Sabbaticals
PRINCIPLES
As a part of Heritage Church’s overall commitment to staff development, all full-time staff members are offered sabbatical leave during key junctures in their ministries.
A key spiritual principle taught throughout scripture is the rhythm of working, and then ceasing for a time from our work. God himself modeled this for us. Genesis 2:2-3 states, “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.†The Hebrew word for “rest†is “Shabbat,†which simply means “to stop or cease.â€
Since God modeled rest (“Shabbatâ€) for us, it should come as no surprise that God’s people were commanded to follow his example and rest (“Shabbatâ€) as well.
“Remember the Sabbath (Shabbat) day by keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8).†The rhythm of working and resting is a divinely modeled and commanded principle. God’s people were instructed to rest one day out of every seven, and to rest the land every seven years (Leviticus 25).
Throughout church history Christians have recognized the need not only to rest on a weekly basis from their own labors, but to also provide rest (“Shabbatâ€) for their church leaders as a way to invest in their lives and increase their ministerial productivity and longevity.
Woven throughout the fabric of congregational life are its pastors - spiritual guides, scholars, counselors, preachers, administrators, confidants, teachers, pastoral visitors, and friends. Pastors perform their duties among a dizzying array of requests and unrealistic expectations. Congregations are not always easy places, and the responsibilities can sometimes wear down the best pastors. It is not a job for the fainthearted, but requires a balance of intelligence, love, humility, compassion, and endurance. Most importantly, it demands that pastors remain in touch with the source of their life and strength. Like all people of faith, good pastors need moments to renew and refresh their energies and enthusiasm to avoid burnout.
CHALLENGES
Sabbaticals also present a unique set of challenges, and Heritage leadership should be intentional at minimizing these risks.
BENEFITS
The concept of a sabbatical is widely recognized as a necessity for allowing busy and worn down pastors the opportunity to take an extended break for renewal and refreshment. It is beneficial to the pastors within a church, as well as to the congregation.
DETAILS
Studies suggest that the effects of burnout begin after 5 years of service. Therefore, after completing five years of full-time service at Heritage Church, a staff member who is in good standing with the congregation will submit a proposal to the Executive Pastor and/or Lead Pastor for sabbatical leave. An appropriate sabbatical proposal will include a detailed outline of how they will accomplish the following three items during their time away:
The pastor is encouraged to be creative and design an experience which will truly be exciting and refreshing. Once the proposal has been accepted the pastor will be granted time off with pay, plus an additional stipend. The stipend could affect the pastor’s W-2, so the pastor should work closely with the Executive Pastor and his/her tax advisor for the appropriate steps.
During the sabbatical experience the pastor will be encouraged to make provisions to completely disengage from their pastoral duties (ex. turning off cell phones, having another staff member answer e-mails, worshipping at another church, etc.).
Upon return from the sabbatical the pastor will meet with the Executive Pastor and Lead Pastor to reflect upon what insights were gleaned during the sabbatical experience and to celebrate what God is doing in that pastor’s life. The Lead Pastor will present a report of his experience to the Staff and Leadership Team.
Pastors who faithfully and sacrificially serve at Heritage Church beyond the five-year mark will be available to submit proposals for additional sabbatical leave every 5 years.
TERMS
Executive Staff may take sabbatical once every 5 years of full-time service, with a duration of up to 9 weeks* and receive up to 1.5 months of income as a stipend.
Full-time Staff may take sabbatical once every 5 years of full-time service, with a duration of up to 4 weeks* and receive up to 1 months of income as a stipend.
* Lead Pastor must take full 9 weeks
APPROVAL
The Lead Pastor and Executive Pastor will work together each year to determine which and how many staff members to approve based on tenure, responsibilities, budget, etc. The Lead Pastor’s sabbatical must be approved by the Leadership Team. All other team members’ sabbaticals will be approved by the Executive Pastor and Lead Pastor.
This policy was adopted by the Heritage Church Leadership Team at a regular meeting held on January 28, 2016.
As a part of Heritage Church’s overall commitment to staff development, all full-time staff members are offered sabbatical leave during key junctures in their ministries.
A key spiritual principle taught throughout scripture is the rhythm of working, and then ceasing for a time from our work. God himself modeled this for us. Genesis 2:2-3 states, “By the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on the seventh day He rested from all His work. Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work of creating that He had done.†The Hebrew word for “rest†is “Shabbat,†which simply means “to stop or cease.â€
Since God modeled rest (“Shabbatâ€) for us, it should come as no surprise that God’s people were commanded to follow his example and rest (“Shabbatâ€) as well.
