Why I needed a Sabbatical?

I am currently on a 4 week Sabbatical.

I have been navigating my way through several bouts of sickness and burnout symptoms for several months now, that I finally decided to lead myself well before I continue to attempt to lead others well. After much discussion and prayer with my wife Simone, I made a decision on Monday 5/10/09 to take a 4 week Sabbatical to refuel, re-energize and refocus my body, mind and spirit to follow Jesus more closely and lead Activate Church more effectively heading into 2010. A Sabbatical is different to a holiday, in that it is more focused on spiritual and emotional renewal rather than just getting away from everything and enjoying the sunshine in QLD.

Over the last 5 days I have been connecting with trusted mentors including David McCracken, my Father, Mike Grechko and Kevin Forlong as well as a couple of close friends debriefing and processing my thoughts and feelings and what has led me to this point. I have also read a fantastic book titled “Leading on Empty” written by Wayne Cordeiro that has helped me enormously. I recommend it to you if you are a leader serious about fulfilling your call and wanting to avoid being sidelined.

God has been very gracious and revealed several causes for me needing a Sabbatical and I am so glad that I am taking this time to be still before the Lord and know that He is God! Some of the reasons why I have got to this point include:

• Accumulation of 10 years of ministry fatigue without an extended break.
• Carrying unresolved hurt because of criticism.
• Wrestling with the contradiction of God’s vision and current reality.
• Getting caught up in another man’s doctrine and ministry expression, rather than my own.
• Getting distracted from my original calling from God.

Upon returning to full leadership duties at Activate Church after my Sabbatical I will share with my leaders and the entire Church all that God has put upon my heart to share with them about this journey.

This whole experience up to this point has been very humbling. I have read all the books and attended all the seminars on avoiding burnout because I have observed it to be so common amongst many church leaders and yet I am facing a form of mild burnout myself. 10 years ago the stats tell us that there were 10,000 leaders out of the ministry for various issues relating to burnout. I would hate to think what the stats currently are.

I refuse to become another statistic! I am here for the long haul and I know that God is transforming my heart, body and mind so that I can come back stronger and more passionate than ever before. I am convinced that the work God has started in me he will bring to completion in my life. This 4 week Sabbatical is a precautionary measure against crashing in a more serious way in the future.

Even in these early stages I am finding a little of my joy, passion and hunger for ministry and more importantly my relationship with God coming back. I am a driven and passionate leader and pursuer of God’s heart. I always will be but at this time I need to be still and sit before Jesus and allow him to fill my cup back up. As I do, I know that people are praying for me and caring for my family and I really appreciate it.

As a result of this experience I will be intentional about aligning my life and ministry with the calling and life cadence God created me to walk in. I ask for your prayers and support as I navigate this season with Jesus, Activate and my family. I look forward to re-connecting with my Activate family in the coming weeks and seeing all that God does in our midst as a result of this eye-opening journey.

Lead the Change!