After 7 years, a Sabbatical

When a friend told me last time at this year that traditionally, year 7 is the hardest year for church plants/church planters, I thought "hmmmm" and filed that away for future reference. We had just celebrated our 6 year mark as a church and I was already beginning to see signs of what he was talking about- both within our community and within my own soul. 

At 7, nothing is new anymore- and the energy that sustained you in your "newness" is scarce. People you thought might be with you forever, or at least for awhile longer begin to fade away in search of other things. Staff/leadership relationships begin to creak a bit with age. 

And if you are a church planter, after 7 years, you are tired. 

So many nights laying awake wondering where so-and-so went, if the marriage of your close friends is going to make it, if the faith someone you baptized who seemed so excited but now seems so not is going to make it... Week after week of set-up, admin, sermon prep, trying to coach, encourage or even cajole people into creating the kinds of ministries they are complaining to you about not having. Times when the tank is full and times when it is empty- but empty or full, you still have to pull something out of it for others. 

I knew going in this great adventure of church planting would be hard- what I couldn't see was how hard it would on my own heart and soul. How even the good and best parts of ministry still take so much out of you.  And especially how the hard parts take a toll- others second guessing your leadership decisions, complaining about things they could easily pitch in to change or create. Baptisms are wonderful, but just as often people say "I think I'm done with faith." Ministry is messy, and for most average, non-mega-church pastors, it's largely thankless.

Which is why I'm SO grateful for our elders and our community. 

Last summer, we began talking about the possiblity of me taking a sabbatical after our 7 year mark. It's a pretty standard practice in ministry to allow a pastor some extended time off after 7 years, and truthfully, I think that over the last year our elders have seen me fraying at the edges and really running out of steam. 

So, in mid-December it moved from discussion to instruction. They told me I needed to take some time away.

That was just what I needed to hear. 

Since then, I've been able to sleep better, rest more... Just knowing that a break was coming has enabled me not only to navigate some hard leadership waters these last few months, but even begin to crawl back a bit from the edges of exhaustion. At this point, I'm not only ready for a break, but feel as though I may actually have the energy to enjoy it. Which again, I'm grateful for...

So, we've announced to our community that from May through July I'm going to be taking a break from the work of ministry. Our family will still be around- I'm looking forward to actually just attending our church and sitting with my wife and kids in our gathering. It's been, uh... never, since we've been able to do that- I've been working at churches our entire marriage. While I hope to take a break from the work part, I really want to remain present in some ways- that is, take a break from work, not from community. I also want to visit some other communities and see what else God is doing here in PDX.

My spiritual director is going to help me with those parts with some regular check-ins to make sure I'm not sneaking in any work- physically or mentally. As he says, "Sabbatical" comes from "Sabbath."

And so, to that end, some things I hope to do on my Sabbatical:

1. Sleep 

2. Break this writer's block

3. Enjoy and be enjoyable to my family

4. Eat, Pray, Love

5. We're going to Disneyland!

6. Week at Richmond Hill Abbey in Richmond VA

7. Road trip with Jack, my 7 year old son

8. Sleep some more. 

 

And who knows... maybe some blogging too :)

 

Comments

[joejmac]

Enjoy the sabbatical Bob! I pray for deep rest for you and your family. And thanks for taking care of yourself in the midst of leading your community and many of us outside of PDX!

[Dan]

Bob, that's awesome you are getting a well-deserved break. I really hope you get refreshed in the way that you need to. One little line I'd like to pick at is the "if you're not a mega-church pastor..." Seriously I have worked in tiny churches and in Mega churches as a pastor and the stress/work/thanklessness and so on knows no bounds. And when man thanks man, there is not a ton of meaning (and there shouldn't be) anyway. I know this is a roundabout way of saying this, but you're not alone =)

Thanks!
Dan

[Debra Anderson]

Good for you, Bob! Enjoy and be refreshed.

