Making the Most of a Sabbatical: 3 Phases to Include

Have you ever been on a vacation with a hyper- organizer? Every minute is structured weeks before you leave for the trip? For some people that makes the holiday enjoyable. They’ve spent a lot of money traveling to an exotic location and want to see all the sites. Others in the family might declare, “I don’t want a plan! I just want to relax and do whatever I feel like doing.” Every family has to work this out and find the right balance. Sabbaticals, are not the same as a vacation. While they definitely need to include unstructured time, a basic sabbatical plan can help a great deal.

It is best to prepare for your sabbatical before it starts. This will help you gain much more from your break from ministry. Those who take unplanned and completely unstructured sabbaticals rarely gain what they hope for.

A sabbatical is not the same as a sabbath. Some people get these confused. A sabbath refers to taking one day off in the week for rest. This is what God commanded us in the Ten Commandments. He gave us an example of this when He rested after the six days of creation.

Sabbaticals are longer. There is no rule about how long, but most people recommend some time between three months to one year. They are based on the Old Testament year of sabbatical rest every seven years (Leviticus 25, Deuteronomy 15). In the early 1900’s academic institutions began to give professors one year paid sabbatical leaves. The goal was to be refreshed in their knowledge and to be more effective as teachers. It has also become a common practice for Christian ministers and missionaries. Sabbatical is a time period where you continue to receive support (or salary). You do not report for normal work however.

“But in the seventh year the land is to have a year of sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord. Do not sow your fields or prune your vineyards.”

Leviticus 25:4. NIV.

How I Prepared for Sabbatical

A bit more than a year ago, I took a three-month sabbatical. Ten years before that I took a longer one of nine months. Seven years earlier I’d also done this. Each time, I learned more about sabbaticals. I find this an extremely good practice when in a season of major transition. Sabbaticals provide a chance to be renewed in body, soul, and spirit. They help us transition and pivot (turn) when we are entering a new role or period of life.

After a sabbatical, you will be able to contribute in a more effective way than before. Without planning properly, I’ve seen some ministers end up discouraged after their sabbatical. Sometimes even more than they were before. You don’t want that!

To get ready for sabbatical, the first thing I did was to talk with my coach. There are some organizations that provide specific sabbatical coaching. In my case, I just continued with my normal coach. He helped me create a plan ahead of time.

I read an excellent book called The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan.
See my Best Books of 2018 blog for a short review and my take-aways on that book.

In the months leading up to my sabbatical, I created a basic structure for what I would do. Resources such as Bill Gaultiere’s, Sabbatical Guide were also very helpful. I carefully wrote out my sabbatical objectives. In the next blog, I will describe more about how to do that.

At the end of my three-month sabbatical, I was refreshed and ready to start my new season. It would be one that would include a lot more writing – thus this blog!

I’d achieved most of my sabbatical objectives. My main goal had been to hear from God about the new season, be renewed in my walk with Him and to have genuinely rested well.

3 Phases to Include in Your Sabbatical

1) Decompression (Debrief, Grieve, Heal)

This is what you will need to do first. Decide before your sabbatical starts how much time to give to this. If you are seriously burnt out, you will need more time. I would suggest at least a month to six weeks for this phase. You may want to schedule time with a counselor. Debriefing from pain, conflicts, and wounding you’ve experienced as a leader is important. It is a time to grieve losses, and open yourself up to the healing touch of the Lord. Hear Him speak to you of His love, compassion and comfort.

During the decompression phase, you are learning to disconnect from work completely. You might be surprised how hard it is to stop working, to stop being needed every moment of the day by those you minister to. In this phase, you may feel sick, lonely or lost. This is quite normal. That is why it is helpful to schedule time with a prayer minister or counselor.

2) Restoration (Rest, Create, Have Fun)

In this second phase, you are now more free to enter into true rest with God. You become more comfortable with being, rather than doing, as the source of your identity. That doesn’t mean you sleep all day though! Plan for this phase of sabbatical by; taking trips to places you’ve wanted to visit, doing creative projects, etc.

Is there an instrument you always wanted to learn to play? Maybe you could take an art class, write poetry, or design a treehouse for your kids. During this rest and restorative phase, don’t schedule too much. A few creative and fun activities that are “life-giving” are what this period calls for.

3) Education (Listen and Learn)

The third phase is a time to hear from the Lord about the future. What is God wanting to speak to you about for the next season? Be careful not to start working on those things, but just listen to Him. You may want to include times of retreat where you practice spiritual disciplines like silence and solitude.

You can split this third phase into two segments if you would like. I prefer to combine these two; spending about half of my time listening, and half my time learning something new. What would you love to learn more about? This may be something related to your personal life, family or a hobby. Or it could be related to your ministry.

Avoid books that have to do with leadership or developing ministry skills in the earlier phases of your sabbatical. They will prevent your mind and spirit from truly resting. Now in this last phase, however, you are starting to prepare to re-enter ministry life. Learning and listening get you ready for that.

Rest and Renewal Ahead

Prepare well and your sabbatical will be a memorable and wonderful season of rest! Do you have questions about sabbaticals? Feel free to comment below or join our Facebook group for Missionary Life and ask your question there.