In the Genesis Conference of the Free Methodist Church, we advocate for the adoption of faith-filled rhythms of work and rest for those who serve the Lord, creating sustainable patterns that promote healthy leadership, fruitful ministry and a long obedience in the same direction. That's in part because in Genesis (the book of the Bible), God makes it clear that life works best with healthy rhythms. These principles of work and Sabbath rest, which come directly from the Scriptures, can be applied to our daily, weekly, monthly and annual calendars, as well as our long term plans for sabbatical - you can read more about this in the section on rest.
For a helpful deep dive into those healthy rhythms, pick up a book by Ruth Haley Barton: Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest.
It all starts with giving our first and best during six days of the week--we work! We were made to make things, whether it is food from the ground, making life better for those around us, or making disciples of Jesus. Most of us, most of the time, will need six days of the week to accomplish our goals and meet the needs facing us at church, in our community and at home.
Practically speaking, we recommend five days of ministry work each week with two days off. One day is for a true day of Sabbath rest. The other day is flexible for both the normal errands of life, as well as the ministry emergencies that come up from time to time. If you schedule two days off, you are more likely to actually get a Sabbath.
Another way to think about it is by splitting your waking hours into three blocks of time - morning, afternoon and evening. The ideal working day will incorporate productivity filling two of those blocks, making for 10-12 working blocks per week, including Sunday. We all know that there are days, weeks, and even seasons when the demands of ministry outweigh the clock and the calendar, so we work hard and do what is needed according to our convictions, the leading of our Good Shepherd, and in the power of the Spirit.
As you work, remember why you're working and who you're doing it for. In the words of the Apostle Paul, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ" (Colossians 3:23-24, NLT).
In the midst of that work, its vitally important that we make it part of our regular rhythms to spend time with and hear from the Lord, both in concentrated times of prayer/worship/study and by continuously walking with Jesus throughout the day. Our ability to serve others will only go as deep and wide as our relationship with Jesus. The reality is that no one else can determine for you how much time you need to spend with God behind closed doors...so take the time to allow the Lord to keep making you into the person he wants you to be. It's part of the work you've been called to.
When it comes to rest, to quote one of our elders and national leaders, the healthiest pastors learn to "divert daily, withdraw weekly and abandon annually." This suggests learning how to apply the principles of Sabbath and to trust God through the resistance of rest on more than just one day a week. This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it" (Isaiah 30:15, NIV)
If you're going to have daily diversions, that's going to usually require leaving one block of your day for time away from work. It also might mean that you take moments to walk, stretch, read, pray, worship or otherwise rest during the midst of your day (not simply finding diversions on a screen, which most of us can be tempted to do). Could you take a rest of 5-10 minutes during some of your working hours or at meal times, to process with the Lord what's been happening that day, listen for his voice, and breathe deeply before heading off to the next task or meeting? Would a 20-30 minute nap actually be more productive for getting your creativity flowing than staring at your computer or sermon during that time?
A day of Sabbath, withdrawing weekly, doesn't usually demand 24 hours of being motionless, though maybe that's just what you need sometimes! But it does suggest that we put down our workload in order to focus on the Lord and enjoy the gifts he's given us. For you that might mean spending time in or with worship, family, friends, a good meal, nature, creativity, recreation, or just plain rest; it's probably a combination of some of them.
By "abandon annually," we mean using your vacation time, leaving email and phone calls and meetings behind. Refer to our policy manual for the amount of vacation you have available to you as a pastor in Genesis. If possible, try to schedule two consecutive weeks of vacation every year, guaranteeing that you'll get at least two Sundays away and giving yourself a chance to wind down more fully. Take advantage of our pipeline of ministry candidates if you don't have someone at the ready who can preach or minister to the congregation in your absence.
We also highly recommend sabbatical for our pastors who are in their seventh consecutive year of ministry, either for the first time or since their last sabbatical. Sabbatical is a prolonged period of Sabbath rest, recuperation and regrouping, because those who continually minister to others need seasons to be ministered to. Our Genesis sabbatical outline and policy is available here.