LEADERSHIP | SELF
Give Me a Break! How to ask for a sabbatical By KENT MANKINS
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s our board meeting was ending, I made a tearful and humbling confession: “I feel like I am driving down a dirt road behind a truck. I can see nothing but a cloud of dust. I am struggling with vision and direction for our church.” For more than a year, our staff had scrambled to adapt to evolving COVID-19 mandates. I was so consumed with keeping my head above water I had little margin for planning our next steps. I had prayed for a fresh vision, but nothing was clear. I felt discouraged and incompetent. I was even beginning to question my calling. After that emotional moment with my board, I debriefed with a trusted colleague. I admitted I had been working at a pace that was not sustainable. Since the start of the pandemic, I had not taken a regular sabbath, much less a vacation. I also realized it had been seven years since my last sabbatical. I knew I needed to get one on the calendar. Perhaps you recognize the need for a sabbatical but are not sure how to ask for one or whether your church even offers one. If that’s you, stay tuned. What Is a Sabbatical? In addition to a weekly sabbath and annual vacations, a sabbatical is part of a comprehensive approach to stewarding a ministry calling. A sabbatical may include rest, education, travel, study, and prayer. It is a good practice to schedule a sabbatical every five to seven years, with each one lasting between one and six months. Our church provides all pastors with a onemonth sabbatical every seven years. Sabbaticals have not always been a part of our Assemblies of
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God tradition, but a growing number of ministers, churches and districts are recognizing their value. Why You Need It To become better leaders, pastors may attend conferences, read books, and even engage coaches.
