Planning Sabbaticals: A Guide for Congregations and their Pastors

by Robert Saler

Sabbaticals are becoming increasingly common practice in congregations, and while there are many books on helping pastors prepare for their time away, there are no texts that approach the experience with the congregation in mind, from start to finish. This guide for congregations and their pastors draws on nearly two decades of wisdom from the Lily Endowment Clergy Renewal Program and helps draw the conversation away from a pastor-centric model and towards a holistic congregational framework for thinking about how the entire community can benefit from a pastor's sabbatical.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

Published November 19, 2019

Reviews

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have taken two sabbaticals during my time at Central Woodward. In fact, when I picked up Planning Sabbaticals by Robert Saler, I was just returning from my second three-month sabbatical. In other words, sabbaticals are fresh in my mind. My recommendation to other clergy, if you have the opportunity to take a sabbatical, do so. If you're negotiating a new call, include sabbaticals and funding for them in your negotiations. If you are currently in a position, advocate for one. You might even put it in your employee manuals. Of course, timing is everything.

Clergy sabbaticals are a rather new phenomenon, so it's not something all congregations or even all clergy know about. It sounds foreign to many, and yet it can be a blessing to both pastors and congregations if entered into with planning and mutual agreement. The author of the book directs the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs, along with serving as an associate dean and research professor at Christian Theological Seminary. The Lilly grants, of which my congregation (and me) were recent recipients, are very generous (up to $50,000). Not every congregation will receive this grant, but there are numerous ways of funding them.

This book is brief but useful. In many ways, this book is designed to encourage congregations to see the value of pastoral renewal leaves for both congregations and pastors. But, here's the caveat, these are workable only when congregations and pastors are healthy. Clergy can be tired (I was tired), but this is not the cure for burned-out pastors or conflicted congregations. Those are concerns, Saler notes, that need to be taken care of in other ways. But, if both are healthy, they can be beneficial (and I agree).

While he begins with discussions of the "why" and sets out a path for having a conversation within the congregation, once you get past those concerns, then the question is what should pastors and congregations be doing. The answer to the question is that it depends on the pastor and the congregation. The point is renewal. It is doing things that bring joy. For clergy, it might involve a time of intense study or time away in spiritual retreat. It could involve travel or spending time with family. Again, choose things that bring joy. Also, be sure to allow for downtime. Don't run yourself ragged. Now, when it comes to congregations they generally will have to pick up the slack, unless this is a multi-staffed congregation. But this can also be a time of learning, perhaps through workshops and guest preachers. What congregations shouldn't do, though is to engage in conversations that are best had when the pastor is present -- like beginning plans for the future. A bit of dreaming is one thing, embarking on a plan for the future that doesn't include the pastor is not going to prove fruitful. The point in all of this, as Saler notes, is that this is a shared journey that should benefit both parties.

We didn't have the book in front of us, but for the most part, what we accomplished in our time apart reflects the words of guidance present here. So, clergy and congregations, if you are in a healthy position, consider the advice of the book. It's a brief book, so it will be a good guide for conversations among church leadership. It may lead to blessings for the congregation and renewed mission.

[Ryan Motter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saler’s wisdom comes clearly through each page, and his mass exposure to many different Sabbatical programs shows through many different given examples. This volume is best for a congregational group that is about two years out from a Sabbatical who is just beginning to consider a program and what it could look like, especially if that group is considering applying for a grant. The shortness of the book makes it a super quick and accessible read for many different people.

[Alan Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was drawn to this book as I prepare for my first ever sabbatical after 36 years of pastoral ministry. There was so much I could identify with and I am eager to implement what I can. I appreciate the insights and hope this book offers.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well done (and short) guide to helping both a pastor and the congregation navigate how to consider sabbaticals. I'm on a committee for our church and this was helpful in thinking both about the big picture and the application process.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical guide for how to plan a sabbatical. It is exactly what it says it will be. Lots of very useful thoughts and ideas in thinking of how to use such a time.

[Sara Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This makes me very excited to continue to dream about my summer 2022 sabbatical and *hopefully* receiving a Lily Grant.

[David Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource that concisely helps me strategize for an upcoming Sabbatical.