SALMOS 46:10

Because attendance typically surges on the Sunday that Christians celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection, Easter weekend represents one of the most rewarding — and challenging — times of the year for church leaders. We created this audio YouVersion Rest Plan to help church staff celebrate all that God did, rest from the work that went into preparing and executing, and reset for the ministry still to come.

Workaholism and constant busyness are often applauded in our world, and it can be a challenge to rest. In order to execute our roles and plans effectively, we must learn to rest or we will have nothing left to contribute to those we love and to the goals we’ve set. Let’s spend the next five days learning about rest and how we can incorporate what we've learned into our lives.

Often we feel as if we’re not doing enough. Then we feel guilty because we’re supposed to be having quiet times with God too—but when we try to slow down, our hearts and minds are still busy. The story of Mary and Martha offers us guidance as well as grace in this tension. It’s a story of two sisters. It’s a story for each of us.

As New York pastor Rich Villodas defines it, a deeply formed life is a life marked by integration, intersection, intertwining, and interweaving, holding together multiple layers of spiritual formation. This kind of life calls us to be people who cultivate lives with God in prayer, move toward reconciliation, work for justice, have healthy inner lives, and see our bodies and sexuality as gifts to steward.