How Do You Stay in Ministry for the Long Haul?

In this episode of Rural Pastors Talk, TJ Freeman, Joe Wagner, and Josh MacClaren swap favorite vacation spots before pivoting to a needed conversation about rest for pastors. They discuss the common extremes: discouraged pastors who drift into laziness versus pastors who can’t shut ministry off. Then Josh lays out a biblical theology of rest from creation, the Sabbath, and the gospel, including the promised rest fulfilled in Christ and awaited in the new heavens and new earth. The guys talk practical rhythms like guarding a day off, setting boundaries with texts and phones, and how physical work can be restorative. TJ shares about taking a Lilly Endowment-funded sabbatical focused on unplugging, counseling, journaling, and family time, and encourages pastors to evaluate where they are on the “rest continuum” and take steps toward faithful, God-honoring rest.