Sabbatical

We announced recently that Pastor Chad and his wife will be taking a Sabbatical beginning July 5th and ending October 1st.  So, what is a Sabbatical? A Sabbatical is an extended time away from normal ministry roles and responsibilities for the intentional purposes of prolonged rest, deep renewal, and re-visioning. The Sabbatical is based on the Biblical practice of a Sabbatical year, a command given to God's people in Ex. 23:10-13 and Lev. 25:1-13 to let the land rest after 6 years of work, mirroring God's intent for weekly rest on the Sabbath. A Sabbatical is essentially a series of Sabbath days. This kind of rest was honored by Jesus when he "went apart" from the crowds and His ministry to them (Matt. 14:23; Mk. 6:46-47; Jn. 6:15). He understood that time alone facilitated a work of the Spirit that can only be done in solitude. Sabbatical is a time when typical work activity is suspended for the purpose of tending to one’s soul. Jesus says in John 17:3 that eternal life is wrapped up in “knowing God,” so while there might be other outcomes of a Sabbatical, the primary goal is increased intimacy with God.

A Sabbatical is not simply a long vacation or just an opportunity to catch up on some things. It’s not a time to create ministry strategies or to work some special ministry project you haven’t had time for in the past. These are good things to do, and it’s not that you can’t do any of them on a Sabbatical, but they work against the spirit of Biblical Sabbath rest. Also, a Sabbatical is not a job search, and it’s not an elder-imposed leave of absence to discipline a pastor. When these activities are done in the name of “Sabbatical,” it breaks down the trust of the church. This an opportunity to go into the 'wilderness' and meet with Jesus. 

At Lifeway, we desire the staff and leadership to be spiritually, emotionally, and physically healthy, growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ, and ready to pursue ministry in a way that is a blessing to the community around them. We believe we can only serve Jesus well when we take time for the Holy Spirit to refresh and restore our souls. The best ministry flows from true intimacy with Jesus. We desire for our leaders to thrive in ministry, find periodic refreshments, and avoid burnout. Thus, Sabbaticals may be granted to regular, full-time staff as approved by the Elders, every 7 years, for a period of 1-3 months.

Lifeway is an Elder led church. Each of our Elders are able and willing to come along side of you in your time of need or to address any questions you may have. Pastor Chad & his family is scheduled to be back on Oct. 1st but will be slowly integrating back into church life in Mid-September. Please reach out to our office Admin Emma for church related needs - Click Here. Please reach out to our elders (Danny, Brandon, Miles, Josh) for spiritual related needs or further questions. Click Here.