Time for a sabbatical?

You’ve held your nose to the grindstone, ministering week in week out for years. Is it time for a sabbatical? Three Elim leaders told Chris Rolfe how they took a well-earned break.

STEPHEN GIBSON, SENIOR PASTOR, CITY CHURCH, CARDIFF

Sabbatical: April-June 2023

Why did you take a sabbatical?

I’d been in full-time ministry for just over 20 years. I wasn’t in a place of burnout but my usual motivations weren’t what they had been. I saw a sabbatical as an opportunity to take time out and reflect.

What practicalities were involved in planning it?

I spoke to our elders and Regional Leader then started making plans, including how to hand over responsibilities while I was off.

What did you do on your sabbatical and why?

I gave the lion’s share to study and writing. I wanted to work on a book I’d been researching for some time. I generally wrote in the mornings then did exercise and spent time with my family in the afternoons. Near the beginning I had a prayer retreat for a few days. That was really special.

I also attended a Christian conference and went home to Scotland.

How did you feel after your time off?

It refreshed me to go back into ministry again and prepared me to step into what became an unexpectedly busy season. I’ve recently been appointed as the senior pastor at City Church in Cardiff. I had no idea when I took my sabbatical that that would happen, but perhaps this was part of God’s plan to prepare me.

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