Pastoral Leadership Team Test Drives The Shepherd’s Rest

The LBC Pastoral Leadership Team is announcing a new initiative to curtail pastoral burnout. Employing a collaborative methodology, The Shepherd’s Rest is an opportunity for a local church pastor to experience a sabbatical while the pastoral leadership team oversees the preaching and pastoral ministries of the church.

“We’re “test driving” The Shepherd’s Rest,” said Stacy Morgan.

“It is like I am serving a short interim at no cost to the church,” added Morgan. “This allows them to give their pastor the time off with full compensation without being a financial burden to the church.

“People in other professions take extended time away and pastors ought to be encouraged to do so too,”

Based on the Mark 6:31 passage “And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while,” the Pastoral Leadership Team designed this initiative to give a pastor a brief sabbatical with the assurance that the church he serves has pastoral oversight.

“Spiritual burnout of pastors is a genuine area of concern for churches,” says Morgan. “The Shepherd’s Rest affords an extended time of rest in order that a pastor can be revitalized by the Spirit of God.”

• The Shepherd’s Rest ministry provides:
  • * An opportunity for an extended time of leave to pastors, regardless of church size. This opportunity to rest, study, pray, and refocus his ministry is a privilege typically available only in larger churches and some theological institutions.
  • * Experienced pastoral leadership for the church during the sabbatical period.
  • * A plan that avoids any added financial burden on the church.
  • * A new avenue of cooperation between churches, associations, and the Louisiana Baptist Convention.
    According to Morgan there are some basic prerequisites for a church and pastor who desire to participate in The Shepherd’s Rest initiative:
  • * The pastor has served at his present church for at least three (3) years and commits to spend the time away wisely to pursue personal revitalization.
  • * The church commits to pray for their pastor and provide full compensation to their pastor during the interim period.
  • * Cooperation – as part of the LBC/Church/Pastor partnership, the church must be willing to allow a Cooperative Program presentation during the sabbatical ministry.

If a church chooses to participate and contacts the Pastoral Leadership office, the team commits to enlist a Sabbatical Pastor who provides pastoral leadership during the pastor’s leave without the expectation of remuneration from the congregation.

To request more information on The Shepherd’s Rest, contact Stacy Morgan of the Pastoral Leadership Team of the Louisiana Baptist Convention at 318.449.4293 or stacy.morgan@lbc.org.

Southwest Regional
Preaching Conference:

NORTHERN REGION EDDIE DEHONDT LBC Northern Bivo Consultant 22 associations Bayou Macon Bienville Webster-Claiborne Caldwell Concord-Union Delta DeSoto Deer Creek Jackson LaSalle Madison Morehouse Natchitoches Northeast Northwest North Sabine Ouachita Red River Richland Sabine Shady Grove Winn eddie.dehondt@lbc.org

SOUTHERN REGION Gary Mitchell LBC Southern Bivo Consultant 21 associations Acadia BAGBR-   Greater Baton Rouge BAGNO-   Greater New Orleans Bayou Baptist Beauregard Big Creek Carey Central La. Chappapeela Eastern Louisiana Evangeline Gulf Coast LaTangi Louisiana Mt. Olive North Rapides St. Tammany Two Rivers Vernon Washington William Wallace gary.mitchell@gmx.com

SERMON SECTION
These sermons are in a .txt format. I will post 1 for each Sunday in the month from the New Testament and 1 for each Sunday in the Old Testament. They are intended to assist the busy pastor and not to be sold. Jerry Vines has provided these sermons in a series. Use them if they fit your need.
Matthew 1:1-17 Matthew 1:18-25 Matthew 2:1-12 Matthew 2:13-15	Genesis 1:1-2 Genesis 1:3-25 Genesis 1:26-31 Genesis 2:1-17

Statement from B.S.C.L.N. Vice President - Financial Matters — Larry Barnes
fcba@watvc.com
One in a Thousand
There are approximately 23,000 churches in the Southern Baptist Convention who are served by bivocational pastors. An additional 8,000 churches run 75 or less in morning worship. This means that more than 30,000 churches and 30,000 pastors are served by the BSCLN. Of these 60,000 units, can you envision 1,000 (either churches or pastors) who would donate $100 per year to support a "National Director of B.S.C.L.N.".
Printed materials will be ready, soon, and a download that can be printed as a bulletin insert is available on our web site. And, you might prayerfully consider being One in a Thousand. I believe that your investment will produce great blessings to many pastors and the churches that they serve.
B.S.C.L.N. Web Site
--Larry Barnes Response to Statement
If you want to become:
One In A Thousand
send your $100.00 check to:
B.S.C.L.N. One In A Thousand
C/O Joyce Byrd - Treasurer
5111 Marc Court,
Nashville, TN 37211