Guest Columnist
Vacations give pastors needed break from routine
By Ben Mandrell
10/28/2009

I want to take a moment and brag on my church. When I became the pastor in 2007, as a 30-year old husband with preschool children, I have to admit that I was a bit nervous. Could I really handle the pressure of the pastorate? Would I lose my passion for preaching with the daily demands of decision making? Would I burn out?

All these questions were tucked away in the back of my brain and nobody knew they were there, but me.

After several years in the saddle, I can say that my fears have been relieved. Why? Because my church has been amazingly supportive when I have taken the liberty to rest and retreat. I hope that your church comprehends the power of a pastor’s time away.

Recently, my wife and I took our two oldest children to the beach for five days and when I arrived home, I jotted this title down in my journal, “What Vacation Does To Me.” Quickly, I recorded 26 things. Allow me to share half of them with you.

(1) It restores my joy for parenting. I Timothy 3:5, “If a man does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church.”

(2) It gives me new passion for serving people.

(3) It gives me the itch to get back and preach again, and with greater fervor.

(4) It grants me a reprieve from the cell phone ring, the e-mail chime and the text message “bing.”  Of course, I am one who leaves my phone at home and provides emergency contact info.  I highly recommend this.

(5) It restores a sense of spontaneity in my marriage.

(6) It affords me the opportunity to be goofy and lighthearted with my family. Since I am constantly thinking through complex issues concerning the church, my sense of humor is sometimes squelched. I feel like a comedian with my kids when I am not under the pressure of leadership. And they need that. I need that.

(7) It fills my photo album with precious memories and joyful moments. This translates to new pictures in my office frames, which translates into many smiles throughout a week packed with staff meetings, funerals, weddings and sermon preps.

(8) It gives me a chance to get a tan and grow facial hair. Every man feels more secure with these. Of course, I can’t really grow facial hair so I shave as soon as I reach a razor.

(9) It gives me a chance to reflect on activity vs. accomplishment. When I am away from my weekly routine, I am able to consider my role as a pastor with greater clarity and ask important questions. Questions like these: What am I doing with my time? Which meetings are time wasters? Which activities is God blessing more than I expected?  At the end of the day, I want to know that I gave my best time to those things that are most fruitful, but it’s so easy to fill up a calendar with clutter.

(10) It gives me a greater appreciation for the people I work with. When I got home from vacation, I couldn’t wait to share my sand castle shots with my ministry assistant and share a funny story with our staff. These staff people are some of my closest friends and it’s good to miss them for a week. They are the first to notice when I’m feeling rejuvenated.

(11) It gives me a chance to be an “average Joe.” Sometimes, it’s good for a pastor to be at a restaurant and expect to see no one he knows. This allows me the chance to let my guard down, look my wife in the eyes and concentrate on the moment. Anonymity can be so refreshing.

(12) It fills my creative cup.  When I return from a few days away, I always have a journal filled with some fresh ideas for ministry. I have found that this creative element is most energizing for the staff and I realize that I must lead the way in keeping things fresh.

(13) It reminds me once again that the church can survive without me.  Most pastors, including myself, overestimate their importance. When I left the sand of Orange Beach, AL, and returned to Jackson, TN, I fully expected a full voicemail machine and an overloaded e-mail account. I was humbled to realize that nothing went wrong in my absence. The church was going great! The Lord reminded me once again that He maintains the lampstands (Revelation 1:20), and that He preserves and sustains His Church.

Brothers and sisters in Tennessee, support your pastor when he leaves town for a few days. You will be so glad you did.

Gotta go! I’m back to work, and thrilled to be here.

— Mandrell is senior pastor, Englewood Baptist Church, Jackson.

View the original News article at http://www.tnbaptist.org/BRNews.asp?ID=3134