4 Ways Ministers Can Slow Down After Advent

We know that Advent and Christmas is a busy time of year for ministers.

• As a Youth Minister, you probably just finished up Fall Retreat in November and are trying to plan the perfect game for your Christmas Party this weekend.

• As a Children's Minister, you are pulling out costumes from the closet for the beloved Christmas Pageant, hoping the kids remember their lines.

• As a Music Minister, you are so busy that you won't read this until January.

• And as a Senior Minister, you are trying to figure out how to preach the same story for the 3rd, 6th, or 12th time.

You work hard to help others anticipate the coming of Christ. We teach our congregations to "slow down" and "reflect on the true meaning of Advent," but when we are busy, it can be hard for us to practice what we preach.

Leaders need to be undergirded by planned seasons of rest. When leaders prioritize restoration, they strengthen their ability to minister to others with clarity and authentic compassion.

Rest is not an escape from calling—it is an investment in leadership.

However you decide to find rest after Advent, we hope these 4 suggestions will help.

4 Ways to Slow Down After Advent

1. Take Some Time Off

This one seems easy, but for many of us it can be difficult to take time off. But one of the best ways to slow down is to take time off work.

Many churches have their offices closed the week after Christmas. Use that time to take vacation, invite someone else to preach over the New Years weekend, or treat yourself to a staycation.

You could also use the beginning of the year to plan your vacation time for 2026. Just planning days off can help relieve stress, knowing that you will have a break in the future.

2. Say "No" or "Not Right Now" To More Things in January

We love to care for our community, so saying "no" to things or "not right now" can be hard, especially when you are getting paid by that congregation. By saying "no" or "not right now" allows you to set healthy boundaries.

Learn more on the power of saying "No" in this article by Nora Lozano

3. Let Us Help You Book A Retreat

Many of you may be working on tight church budgets that may not have funding for retreats, but we do offer scholarships for travel and trips.

Maybe you are so busy that you won't have time after Christmas to slow down. Planning a retreat can be a great way to protect future time for needed rest.

See how a retreat helped Pastor Phil Miller-Evans slow down:

"The first week of November, several pastors gathered for a retreat that was as refreshing as it was inspiring. Hosted at Our Lady of Perpetual Healing Retreat Center in Venice, Florida, the setting was peaceful and perfectly suited for prayer, reflection, and fellowship. The invitation came from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Tennessee (CBF of Tennessee), and I was grateful for the opportunity to join in.

Away from the usual routines, we had the chance to slow down, pray, and reflect. It was a semi-silent retreat. Conversations occurred primarily during meal times. Our time together reminded everyone that even leaders need moments to be still and listen for God’s voice.



I spent time rereading C S Lewis Screwtape Letters and Henri Nouwen’s The Genesee Diary. The retreat offered space to recharge spiritually and to strengthen the bonds of fellowship among those who serve our church family.

On returning home, I carried back renewed energy and vision for the months ahead. It’s clear that the time apart was not just a retreat, but a reminder of the importance of rest, renewal, and community in ministry."

4. Let Us Help You Take A Sabbatical

To encourage sabbatical rest for our church leaders, we have grants available.

This is a big undertaking, but worth the effort. See how Rev. Dr. Joe LaGuardia is planning his upcoming Sabbatical:

"The best way to beat burnout is for a church to have policies that protect the pastor and staff's need for vacation, personal time, sick time, and - what some people forget about - time for sabbatical. 

I was supposed to have sabbatical within five years of ministry at First Baptist, but COVID interrupted those plans. So, after nearly 20 years of full-time ministry overall, I am taking a sabbatical in June - September of 2026.

According to Rober Saler, director of the Lilly Endowment Renewal Project, a pastoral sabbatical is "an extended period in which the pastor steps away from the day-to-day practices of ministry in order to focus on spiritual development with an eye toward returning to the congregation with renewed energy for ministry" (Saler, Planning Sabbaticals, 3). 

It incorporates both the pastor and the congregation in the work of renewal. People don't realize that sabbatical is a time of intentional renewal (this is different from a vacation, which is purely recreational) for the church as much as it is for the pastor!

My sabbatical will focus on what I love most: Reading and writing. But I want to focus on another hobby of mine, biblical cosmology. Psalm 19 states, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God . . . The Law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul" (v. 1, 7).

The purpose of the sabbatical renewal project is to provide an intentional time of prayer, reflection, and discovery for the congregation and me surrounding the origins of the universe, the heavens that declare the glory of God, and the awe that inspires spiritual revitalization."

Remember, We Want To Help

Most importantly, you don't have to figure this all out on your own. If you feel like you are needing rest after the busy season of Advent, simply reach out to us.

Merry Christmas & God Bless,

Rev. Tammy Snyder