How to Set Objectives and Make an Effective Sabbatical Plan
Burnout signs – they are relatively easy to spot. Low energy. Reduced passion for ministry. Not getting things done that normally are quite easy to do. One way of addressing these issues is to consider taking a sabbatical. To make it a success, you need to plan ahead. We don’t always like doing this. Especially if we are already weary. Don’t let that keep you from this step. Keep it simple, but make a plan.
In the last blog, I wrote about 3 phases to include in your sabbatical plan. Together with planning for those phases, you also must clarify your primary sabbatical objectives. What do you want to see happen by the end of your sabbatical?
My Sabbatical Objectives
Here is an example of my recent sabbatical’s objectives.
- Clarify what my new job description will be in the next season
- Lose 15 pounds- get into a healthy rhythm for sustained weight loss
- Brainstorm ideas for a book (consider what God taught me in this past season, and other things I’d like to write about)
- Deepen friendships with people in my neighborhood
- Strengthen my marriage by having fun and relaxed times together
By the end of the sabbatical, I wanted to be refreshed emotionally, spiritually and physically. I wanted to know where I was headed and what I needed to do to equip myself for the next season.
Having these clear objectives helped me stay on track during my sabbatical period. It also gave me a framework to evaluate how effective my time off had been.
A Simple Framework for Setting Sabbatical Goals
A. Needs and Desires
In each of the following areas jot down a few notes. What do you want or need in each of these 4 areas?
- Personal
desires - Relationships: Family and Friends
- Physical Health
- Emotional Health
- Other
B. Feelings
Fill in the blanks. “Currently I mostly feel ________________________. By the end of my sabbatical, I want to feel _____________________.”
C. Boundaries
What boundaries will you need to set to rest and truly stop normal ministry work during this period?
Consider putting boundaries on your communications and how available you are to people during this period. Below are some examples that might help you.
Email. I will set up a sabbatical email address I only give to a limited group of people. My spouse (or assistant) will check my normal email several times a week. They will only tell me about true emergencies.
Phone. During the first month, I will shut off my phone except for two hours a day in the evening.
Messaging (Whatsapp, texts, Messenger, etc.). I will ask to be removed from groups during sabbatical and only rejoin after this season is over.
“Drop in” visits. When people come to the door, I will let others answer and say I am not available due to other commitments. (This is easier to say than, “He is reading a novel and can’t help you with your emergency.” Your commitment is real. It is to yourself and to God. It is a commitment to rest and be restored.
I will let my staff and church members know ahead of time that I will not be able to see them when they drop by. I am dedicating this as a time when I am “set apart” to the Lord and to a time of restoration and renewal.
This is a very hard thing in community-oriented cultures, but I strongly encourage you to work on this. Set clear boundaries and communicate them with love. That in itself is a great example to those you lead. Resting now will help you to serve them after your sabbatical with greater anointing and energy.
Who will be a shield for you to protect you from interacting with those emergencies and needs?
- a spouse (unless they are joining you on the sabbatical)
- an assistant
- a mentor or leader
Be sure to ask that person if they are willing to do this for you and explain what it will mean.
How will they know what kinds of things to give access to you and what to block?
You may want to write out guidelines for this or at least have a conversation with them about it. For example: Do you want to know about team conflicts? People leaving? Deaths? Marriages? Moral failures? A financial crisis in the ministry? Or do you want to be completely blocked from all knowledge of these things? Until after the sabbatical is over?
Especially in the first part of your sabbatical have a high boundary wall. Only allow the most critical emergency situations in. Without this barrier, you will not get a true break.
D. Re-entry
How will you re-enter ministry life after sabbatical?
Consider a phased re-entry rather than jumping back in all at once. Give yourself a few weeks to a month to slowly
Before the Sabbatical Starts
At least a month before your sabbatical begins,
It will also help them learn that the Kingdom of God is about more than performance and working hard, it also involves entering into God’s rest. Taking a sabbatical is a fantastic model of humility and dependence on God. You are not the center of the ministry. Nor are you the one who sustains it. It does not depend on you.
Have you communicated this to people you serve yet? When will you do so?
Things You Need to Communicate to Those You Serve:
- why you are taking a sabbatical
- what your boundaries will be and for how long
- who they can contact in an emergency
- how to get their needs met apart from your help
Plan Now So You Can Rest Later
Thinking through these issues and making a clear plan may seem like a lot of work now. It will greatly help you to properly rest during your sabbatical later.
After answering the questions above, write out your plan on a
Make a clear sabbatical plan and you will be set up for success!