I'm on a short planning/strategizing sabbatical this week. I just so happened to run across Matt Schmucker's helpful 9 Marks article, Caring for the Pastor: The Sabbatical. "The church that cares for its pastor cares for itself.!"
Brief 10 point advice from Schmucker for the church and pastor...
1. Start out small: If your church has never considered giving a pastor a sabbatical and seems resistant, start out small and let the idea grow...
2. Start out small (again!): This time I’m not addressing length of time away, but the kind of sabbatical the pastor might take....
3. Care for the flock: ...Assign the preaching, counseling, funerals, and all the other regular duties.
4. Plan the sabbatical: The pastor needs to plan well in advance what he will be doing on the sabbatical, otherwise the precious time away can be wasted.
5. Involve the congregation: The pastor needs to share with the congregation his plans...
6. Consider the season: ...The pastor should take leave at a good time in the church’s life.
7. Communicate: While on sabbatical, the pastor should consider regular communication with his congregation through open letters or articles in the church’s newsletter.
8. Set parameters: ...both pastor and church should have some understandings about "drop bys" and "pop ins" where the pastor is interrupted...
9. Be accountable: Consider setting up a system of accountability between the pastor on sabbatical and a fellow pastor/elder or board – leader to leader.
10. Plan for the return: ...remember that the congregation was not on sabbatical; it may need to be eased into his new ideas and renewed energy.