Copyright Dave Wiedis, 2022

This past summer I had the opportunity to take a sabbatical from May-August. It was a long time coming. In the 15 years that I have been leading ServingLeaders, I have never taken a formal, planned sabbatical. In fact, I had never taken a sabbatical in my life. I knew that it was overdue, and even as I began to make plans, it became clear that I had waited too long. In the year before my sabbatical, as I began planning for it, I hit a wall and took an unplanned break for five weeks to rest and recover through the month of September. I was exhausted and I couldn’t ignore it.

I believe, more than ever, that a “sabbath rhythm” should be prioritized and planned so that we can steward our ministries well and can keep that precious gift of our ministry calling from being squandered.

Caroline Kishbaugh, Copyright 2022

After 25 years on the mission field, first in Haiti and then in France, Carl and I felt led to transition from cross-cultural church planting to providing member care to missionaries. That was 14 years ago.

While we loved what we were doing, the longer we were on the field the more we saw the lack of resources, isolation and dire need for care of those serving on the front lines. Our own circumstances and experiences played a role in our shift to member care, forming a conviction of the necessity to come alongside our missionary colleagues for their encouragement and well-being. Our hope was that this would result in increased resilience and efficacy in ministry no matter where they served. And it has borne much fruit! Here is part of our story.

Joe Bruni, Copyright 2022

One of the primary habit-forming practices in our world and particularly in our country today is that of self-sufficiency. The “sovereign self” is an ultimate good in our culture today, and we are being shepherded to believe that the purest form of identity formation and expression come from within, independent of others’ influences or constraints. It is the power of pride and the myth of self-sufficiency that we celebrate and see on display in media, marketing, art, and pop-culture. It should not surprise us then that these same rhythms of independence and self-sufficiency are on display in ministry leadership today, as well.

Chip Roper, Copyright 2022

Burned out. How about you? What can you do?

In this piece, we look at the symptoms of burnout and unpack some of the root causes. We will look at a biblical example of crash and recovery. And we’ll close with some things that worked for me and work for my coaching clients who are facing similar challenges.

Jim Rhodes, Copyright 2021

For most of us, the adventure of knowing and following Jesus begins at a crisis point. We are in turmoil, and our focus tends to be on what Jesus can do for us. However, as we start to know Christ, trust Him, and become His disciple, we quickly learn—or we must learn if we are going to follow Jesus for a lifetime—that it's not about me.