Sabbatical FAQ
Sabbatical Frequently Asked Questions • 2025
What is a pastoral sabbatical leave?
In a phrase, it is “renewal by stepping away.” A sabbatical is much more intentional than a vacation. This is a guided process where a pastor deliberately trusts God in all the ‘unfinished’ and disengages from ministry and leadership involvement to allow for serious evaluation of life and ministry. It’s a time for rest and refreshment, as well as renewal and re-visioning. A sabbatical typically includes time for travel, prayer and reflection, with the intention of broadening one’s sense of God’s wonder and work in the world.
Why is this a good thing for a pastor?
Many pastors—and especially church planting pastors—can go and go and go. It is very hard for them to shut down or tune out in order to renew or be renewed. They need to stop and step away intentionally. Nourishing one’s soul, discovering a new perspective and hearing God’s voice calls for both a change of pace and a change of location. Taking a sabbatical is an application of the biblical principle of rest times (a sabbath day each week, sabbath year every seven years and a jubilee every 49 years). As an act of faith, we disengage from our regular work for the purpose of worship, rest, renewal, and repair.
Why is this a good thing for our church community?
A sabbatical for the pastor does not have to be met with anxiety or church paralysis. A sabbatical can provide an opportunity for discovering new strengths for ministry within the congregation and watching authentic growth in individuals as they discover their own particular gifts can benefit the church, even after the pastor’s return. The congregation benefits from the opportunity to discover leadership skills by assuming some administrative and pastoral duties in the pastor’s absence. Long term, the congregation should expect to benefit from renewed leadership through a pastor who is both physically and spiritually refreshed and who is aware of new developments and stimulated to more effective ministry. As a result, both the congregation and its staff have the opportunity to be exposed to new initiatives, programs and ministries that will benefit the church.
We are blessed to have a highly competent staff, leadership team and ministry leaders who can lead in his absence. Summer is a good time for a pastor’s sabbatical since church programs and events are more casual and less frequent. This timing also allows Pastor Rob to be back in time for full participation in our fall ministry season.
Please use the Connect Card to share prayer needs, encouragements, questions, or feedback for our staff and leadership team during Pastor Rob’s sabbatical.
Why is this a good thing now?
Restoration is 14 years old and Pastor Rob is completing 25 years of full-time pastoral ministry. As a leadership team, we desire to learn from the best practices of those who have served well. We want to follow the Sustaining Pastoral Excellence guidance from our denomination, our conference and other ministries which recommends 6 weeks of sabbatical leave every 4 years or 3 months of sabbatical leave every 7 years. Pastor Rob previously had a six-week sabbatical in 2014.
How long will the sabbatical be?
Three months
When will the sabbatical be?
May 19-August 19, 2025.
Who will be covering the Pastoral duties while he’s gone?
Lindsay Jacobson - Sabbatical Staff Lead. Contact Lindsay Jacobson if you are not sure who to contact or you would contact Pastor Rob. Lindsay can direct you to the right person or resource or seek additional help if needed.
- Leadership Decisions/Decision Making
Kate Alter, Leadership Team Chair,
Lindsay Jacobson, Sabbatical Staff Lead
Pastor Scott Nelson, Northwest Conference Support
The leadership team guards the church (keeping us focused on our vision, mission and values). The staff guide the church (walking with and equipping us to follow Jesus).
- Teaching/Preaching/Worship Gathering
Lindsay Jacobson, Worship Director/Sabbatical Staff Lead will oversee the worship experience on Sundays. Pastor Rob has scheduled Restoration speakers and guest pastors to teach and preach while Pastor Rob is on sabbatical. Each speaker is committed to communicate God’s word clearly and creatively in a way people can understand and apply.
- Connection, Finance & Mission
Micaella Sipe, Ministry Director
Micaella will help people connect with the church and meet with people. She will continue to encourage teams and team leads, recruit and mobilize others for mission, and support the Finance Team and financial process. - Daily/Weekly Operations, Facilities and Communication
Paula Herko, Director of Family Ministries and Communication
Paula will work with the Building Care lead, as well as the staff and leadership team to ensure that daily and weekly church operations and communication continue accordingly. - Prayer Ministry: Hilary Sharp
The prayer ministry will continue to function as it would if Pastor Rob was present. - Care Ministry: Misty Anderson
The care ministry will continue to function as it would if Pastor Rob was present, with the addition of several trained or equipped leaders sharing the responsibility of spiritual and pastoral care.
