Creating Proper Expectations for Time Off: The Difference Between Visits, Trips, Vacations, and Sabbaticals

Not all time away from ministry is created equal. 

Recognizing the difference between visits, trips, vacations and sabbaticals helps you set healthy expectations and prevent disappointment. Each one has a different goal and outcome and yet they can become muddled and cause conflict internally, among family, and between supporters or coworkers.

Visits

Whether it’s for a holiday or a special occasion, we often block off space in our busy calendars to participate in significant moments or events with family.

Though you may take “vacation days” to do it, any time you spend with extended family should not be considered vacation. It is a visit. And visits are a completely different animal. 

Even if you are headed to a neutral or exciting destination (i.e. you are all meeting up in Mexico for a week at the beach), the subtle nature of family-story-conscription can quickly alter the space from fun to headache, relaxing to hard work.

The dynamics of extended family will always reenact old narratives that we are unconsciously conscripted to play. Though you may have been out of the house for years, you find yourself feeling like that little boy or girl again and forced to play a role you never signed up for. You find yourself caught in the middle of your parents’ arguments, you realize you are defending your younger sibling from your older one, or you are making all the decisions again.

When we recognize that time with family is a visit and not a vacation, we alter our expectations for what we will get out of the time away. Most visits are not refreshing. There may be fun elements, for sure, but overall the dynamics of family visits require more from us than they offer to us. 

Unfortunately for those in ministry, time off is so limited, we often spend it solely on visits and lack the space or resources for anything else. 

Trips

Many people enjoy exploring new places. Again, this requires time away from work, but often more than visits, trips require a significant investment of research, planning, and money. We often plan trips with friends, family, and those with whom we do ministry and save up our resources in order to make it all happen. The goal of trips is to explore and experience.

While elements of trips can be similar to vacations, trips often require a higher level of energy exertion, and rarely do people come back from trips refreshed physically, emotionally, or spiritually. We often hear people say, “I need to take a vacation from my vacation!” 

Many times ministers take trips as leaders or participants among a group of colleagues, congregants, or students for mission, humanitarian, or vision purposes. 

It’s important for us to enter our trips with clear expectations that while we may see and experience some amazing things, we will likely not return home rested.

Vacations

To vacate means to empty or evacuate. It means to temporarily get away from where you are in order to empty your life of responsibility. Well-designed vacations provide space for you to rest and rejuvenate. Taking vacations is vital for mental, emotional, and spiritual health. 

While vacations often involve sight-seeing and entertainment, a true vacation is designed to create space. Otherwise, you are taking a trip. Very different. The goal of a vacation is to catch your breath and reset. You can’t do that if you are on a visit or a trip. 

Sabbaticals

To sabbath means to suspend reality for an extended period of time, often uncomfortably extended, to return your heart, soul, mind and strength to center. It is a complete stepping away from life with intent and purpose to reconnect with yourself and God. 

While we have much more to say in our sabbatical coaching process, we suggest a three part process in a sabbatical: play, pray, and prepare. 

The goal of a sabbatical is to detox the soul from the stress, confusion, exhaustion and responsibility of ministry that you might place Christ at the center. Sabbath, therefore, is a spiritual practice, whereas visits, trips, and vacations are an earthly practice. 

The next time you plan time away, make sure you know what you are planning so that you can provide your relationships and your own soul the sustaining fuel you need to continue well in ministry. 

Curious about a sustainable means of nourishment and rejuvenation? We propose an alternative to seeking the elusive margin here.