“Remember the Sabbath (Shabbat) day by keeping it holy (Exodus 20:8).†The rhythm of working and resting is a divinely modeled and commanded principle. God’s people were instructed to rest one day out of every seven, and to rest the land every seven years (Leviticus 25).
Throughout church history Christians have recognized the need not only to rest on a weekly basis from their own labors, but to also provide rest (“Shabbatâ€) for their church leaders as a way to invest in their lives and increase their ministerial productivity and longevity.
Woven throughout the fabric of congregational life are its pastors - spiritual guides, scholars, counselors, preachers, administrators, confidants, teachers, pastoral visitors, and friends. Pastors perform their duties among a dizzying array of requests and unrealistic expectations. Congregations are not always easy places, and the responsibilities can sometimes wear down the best pastors. It is not a job for the fainthearted, but requires a balance of intelligence, love, humility, compassion, and endurance. Most importantly, it demands that pastors remain in touch with the source of their life and strength. Like all people of faith, good pastors need moments to renew and refresh their energies and enthusiasm to avoid burnout.
CHALLENGES
Sabbaticals also present a unique set of challenges, and Heritage leadership should be intentional at minimizing these risks.
- Staff members must pull together to help cover the responsibilities of the absent team member and must work to avoid hard feelings. Additional rewards and compensation for the team members may be considered.
- Congregation members cannot fully understand the demands of full-time ministry and, therefore, might not grasp the need or purpose of a sabbatical. Leadership must educate our members and show full, unified support of the sabbatical experience, making it a positive experience for everyone involved.
BENEFITS
The concept of a sabbatical is widely recognized as a necessity for allowing busy and worn down pastors the opportunity to take an extended break for renewal and refreshment. It is beneficial to the pastors within a church, as well as to the congregation.
- Sabbaticals increase longevity — studies show that a pastor’s greatest season of effectiveness occurs after 10 years of full-time service within the same congregation. Therefore one of the greatest investments a church can make is to invest in a pastor’s long-term personal growth and renewal.
- Sabbaticals retain pastors, thus reducing cost. It is expensive to replace a pastoral staff member. The time it takes to search for a candidate, cover responsibilities in their absence, conduct interviews, cover moving expenses, etc., all weigh heavily on a congregation’s budget. Strategically providing sabbatical time for renewal saves the church from losing both momentum and money over the long haul.
- Sabbaticals improve the overall health and vitality of a pastor. Family relationships are affirmed, stress is alleviated, and vision for the future is renewed. A healthy church requires a healthy pastor.
DETAILS
Studies suggest that the effects of burnout begin after 5 years of service. Therefore, after completing five years of full-time service at Heritage Church, a staff member who is in good standing with the congregation will submit a proposal to the Executive Pastor and/or Lead Pastor for sabbatical leave. An appropriate sabbatical proposal will include a detailed outline of how they will accomplish the following three items during their time away:
- Disengagement (includes rest, mentoring, & professional counseling)
- Family Time (includes an uninterrupted getaway)
- Growth & Ministry Preparation (includes a conference, solitude & focused planning).
The pastor is encouraged to be creative and design an experience which will truly be exciting and refreshing. Once the proposal has been accepted the pastor will be granted time off with pay, plus an additional stipend. The stipend could affect the pastor’s W-2, so the pastor should work closely with the Executive Pastor and his/her tax advisor for the appropriate steps.
During the sabbatical experience the pastor will be encouraged to make provisions to completely disengage from their pastoral duties (ex. turning off cell phones, having another staff member answer e-mails, worshipping at another church, etc.).
Upon return from the sabbatical the pastor will meet with the Executive Pastor and Lead Pastor to reflect upon what insights were gleaned during the sabbatical experience and to celebrate what God is doing in that pastor’s life. The Lead Pastor will present a report of his experience to the Staff and Leadership Team.
Pastors who faithfully and sacrificially serve at Heritage Church beyond the five-year mark will be available to submit proposals for additional sabbatical leave every 5 years.
TERMS
Executive Staff may take sabbatical once every 5 years of full-time service, with a duration of up to 9 weeks* and receive up to 1.5 months of income as a stipend.
Full-time Staff may take sabbatical once every 5 years of full-time service, with a duration of up to 4 weeks* and receive up to 1 months of income as a stipend.
* Lead Pastor must take full 9 weeks
APPROVAL
The Lead Pastor and Executive Pastor will work together each year to determine which and how many staff members to approve based on tenure, responsibilities, budget, etc. The Lead Pastor’s sabbatical must be approved by the Leadership Team. All other team members’ sabbaticals will be approved by the Executive Pastor and Lead Pastor.
This policy was adopted by the Heritage Church Leadership Team at a regular meeting held on January 28, 2016.