Renewal & Rest, A Guide to Pastoral & Congregational Sabbaticals

By: Miles Larson

Churches follow their leaders. They begin to look and think and act like their leaders. This is discipleship. If the pastor is only trying to get to the following Sunday, so is the church. If the pastor is just “okay,” the church will be, too. If the pastor has deep, intimate, regular intervals of being with Jesus and is abundantly alive in Christ because she has had recent real-life experiences with Him, the church will, too.

Sabbatical rest has been missing from the culture of The Brethren Church. We want to reclaim this rest and, in turn, reclaim the vitality for which the American Church is so hungry. This handbook aims to help demystify sabbaticals and build a proactive culture of pastoral renewal through sabbatical experiences.