[bobhyatt]

I hear you Dan- While the work is always hard, I've just seen that there's more room for appreciation of pastors in larger churches- maybe even too much at times! But yeah- small point... It's all hard and all taxing.

[mom]

and, maybe, just maybe, spend a little more time with mom? Thats what I am hoping. so glad you are taking this rest. I know how much you need it and how much our family needs you!

[Oliver Harrison]

All good except the "writer's block" and "blogging". Frankly, Bob, you over-share. ADHD or not, you need to cultivate some inner silence. Keep that block - strengthen it, reinforce it make the mf bigger, harder and heavier. And blog less. 's all. You'll find it hard when you start but stick with it and you'll soon deepen that inner stream, so it flows calm and strong and is less of bubbling book prone to overflow and flooding. How about a fast from blog, twitter, Facebook etc for the duration of the Sabbatical. Bet you can't! Love you man. Hang in there til the break comes.

[Bob]

Overshare? previous to this I've done 4 real blog posts this year!
Creatively I have felt deadened and I want very much for that par tof me to come alive again, to be able to express myself and write during this time would be a gift...

[[email protected]]

Hi Bob,

I still check your blog every once in a while to see what you guys and Evergreen are up to, I hope you and the fam enjoy your break and your trip. Blessings!

Sarah McGuire

[Oliver Harrison]

OK, if you think so. Not sure fb status updates are creative, maybe they drain that energy like a mini pressure release valve. I'm finding more and more that I need to hold my peace, bide my time, build up a really good head o' steam. Not a great metaphor. Maybe it's more like fermenting or gestating - putting things together, re-working, adjusting, editing. I find my thoughts are bigger and better when I vent less (on Facebook etc.) and hold them back to be matured and nurtured.

[David Knight]

Bob, you don't know me but I really enjoy your blog (and the techno one you used to do). I too am blessed with a Sabbatical this year, my 8th at this church (which is on the Coast of Mississippi and so for almost 6 years been battling rebuilding church and community after Katrina destroyed our buildings and many of our folks homes).
I have a caveat to your sabbatical plan, but I know we don't know each other so take it for what it's worth. For my sabbatical, I am dropping out of communication COMPLETELY with my congregation. No pastoral emergencies, no emails, no Facebook status updates, my cell phone will be off. For true emergencies a handful of people can call my wife and then together they will decide whether to let me know or not. I have an excellent priest who will man the fort while I am gone, and an incredible Deacon who has been here longer than I and can handle all pastoral stuff.
If I was to show up "just to sit and worship", there is NO way to not be dragged into conversations about "work stuff". It's impossible. No way not to look at the bulletin and see a mistake, no way not to wonder why something that should be on the calendar now wasn't. I dare say it is not a truly rejuvenating sabbatical if you show up at your church at any time.
Go worship somewhere else, with your family. Check out a lot of places - that's what I will be doing. But I fear you won't get the real rest you have earned and need if you hang around your place on Sundays.
Just a thought - have a blessed and restful time!

[Oliver Harrison]

Love David Knight's post - that's what I was trying to say but I wish I'd said like that: very wise advice put across in a gracious and eirenic way. A better man than I! Hey Bob - two recommendations if I may: "Gilead" by Marylinne Robinson and a DSE 601 e-pipe. With those two in your pocket you've got a mini-sabbatical kit any time, any place. :-)

[David Knight]

Why Thanks, Oliver! Although I had to look up "eirenic". PEACE y'all!

[Dave Ketah]

Yeah, I agree with David Knight. I think your sabbatical will be diminished significantly by being around Evergreen gatherings or meetings. It seems like hanging out with the people of Evergreen socially would be okay, but anything else could easily become work. Even resisting the urge to engage pastorally would be a kind of work.

[Buy Military MRE For Sale - Thomas]

Enjoy your well deserved sabbatical. May the stress that has accumulated diminish and I pray that your whole spirit, soul, and body would be renewed to the point that when you go back to work you can go strong for another seven years. Enjoy the time with your son also as that is important to him and he will have memories to last for a lifetime.