What if I truly have an emergency?
Crises/emergencies will go to/through staff, then, leadership team chair (Kate Alter: KateAlter@restorationcov.org) or vice-chair (Greg Carlson: GregCarlson@restorationcov.org), and the whole group if needed, and then to Pastor Scott Nelson (Associate Superintendent of our regional church conference) or another representative from the conference.
Pastor Scott Nelson will be the final discernment/decision maker of if/when to involve Pastor Rob during sabbatical.
What will Pastor Rob do during this time away?
Honestly, a sabbatical is more focused on what a pastor will NOT do. After consulting with other churches and pastors, Pastor Rob is working with a sabbatical advisor to help him navigate the recommended stages of sabbatical:
- Release and Rest. During this first phase he will disengage from the ministry and leadership responsibilities. It doesn’t mean ceasing from all activity. Rather, it means stopping ministry activities and, where possible, other areas of leadership and job responsibility. He will lean into what restores him emotionally and physically and feeds him spiritually.
- Reflection and Revision. During this phase, he will consider how God has spoken in the past and posture himself to hear His voice in the present and for the future. He will schedule extended times alone with God, to listen for his voice and what God wants to say to him, and ask the Father, “What changes in ministry, leadership, thoughts and habits would you like me to change as a result of hearing from You?”
- Renewal and Re-Entry: Prepare to transition back into ministry and leadership.
What does this mean for the Jacobson family?
Michele and Rob have planned some renewing and recreational adventures--as a family, a couple and some 1 on 1 time with each of their adult kids (as their schedules allow).
Rob says, “I have strongly sensed two themes from God for my sabbatical time: one is willingly following the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to prepare me for what God has already planned but I have yet to know/understand. The second is a verse from Psalm 23, “He makes me lie down in green pastures…” Green pastures are places where the sheep play and eat--so what is God inviting me to when he tells or makes me lie down in places where I think I should play or feast? In both of these invitations is also the strong call to seek him in the stillness, slowness, silence and solitude.
Is this a sign that Pastor Rob is leaving our church?
Pastor Rob is not updating his resume, searching for other jobs or moving across the country. He is not ill. His marriage is healthy and his kids are well. This sabbatical is a joyful blessing for him, his family and for Restoration. Let us anticipate and trust the work God will do in us and in him.
How can we best support the pastor during this time away?
In a word, PRAYER!
- Pray that my time with God will be filled with refreshment, goodness, love and truth. Pray that the Lord speaks to me about his love and my identity, and then pray that he would speak his vision and my vocation. Pray that He will give me insight and perspective, to receive his love more fully and love Him more deeply, in a way that overflows to my life, leadership and our ministry.
- Pray that my family and I can rest and make memories during this time. Pray that my family would benefit from this time as well. Pray that we make the best use of our time together, that the normal demands of life can be delayed or waylaid, and our time together is filled with life, love and laughter.
- Pray for our Restoration staff and leaders. I have so much confidence in God and our leaders. We are unified in our mission and vision, we have a strong sense of where God is leading us before, during and after this time away, and I am incredibly expectant in what God wants to do through our entire church community during this time!
- There is a prayer team praying for pastor Rob and his wife AND the church during sabbatical.
And lastly,
It’s okay to talk to him, right?
We will distance ourselves from Rob as Restoration’s pastor and treat him and his wife as Rob and Michele, a part of our Restoration family. So if you see Rob or Michele in the community, please feel free to say hello as a friend and spiritual companion in Christ. Ask them about their family or any other sort of topic that you would talk to a friend about. Remember, they are still a part of our family! You can respect the sabbatical by not talking church business or calling/texting/messaging Rob or Michele because Rob is your pastor.
If you need pastoral care, you can call/text the church at 952-373-1274 or email the Care Team care@restorationcov.org. They will be able to help you or connect you with one of the members of the spiritual/pastoral care team.
As for phone, digital communication and social media, Pastor Rob will be completely away from his email and mostly his phone and socials as well. These will have automated responses. Please use Restoration’s other resources while he is away.