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At Cedar Creek Ministries, one thing we’ve learned is this: when pastors rest, their families heal too.

Over the years, we’ve welcomed countless pastors and leaders to our cabins, men and women who looked exhausted, their spouses carrying unseen burdens, and children quietly adapting to the constant demands of ministry. And over and over again, we’ve witnessed something powerful: when leaders finally slow down, their families rediscover each other.

It’s not always the late-night phone calls, hospital visits, or counseling sessions that break pastors down, it’s what those interruptions steal from their families. Ministry doesn’t just drain leaders; it drains the people who love them most.

That’s why Cedar Creek Ministries exists: not only to give pastors rest, but to create sacred space for marriages and families to reconnect.

Ministry Is a Family Calling

We often say that when one person is called into ministry, the whole family is called. Children grow up competing with church calendars. Spouses share their husband or wife with an entire congregation. Family time is interrupted by crises, meetings, and “just one more” phone call.

And while pastors may willingly carry that load, their families often carry it too, without choosing it.

That’s why sabbaticals and retreats aren’t just for pastors; they’re for their households. They give families a chance to breathe, talk, laugh, and remember what it feels like to belong to one another without the constant weight of ministry pressing in.

Stories of Family Renewal

Every family we host teaches us again why this work matters. Here are just a few:

• A pastor’s wife sat on the porch, tears in her eyes, and said: “This is the most time I’ve seen my husband in years.” Ministry had consumed him, but here she got her husband back.
  
  
• A young couple with small children left their kids with grandparents to spend a few days onsite. They told us, “We haven’t made intentional alone time since our first child was born, five years ago.” Those days together reminded them why they fell in love in the first place.
  
  
• One pastor shared quietly, “It just feels so nice not to feel like I have to be ‘on’ while I’m here.” For the first time in a long time, he wasn’t the counselor, the preacher, the fixer, or the leader. He was simply a man, a husband, a father, resting in God’s presence.
  
  

These aren’t rare stories, they’re constant. They remind us that pastoral care isn’t only about preventing burnout in leaders, it’s about protecting the health of marriages and families.

Sabbaticals That Heal Families

Too often, sabbaticals are imagined as isolated retreats where pastors study and rest alone. But true sabbaticals should also be a gift to the whole family.

When families take sabbaticals together, they:

• Rebuild joy through laughter and play.
  
  
• Restore marriages through conversation and time.
  
  
• Reset rhythms of meals, rest, and family traditions.
  
  

That’s why at Cedar Creek Ministries, we make space for hikes, campfires, family dinners, and long unhurried mornings. Because if a sabbatical refreshes the pastor but leaves the family exhausted, it hasn’t done its full work.

Priorities Over Busyness

One of the most common themes we hear onsite is this: “We didn’t realize how far we had drifted until we slowed down.”

Pastors often confess through tears:

• “I thought I was serving my family by serving the church, but I was missing them.”
  
  
• “We’ve let busyness replace our real priorities.”
  
  
• “I don’t want my kids to grow up resenting ministry.”
  
  

These aren’t moments of failure, they’re moments of clarity. And clarity brings change. Sabbaticals give leaders and families the chance to reorder their priorities, placing Christ first, family second, and ministry in its rightful place.

Prayer: The Hidden Strength of Families

If there’s one thing every church member can do to protect their pastor’s family, it’s pray.

Prayer sustains marriages. Prayer strengthens children. Prayer guards families from spiritual attack. And prayer gives pastors wisdom to balance calling and home life.

This is why we created the Prayer Pledge Drive Journal. It’s not just for praying over Sunday sermons or ministry growth, it’s for covering pastors’ marriages, spouses, and children in prayer every single day.

Inside the journal you’ll find:

• Daily prompts for wisdom, endurance, joy, and protection.
  
  
• Scriptures that anchor your intercession.
  
  
• Space to reflect on what God shows you as you pray.
  
  

And here’s the truth: anytime is a good time to start praying for your pastor. You don’t have to wait for Pastor Appreciation Month. Whether it’s October, January, or the middle of summer, your prayers make a difference right now.

That’s why the Prayer Pledge Drive Journal is designed to start anytime, with guided steps that help you stay faithful in covering your pastor and their family.