Experiencing peace requires that we slow down enough to notice the presence of the Lord. But as ministry leaders, we’re too often running around doing things for Jesus that we forget to spend time with Jesus (guilty!). In a breakout session I taught at MegaCon 2021 last week, we acknowledged the importance of creating rhythms of rest in our lives and ministries, then explored different types of rest that can help prevent ministry burnout. It was a practical time of planning and implementing a strategy for avoiding burnout through intentional Sabbath. 

One of the biggest takeaways? Rest doesn’t always mean physical rest (though it can), so we discussed a variety of options for what rest may look like and talked about how resting isn’t always passive. We also dove into what a rhythm of rest may look like daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly. Here are a few examples:

  • Daily: Ask: What’s one thing on my to-do list today that will refresh me? Set your phone to airplane mode for 1-2 hours a day to step away and spend time with family; take 10 minutes at the start, middle, and end of my day to meditate and pray
  • Weekly: one full day without meetings; stay off your computer/email 1 day each week, etc.
  • Monthly: one day a month for big picture planning; schedule comp days after big events
  • Quarterly: Plan a weekend away or a staycation, even if it’s just for a couple of days; block out a day for prayer and solitude; miss 1 Sunday morning to allow others to lead and me to attend service, ec.
  • Yearly: take a week-long vacation; recognize busy seasons and plan for time off after them (Easter, VBS, Christmas)

Creating rhythms of rest requires intentionality and discipline, but when we take the time to schedule our rest, we make sure we don’t miss the celebration of Sabbath that God has planned for us.

So what can you do today, this week, this month, and this year to create a rhythm of rest in your life and ministry? 

Subscriber Bonus: During the breakout, I also shared a free printable with 25 ways to practice slowing and counter hurried living, and I just added it to our new Subscriber Freebie Library! If you’re a subscriber, sign into the site to access this download in the Freebie Library and use it to help you create habits of slowness in our crazy-fast world. If you’re not a subscriber, you can join here and gain access to our Subscriber Freebie Library with 100+ free kidmin downloads!

Resources for Going Deeper:

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.