Rest and Renewal for the Shepherd: Guidelines for Elders in the Local Church

By Tom Ellsworth

In the spring of the year, our grandchildren are involved in either softball or baseball, so every evening is packed with, “Play ball.” When our younger daughter emailed the season’s schedule, she added these words, “Let the crazy begin.” I chuckled but then realized that’s indicative of our current culture. Unfortunately, in my ministry years, I have watched “the crazy” also creep into the church.  

Recently, I visited with a preacher who expressed his weariness, “I not only don’t have any wind in my sails, I don’t have any sails!” I could see the burnout in his eyes, hear it in his voice, and sense it in his posture. He needed rest! I wonder how many other church leaders can relate. 

At the dawn of time, God introduced the concept of rest. ^“By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work” (Genesis 2:2, New International Version). 

In studying Genesis 1-2, we tend to focus on God creating the light, sun, moon, stars, plant and animal kingdoms, and, of course, humanity. We seldom think about him creating rest. There is nothing to suggest that rest existed before Creation. God needs no rest; he does not slumber nor sleep (Psalm 121:3-4), but he created rest for us on the seventh day. I am struck by the fact that God deemed rest so important that he “took a break” to model the principle for us.  

In Exodus, God gave his people 10 commandments carved in stone—and the fourth commandment echoes creation’s conclusion. 

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy (Exodus 20:8–11, New International Version 1984). 

Jesus clearly understood the value of rest. He often slipped away to be alone with the Father and rest. When the apostles returned from their short-term mission trip, it got a bit crazy. “The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest” (Mark 6:30-31).  

And, of course, Jesus reminds us that the Sabbath is a gift to us from the Father. Mark 2:27, “Then he said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.’”  

Don’t let the crazy begin. Do an online search of the benefits of rest, and you’ll be amazed. Here are just a few:  

1. Rest boosts one’s immune system.  
2. Rest improves one’s memory.  
3. Rest re-energizes brain cells, clears waste, and creates memories vital to health.  
4. Rest stimulates creativity.  
5. Rest improves concentration and productivity.  
6. Rest slows down the aging process.  
7. Rest may increase one’s happiness.  
8. Rest may decrease one’s pain.  
9. Rest may help one consume fewer calories. (To be honest, I haven’t found that one to be very effective.)  

Before proceeding further, I need to confess. I’ve struggled with this commandment because I’m not good at resting. I like being busy and productive. My “do list” is an ever-growing-but-never-completed document. When I stop to rest, I feel lazy, guilty, and wasteful. However, when I don’t stop to rest, I suffer and those around me suffer. I don’t handle stress well when I avoid rest. When I don’t rest, I make poor decisions; my work is sloppy, and I get snarky. Am I alone in this quandary or can you relate? 

Like my minister friend, some church leaders have “lost their sails.” Countless elders have served faithfully for decades without a break. Many in ministry have preached and led for years without a rest. So how do we find a workable balance? Perhaps the following ideas will help the church’s shepherds find refreshing renewal. 

Take a Step Back for a Season  

Thankfully, many congregations are realizing the mental, emotional, and spiritual drain of leading without resting. Weary leadership is unhealthy leadership. Unhealthy leaderships breed unhealthy congregations. And unhealthy congregations struggle in multiple ways.  

Elders and ministry staff genuinely benefit from sabbatical or restful breaks. Remember, while the worshippers find Sunday to be a restful break, it is anything but restful for staff and elders. Later in my ministry with Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, the ministerial staff was provided with a sabbatical break every seven years. I can’t tell you how much that helped renew my zeal for ministry. The mental and emotional strain of numerous leadership meetings, vision planning, hospital visits, funerals and weddings, staff oversight issues, counseling sessions, complaints from disgruntled sheep, unfair comparisons with other preachers, discouragement from congregants leaving because they “aren’t being fed,” and criticism from anonymous letters to name a few. Add to all that the constant stress of crafting a new sermon every week, and it doesn’t take long to lose the joy. It’s Monday but Sunday is always coming!  

