I Am Taking a 3-Month Sabbatical: Here’s Why

A sabbatical, by my definition, is an extended time away from the regular responsibilities of life to dedicate yourself to rest, renewal, and relationship with God and others.

When I first heard about a friend taking a sabbatical I was not impressed.

In fact, I instantly presumed that person was lazy, lacked responsibility, and was a wimp. If I was honest, I was also jealous. My friend was living a fairy tale, having the opportunity to take that much time off.

Seven years ago, I ventured out to launch a Christian ministry to help disciple people in tech towards Jesus, my son Judah was born, and we moved into a home to intentionally bring the Gospel to our neighbours. Since then, FaithTech has become a global ministry operating in 27 cities across 8 countries, the Lord brought us another child, Anna, with many complications around pregnancy, birth, and beyond, and our home has continued to be a place for neighbourhood life.

Over the past year I have had conversations with trusted friends and mentors about the concept of a sabbatical. It was not out of a place of burn out. It was out of a place of desire to experience the promises of God.

Here are my six reasons for taking a sabbatical:

One: Biblical.?The concept of Sabbath is an incredibly?important biblical idea. Adam and Eve’s very first day was a day of rest (Genesis 2–3). Jesus observed the Sabbath and taught regularly on it. The Sabbatical Year, God’s command to his people to take a year off sabbath every 7 years, is a profoundly beautiful and radical?biblical idea. The reasons and subsequent principles we learn from scripture about the Sabbatical Year are:

• Rest your land and do not work it?(“For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused. Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.” Exodus 23:10–11; Leviticus 25:3–5) —?Principle: rest serves self and others
• Free hired workers?(“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything.” Exodus 21:2) —?Principle: provide a rhythm of freedom from work to your people
• Cancel debts with fellow poor Israelites?(“At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.” Deuteronomy 15:1–18) —?Principle: be extremely generous, specifically to the poor
• Read the Law publicly?(“At the end of every seven years…you shall read this law before them in their hearing.” Deuteronomy 31:9–13) —?Principle: take time to remember what God has done to free you from slavery and commune with Him
• As followers of Jesus, God does not expect us to live by Israel’s laws. However, the wisdom of these laws remains, and the law of the Sabbath is rich with significance for us today.

“Sabbath is not a commandment we are bound to; it’s a promise we’re invited to enjoy.” — Missy Takano

Two: Organizational.?One of my dreams is for FaithTech to become a multi-generational institution. That means, it must last beyond me. To do so, training up others into leadership is absolutely essential for the long-term health of the organization. I believe it will be very healthy for FaithTech for me to take a sabbatical for the following three reasons:

• Prepare. Preparation is a very important aspect of the Sabbath. Knowing I’d be away has provided an increased focus on structure and systems for FaithTech to run smoothly while I am away.
• Execute. With a healthy preparation, our team can focus on execution while I am gone. When questions arise that I would normally answer, those in leadership have the opportunity to step into that responsibility and I believe that will be very healthy. I am deeply thankful for the team we have and I have significant trust in their character and capabilities to lead beautifully in my absence.
• Lead. My absence will allow us to see more clearly the capabilities of our other leaders. My absence provides greater opportunities for exposure to giftings and skills that have been either underdeveloped and/or underutilized. This will improve the long-term health of FaithTech.

Three: Prevention. God created us to work out of a place of rest. I know many people that are in a place of burn out and they have given me great advice around prevention. Finding a healthy rhythm of life out of a place of rest is vital. My hope is that time of renewal will help establish healthier long-term rhythms of life.

Four: Healthy Rhythms. Here is the 3 month break down I hope to follow:

• Month 1: Rest. I will take time to rest, including my mind, body, and heart. Do things that fill me up. My favorite Jewish proverb says that those who work with their hands should sabbath with their minds and those who work with their minds should sabbath with their hands. I intend to serve my family by fixing and building a few things for our home that have been delayed and desired for years. Moreover, I plan to truly take time to rest in the Lord in prayer, reading, and bible study.
• Month 2: Pilgrimage. I intend to take time with my family, listening to God, reading, etc. And I intend to take a personal pilgrimage somewhere unexpected to experience God in a unique way. Be in God’s presence. My hope for pilgrimage will be to follow the principles found in scripture for the Sabbath year to serve others, particularly being generous to the poor.
• Month 3: Listen. I plan to take at least one silent retreat. The goal is to let God speak. What is God saying for the next phase of FaithTech? Where is this ministry going? How do we lead like Jesus? How can I be more like Jesus as a husband, a father, and friend?
• Having time to invest properly in these three areas are profoundly important.

Five: Vision. Vision comes from God. By doing an intentional sabbatical, I am posturing myself towards God to hear from him in profound ways. I am allowing space for new ideas to emerge and space for creative thinking. Friends I know have had some of their most life-defining ideas emerge out of a dedicated time of rest and listening.

Six: Relational. Launching a company (two companies technically in Canada & USA) from scratch has certainly taken a major sacrifice for my family and I. The greater anticipated joy for me of a sabbatical is what it will mean and do for my wife and kids. I will be able to care for my kids, support my wife with her responsibilities, and invest in my family in a deep way.

Please pray that this opportunity is exactly what the Lord wants.

Grace and peace,

James