabbatical or spiritual renewal leave? Why does my pastor need a ministry sabbatical? How will a ministry sabbatical benefit our church Who needs a sabbatical When should my pastor take a sabbatical How long should a sabbatical be? What's the criteria Where can we find the guidance and resources to plan and carry out a sabbatical How do we begin What do we do, or what steps do we take before, during, and after the sabbatical? THE PRIMER OFFERS: A brief, biblical context and rationale for sabbatical and Sabbath Practical steps and phases for planning, initiating, and navigating the sabbatical from beginning to reentry Answers to “honest fears and reservations” church members have regarding sabbaticals Helpful tools in the appendices, along with other samples of proposals, letters, and a an article on the need for ministry sabbaticals Encouragement for those who find the whole idea to be overwhelming Five testimonies of pastor's wives as to how the sabbatical benefited the church, the family, and the pastor A starting point for sabbatical policies, housing, funding sources, and other helpful information to assist in planning the pastoral sabbatical Helps for the church to understand the need of a pastoral renewal leave—a ministry sabbatical
Planned time away from the parish for study, rest, and spiritual renewal can be beneficial-and often necessary-for any pastor, as well as for the congregation. In this thoroughly revised and expanded edition of Alban’s popular Sabbatical Planning for Clergy and Congregations, Bullock and Bruesehoff provide the definitive guide to putting together refreshing pastoral sabbaticals that can help keep ministry vital and growing for the long term
What do small group leaders need? Good Bible studies that engage their kids. The purpose of this book in the Studies On the Go series is to provide small group leaders with creative and engaging Bible study questions they won’t have to rewrite. Students will be pushed, encouraged, and challenged, but the real goal is that they would be changed. David Olshine has designed James, 1-2 Peter, and 1-3 John for the busy youth worker who either lacks the time or the information to lead a quality Bible study. Without skimping on depth and substance, Olshine has constructed down to earth questions that get kids into the text and so they can hear God’s Word on a practical level. Each consecutive passage of Scripture sets a topic to help students think deeply, talk openly, and apply what they are learning to their lives.
We live in a 24/7 culture of endless productivity, workaholism, distraction, burnout, and anxiety--a way of life to which we've sadly grown accustomed. This tired system of "life" ultimately destroys our souls, our bodies, our relationships, our society, and the rest of God's creation. The whole world grows exhausted because humanity has forgotten to enter into God's rest. This book pioneers a creative path to an alternative way of existing. Combining creative storytelling, pastoral sensitivity, practical insight, and relevant academic research, Subversive Sabbath offers a unique invitation to personal Sabbath-keeping that leads to fuller and more joyful lives. A. J. Swoboda demonstrates that Sabbath is both a spiritual discipline and a form of social justice, connects Sabbath-keeping to local communities, and explains how God may actually do more when we do less. He shows that the biblical practice of Sabbath-keeping is God's plan for the restoration and healing of all creation. The book includes a foreword by Matthew Sleeth.
David Murray writes in the Foreword: 'The minister's soul is the soul of his ministry.' I can't remember where I first heard this saying, but I've never been able to forget it. And, having read this book, I never want to forget it. In these pages, Jim Savastio and Brian Croft establish the foundation of all faithful and fruitful ministry"€"the pastor's soul. But, although their main target is the epidemic of ministerial hyper-activity and the accompanying burnout, backsliding, and brokenness, they carefully avoid over-reacting and running to the opposite extremes of monkish withdrawal or lazy self-indulgence. Instead, you have a book that skillfully walks a balanced biblical path in both content and style. It balances self and others. Yes, the pastor is all about serving others, about sacrificing for the sake of others, about spending and being spent for others, and about pouring out themselves to fill others. But, as many pastors have discovered to their cost and pain, servants are finite, sacrifices eventually turn to ashes, non-stop spending leads to bankruptcy, and pouring out without ever filling up ends in drought. This book reminds us that caring for self is not selfish but necessary if we are to sustain a life of caring service to others. It's not a warrant for sloth or selfishness, but rather a call to self-care that will lead to better other-care.
“Time to reflect. Time. This is what clergy renewal is about. To continue in ‘the heat of work’ our whole career is to rob ourselves and our congregations of the time we and they need to reflect on our lives and our call. Here is where change begins.” - Melisa Bane Sevier “Melissa Bane Sevier – fresh from (and refreshed by) a much-needed sabbatical – offers personal testimony, practical advice, and an array of helpful resources that will inspire and empower pastors to seek and then to drink deeply of a time apart. This is a moving statement from and on behalf of our hard-working clergy, written for them but also for those who care about their well-being and that of the congregations they serve.” - Dorothy C. Bass - Author, Receiving the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time “Vital congregational ministry depends on the leadership of pastors, priests, and rabbis whose hearts sing with vision, creativity, faith, competence, and passion. In Journeying toward Renewal Melissa Sevier uses her pastoral sensitivity to tell her own renewal story and the stories of those who have been lead in the planning and practice of renewal leave by the question “What will make my heart sing – again?” Whether you’re planning an extended time of renewal leave, or just trying to bring regular sabbath time back into your days and weeks, this book will be a trustworthy guide.” - Richard Bruesehoff - Director for Leadership Support, ELCA - Co-author of Clergy Renewal: The Alban Guide to Pastoral Sabbaticals
My journey as a pastor had quite a few ups and downs. Although there were many aspects of serving in full-time ministry that I loved, there were more things that happened along the way that made a negative impact on both myself and my family. After I resigned from the pastorate, it took several years of forgiving and getting plugged in to a healthy church before I really began to heal from the hurt. Whether you've spent your entire career as a pastor or if you have recently thrown in the towel, Why Pastors Quit is an easy-to-read book that will encourage you and make you ask the question: What can I do to help change the statistics?
In 2014, Time magazine announced that America had reached the transgender tipping point, suggesting that transgender issues would become the next civil rights frontier. Years later, many peopleeven many LGBTQ alliesstill lack understanding of gender identity and the transgender experience. Into this void, Austen Hartke offers a biblically based, educational, and affirming resource to shed light and wisdom on this modern gender landscape. Transforming: The Bible and the Lives of Transgender Christians provides access into an underrepresented and misunderstood community and will change the way readers think about transgender people, faith, and the future of Christianity. By introducing transgender issues and language and providing stories of both biblical characters and real-life narratives from transgender Christians living today, Hartke helps readers visualize a more inclusive Christianity, equipping them with the confidence and tools to change both the church and the world.
Wayne Cordeiro found himself paralyzed by burnout. He had been in ministry for 30 years, and 10 years after founding what is now the largest church in Hawaii, he found himself depleted. Wayne took a season out of his growing ministry to recharge and refocus on the truly important. He was able to get back in touch with his life, get back in proper balance, and re-energize his spirit through Christ in a way that propelled him forward to greater levels of service. Wayne first gave this message at a recent Willow Creek Leadership Summit, where it was the highest-rated presentation by those in attendance. Pulling no punches, Wayne talks about the walls leaders must break through and how to move on with integrity. Included are ways to care for oneself physically and emotionally as well as spiritually.