Elders need breaks, too. We often forget that elders work fulltime jobs and then volunteer their time to shepherd God’s flock. They juggle the stress of a secular job, time with family, and the stress of leading the church during times of growth as well as crisis. They may want to run away from the grind of church leadership, but they won’t because they have made a commitment to the Lord and the church. If they cut and run, they aren’t true shepherds, but even a great shepherd can’t keep that pace indefinitely. 

That’s why the church needs to provide planned and required breaks. For example, if your elders are on a rotation schedule, consider having them serve two or three consecutive terms with a one-year mandatory break following. If your elders serve an indefinite term, build in breaks at least every seven years. You’ll be amazed how a rest will preserve their leadership passion and expertise. 

Attend a conference designed specifically for church leaders. Learning from skilled speakers and practitioners, spending time with other church leaders and being reminded about the critical, eternal value of your service, can be refreshing.  

Find Another Interest or Hobby 

Rest is not defined as “doing nothing.” (For me, doing nothing is stressful, not restful.) When ministry is one’s calling, career, passion, and pastime, burnout is just around the corner. Volunteer elders and staff need to find a hobby to provide mental, emotional, and physical breaks. Hobbies stimulate the mind and emotions in relaxing ways. I know church leaders who enjoy golf, slow-pitch softball, fishing, hunting, bee keeping, taxidermy, writing, woodworking, automotive restoration, aviation, and more.  

Here is what I’ve noticed: Those who maintain a hobby outside their ministry/shepherding roles are more positive about their kingdom work. Find something that will recharge your mental, emotional, and most importantly, spiritual batteries.   

Spend Time Building Relationships 

Jesus was relational. He invested his life in scores of followers, in the Twelve and especially in Peter, James, and John. I believe he modeled for us the importance of investing in others and letting others invest in us. Loners don’t make good shepherds; one cannot lead those he is trying to avoid. The healthiest church leaders are those who spend time with family, friends, and the flock who can help them survive the tough challenges of church leadership. Ministry can be lonely, but friends and family can serve as encouragers and prayer partners in leadership trials. Don’t go it alone. If Jesus surrounded himself with wonderful relationships, do you really think you can survive alone?  

If you are not in church leadership, then you can support your elders and staff in a variety of ways:  

• Pray for them regularly.  
• Encourage them with supportive words and deeds.  
• Give them the benefit of the doubt when you hear critiques that don’t fit their character or style of leadership. 
• Resist the urge to write an impulsive, critical letter. Gather all the facts before you respond nicely.  
• Avoid social media as a platform to air your grievances. Go privately to a trusted leader, share your concerns, and graciously listen to the response. You may learn some information that will change your perspective.  

Unsupported and underappreciated church leaders burn out quickly; you can provide some needed “rest and renewal” with your Christ-like attitude and care. 

Lead in Christ’s Power 

The temptation to lead by one’s own skill is a threat to church leadership. When we rely solely on our own abilities, we will eventually fail, and the church will suffer. We must serve in the power of Christ. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).  

Struggling to trust the Lord in your leadership opportunities? Go take a walk in the woods; how many bird songs can you identify? Then remember that God knows when every sparrow stops singing. If the God of the universe cares for the insignificant sparrow, you can be certain he cares for you as you lead his church. And thinking of birds, when’s the last time you stopped to examine a bird’s nest—an engineering marvel, lightweight, flexible, and cohesive. Science has discovered that these nests are not comprised of random pieces dropped into place but with sticks, twigs, and grasses that hold specific properties. Amazingly, the birds have a sense for how an individual piece will contribute to the unique characteristics of the nest. Seemingly fragile, a bird’s nest can survive a violent storm. Jesus said, ^“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).  

So, don’t worry; trust him! He has not abandoned us. To the contrary, he has filled us with the Holy Spirit and apart from him, you can do nothing. Without him you’ll become spiritually empty, and empty leaders drift from one thing to another searching for that next spiritual high. Empty leaders become restless. Empty leaders do not pray or study the Word or genuinely worship. Empty leaders break. So, before you break, take a break!  

Tom Ellsworth is retired senior minister of Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, Bloomington, Indiana, and a member of the e2: Effective Elders team.