At Christian Home Exchange, we believe that the world will be a better place once pastors and all Christians take seriously the word, “Go,” as in “Go, therefore …” (Matthew 28:19).
Many refer to the world these days as the Global Village, but it seems to me that most of us are just sitting around in our tents and refusing to become an active member of our village. New ideas and new ways of doing things abound, just waiting for us to get out there and share them with others. The Christian Church will experience much-needed renewal and transformation once church leaders Get Going.
And the Christian Home Exchange is one of the best resources available to help us all Get Going.
The Christian ministry can make better use of the home exchange than any other profession in the world! This is especially the case since clergy ought to be taking sabbaticals on a regular basis. A home exchange is one of the most affordable ways to take a sabbatical. And we have to stop thinking of sabbaticals as “optional.” Sabbaticals are essential for the life and growth of the church—especially a sabbatical that incorporates a faith journey with a home exchange.
Good stewardship is probably one of the premiere reasons for bringing the home exchange into the Get Going strategy for the renewal of churches and their leaders. When a pastor is gone on a sabbatical, their home sits empty. (This is especially true when families take a healthy family-centered approach to the sabbatical and the whole family goes on the sabbatical!) But, during a home exchange, that home is still occupied by someone else who is out and about in The Village.
Another great reason for including a home exchange in sabbatical planning is that sabbaticals actually happen when they become affordable. No matter how important it is for ministers (and their spouses and families) to take a sabbatical, money seems to be the constant stumbling block. With a home exchange in the mix, though, the expense of the sabbatical is little more than the cost of transportation to and from your destination.
You can’t afford to fly to Norway or Germany or India? No problem. Go ahead and arrange for a home exchange you can drive to. For the creative pastor and congregation, the focus is on the word, “Go.” We just need to Get Going—to get out of town—not merely to rest, but to grow and to experience renewal.
Image: Go! by D. Shiell © Christian Home Exchange. All Rights Reserved.
