Dear Friends, I am writing this on Saturday, 28 July, and my mind is ...

BY JOHN KIMBALL, CCCC DIRECTOR OF
CONFERENCE CARE AND CHURCH DEVELOPMENT
I recently saw a cartoon where a forest ranger
had climbed down the rope-ladder of a
helicopter to speak with a couple that were at
a remote mountain cabin that had no obvious
road. They all stood knee-deep in unkempt
vegetation and the couple had an exasperated
look on their faces.
The caption?
“Sorry to interrupt your vacation, folks, but your
congregation has called the Rangers’ Station
twenty-eight times to say they can’t find the
communion glasses.”
The only reason we can all find humor in that
cartoon is because, to some extent, we all
know that <strong>this</strong> stuff actually happens. It may
not be as radical as seeking out your pastor on
a remote island or while he’s on the table
receiving open-heart surgery (other similar
cartoons published over the years), but true
nonetheless.
For years, American denominations (including
our own) have been very concerned about the
growing trends associated with clergy burnout.
It’s real. And when you’re the pastor
experiencing it, it’s brutal. Much of the burnout
pastors face is self-inflicted, but churches
rarely take steps to hold their pastors
accountable for the personal Sabbath rhythms
required to maintain a healthy, thriving longterm
pastoral ministry. When coupled with
unrealistic expectations by many
congregations, broken (or non-existent)
Sabbath rhythms spell sure disaster. Pastoral
attrition is at an all-time high. The Praxis
Center for Church Development recently
reported that, of those who are graduating
from America’s seminaries today, less than
50% will still be in pastoral ministry within five
years. While there are many things leading us
to <strong>this</strong> worrisome reality, there is no doubt that
a lack of an authentic Sabbath is a contributing
factor.
So what are we to do? Well, our CCCC
member congregations can do a lot to help
their pastors in <strong>this</strong> regard. Here is a list of
suggestions I have recommended over the
years to address <strong>this</strong> problem. Some of these I
have learned from others, some I implemented
myself, and still others are just common sense.
Prayerfully consider these as ways to bless
your pastor, helping to maintain the critical rest
patterns needed to remain fresh in ministry.
After all, even if <strong>this</strong> list is approached from a
purely selfish standpoint, the church is the
direct beneficiary.
1.Require your pastor to take all allotted
vacation time. I cannot tell you how many
pastors I work with that do not use the
vacation time given them. Do your pastor’s
f<strong>am</strong>ily a favor and make vacation time
mandatory.
2. Expect your pastor to take at least one full
day (preferably two, like the rest of us)
completely away from work-related activities
each week. Most people get some form of
‘weekend,’ even if it doesn’t always fall on the
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