Only Work Sundays | A Laidback Guide to Doing Less while Helping Your Church Thrive (Miller)

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Praise for Only Work Sundays

"Miller's warm, funny and practical guide is a welcome antidote to the burnout, depression, compassion, and vision fatigue that ails many veteran pastors and tired lay leaders these days."
—Molly Baskette, author of How to Begin When Your World Is Ending and Real Good Church

"Miller has given us a sobering caution to the uber-ambitious work ethic that drives us in ministry but depletes us in tandem. This book will help you relax, breathe, and better appreciate your particular function in the grand scheme of church life."
—Kenneth L. Samuel, pastor of Victory for the World Church

"I have long thought that someone should write a book that combines a high respect for the community of the faithful (aka the congregation) with a strong theology of pastoral absence ... absence such as creates deep open space ... absence that empowers and invites creativity. Wonderful!"
—Davida Foy Crabtree, retired (mostly) United Church of Christ minister

Learning from Laziness

Laziness has a bad reputation. It conjures the image of a couch potato. It's treated as a character flaw.

Meanwhile, seminary is the perfect training ground for busyness: full course loads, looming deadlines, too-long-to-read assignments, practical internships, community involvement. Clergy are trained to be busy, bringing an "above and beyond" attitude to overworking in their ministries, anxious to be (and to be seen as) relevant.

Author and pastor Ellis Miller offers the opportunity to break the anxious cycle of busyness by embracing the spiritual wisdom of laziness: the ability to self-regulate, to resist over-functioning, to choose sustainability.

Miller takes readers through the philosophy and practice of laidback ministry, including the benefits to both pastors and congregations.

About the Author

Ellis Miller is a storyteller, quilter, weaver, middle-of-the-pack triathlete, and church pastor serving Edgewood United Church of Christ in East Lansing, Michigan. Miller hoards two days off each week to spend time with their wife, dog, and two cats.

Paperback: 160 pages
ISBN 978-0-8298-0027-2
2023