I just got back from a vacation and a separate family trip. Wow, I feel energized and ready to take on the challenges that are ahead. In this month's Leadership Uncensored Newsletter, Ed discusses the value and importance of just that, Break it Up! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. We are going to feature some more thoughts about breaks throughout the rest of the month. Stay tuned! To learn more about Leadership Uncensored, click here.
Break it Up!
Taking time off is a must for church leaders—here's why and how to do it.
I've had the opportunity to see the inner workings of church life from an early age-I grew up as a PK (preacher's kid), I'm a pastor, and I've been in churches ranging from several hundred to more than 20,000 in attendance. One constant I've noticed in churches, regardless of size, is that a leader's schedule usually runs at an insane, NASCAR-speed pace. The truly great leaders in these churches, though, understand a basic, yet absolutely critical principle for surviving the marathon of ministry. They draw away on a regular basis. Because here's the bottom line, leaders—if you don't take scheduled breaks, your schedule will break you.
God created and then He rested. He's built that rhythm into our lives. And it's amazing when you look at the life of Jesus Christ to see how many times He pulled back and gave himself some time alone during his ministry. We were not designed to run on and on and on without stopping. If we aren't getting rejuvenated and refreshed regularly, we won't be able to give the 100% we want to our church, our staff, our family, and ultimately to God. If we are emotionally drained, we are susceptible to all types of temptations and sins. That's why so many people end up on the side of the road in a ditch, because they did not pay attention to this.
Let me share with you some of what I've learned throughout the years about taking breaks:
We should take time off daily. We should find at least 15-30 minutes a day to do something replenishing, whether it's working out, reading a book, going to the driving range, or taking a walk.
We should take time off weekly. We should have a weekly Sabbath, a day when we do zero concerning the church. The church can become very seductive, like a mistress, so on that day don't call the church, don't work the cell phone, and don't stop by the church. I would challenge you to do something that really recharges your batteries during that time.
We should take time off quarterly. You should at least take one weekend off per quarter that does not count against your vacation time. We've put this provision in place for all of our staff that work weekends and it has made such a huge difference.
We should take time off yearly. Everyone should at least take one or two extended breaks a year. Shoot for two weeks away to allow enough time to completely unwind and renew yourself.
Taking time off will develop other communicators. I love to see how God uses unique people to communicate in unique ways. It's thrilling for me to hear about how God has blessed a weekend when I wasn't even a part of it.
When you take time off, you'll hear God in a deeper and more profound way. Without that weekend wave cresting over my head, I can disengage and be a regular guy. During one break, I stopped in at a little coffee shop after a long run and was reading the paper. I was scanning the editorial section, something I don't normally give myself time to do, and saw this headline that said, "Uncertainty—the key word in our culture today." As I read it, God said to me, "Ed, that's a sermon series." Boom, I came back and it was one of the best sermon series we've ever done.
Don't let ego get in the way of taking time off. It's tempting to feel like, "Man I'm the only one who can do that, I'm the only one that can really preach, I'm the only one that can really sing…" No you're not, no I'm not, we're not the only ones. God wants to use other people, and some of us are so dominated by pride that we're afraid if we're not there, someone might step up and actually do a better job than us or that things might fall apart. I truly believe that leadership is measured more by your absence than your presence.
You won't know how badly you need time off until you're off. You don't realize the energy that you are utilizing emotionally, spiritually, and physically until you take a break. The enemy wants to keep you going so fast that you stress out and dry up, because he doesn't want your church to thrive. But if we draw away regularly, we can get off that downward spiral, recalibrate, and stay focused on what God wants to do in our ministries.
I understand there are certain times when you're starting a church that you've got to have a huge energy burst. But I would challenge you, after that first year, to start doing what we're talking about right now. Taking regular breaks communicates powerful stuff to your spouse, to your kids and to your church about your priorities. I surround myself with great people who hold me accountable on this.
Terry, I just want to thank you for all the leadership tips you've posted (both here and on terrystorch.com). I'm preparing myself for an upcoming church plant in which I will be in a leadership position. I'm a little scared to be honest and your tips have been very helpful and encouraging!
Posted by: Jesse J. Anderson | June 23, 2005 at 12:02 PM