Staff Care & Well-Being
Church staff and volunteers spend their days caring for others, and their own health and faith can quietly slip to the bottom of the list. Caring for staff isn’t a perk. It’s part of how a congregation lives what it preaches. These resources are for staff members themselves and for the clergy, boards, and personnel committees who support them.
Rest and Healthy Rhythms
Protect a real day off each week, and put it in writing (in the job description or handbook) so it holds up in busy seasons.
Set shared expectations for after-hours email, texts, and social media messages. A line in your email signature, such as “Please don’t feel pressured to respond outside your work hours,” helps everyone.
Plan ahead for the crunch seasons (Advent and Christmas, Holy Week and Easter, stewardship season) with earlier deadlines, fewer extras, and time off afterward.
Cross-train so people can actually step away. See Emergency Planning.
Consider a sabbatical policy. Congregations can apply for Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs grants, administered by Christian Theological Seminary, to fund a pastor’s renewal leave.
Mental Health and Burnout
Burnout often looks like exhaustion, cynicism about the work, or a sense that nothing you do is ever enough. Watch for it in yourself and your colleagues, and talk about it early.
Start the conversation privately and without judgment: “You’ve seemed stretched thin lately. How are you really doing?”
Know your Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Most denominational health plans include free, confidential counseling for employees and their households (see below).
Train a few staff members or lay leaders in Mental Health First Aid, a course from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that teaches how to recognize and respond when someone is struggling. Find a course.
If you or someone you know is in crisis in the U.S., call or text 988, or chat online, to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It’s free, confidential, and available 24/7.
Faith and Vocation
The people who plan worship rarely get to simply worship. Make room for staff to be fed, not only to serve.
Spiritual direction: a trained companion helps you notice where God is at work in your life. Find one through Spiritual Directors International’s directory.
Retreats and quiet days: give staff paid time for an annual retreat, and consider a quiet day for the whole team.
Daily prayer: a short office before work can anchor the day. The PC(USA) Daily Prayer app is free and works for anyone.
Discernment: sometimes care means an honest conversation about whether a role still fits, or what needs to change for it to.
Wellness and Counseling Benefits by Tradition
Eligibility depends on your church’s health plan, so check with your benefits administrator or regional office.
Episcopal: Church Pension Group’s Health & Wellness page covers the Cigna Employee Assistance Program for clergy and lay employees in CPG health plans. CPG also offers CREDO wellness retreats for clergy.
PC(USA): the Board of Pensions’ Mental Well-Being and Employee Assistance Plan offers counseling for members in its medical plans and their households.
ELCA: Portico Benefit Services’ Employee Assistance Program, provided through Spring Health since January 2026, offers therapy and coaching for members and dependents.
UMC: Wespath’s HealthFlex Well-Being Programs include an Employee Assistance Program open to family and household members.
Related Resources
Employee Handbooks: time-off, leave, and well-being policies
Job Descriptions: realistic workloads start with clear roles