The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.

Last episode, Micki Ann and Rusty McKie introduced the topic of sabbaticals. In this episode, Micki Ann interviews pastor Tracy Edwards, who shares his story of working with his congregation to take a much-needed break from ministry.

In his seventeen years of pastoring, Tracy had never taken a sabbatical. It wasn’t until he was overwhelmed by the difficulty of leading a small congregation during the Covid crisis that he reached a breaking point. During a conversation with a counselor, Tracy was able to identify feeling dry and disconnected from God, problems which were affecting both his work in the church and his relationship with his family. With support and encouragement from his congregation and family, Tracy took a one-month sabbatical that culminated in a solo trip where the Lord spoke to the heart of the issue. 

This is the second of three episodes about sabbaticals. Listen in to this episode to hear more about Tracy’s experience and why sabbaticals are critical for ministry leaders.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

• [0:50] Explaining the extended focus on sabbaticals
• [2:03] What is a sabbatical?
• [4:06] Introducing Tracy Edwards
• [9:23] The unique challenges of being a pastor
• [11:37] Factors leading to Tracy’s sabbatical
• [15:19] Turning point: General Assembly
  • Conversation with a counselor
    • Hose analogy
    • Circle exercise
  • Feeling “dry” and disconnected from the Lord
• [18:49] The issue of pastors not being able to connect with each other
• [20:59] The dry place and ministry
• [23:03] Steps Tracy took for restoration
  • Connected with local counselor
  • Talked to leadership about sabbatical
  • Honesty with congregation
• [27:31] How Tracy’s family was affected
• [29:52] Details about sabbatical 
  • Unplugging from work/church
  • 10-day vacation with wife and daughter
  • Solo camping trip
• [32:37] Pivotal moment alone with God
• [37:31] Encouragement to take sabbaticals and following Jesus’s example
• [42:46] Churches: pray for your pastor
• [45:53] Practicals for those who aren’t able to take a sabbatical 
• [47:03] True vacation means skipping Sundays

Links and Resources:

• A Beautiful Church website
• Chattanooga House of Prayer website
• Give today
• Resources from the Chattanooga House of Prayer

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