Last year at about this time, I was consumed with a grant application to the Lily Foundation for a short sabbatical. The Oxford Dictionary defines sabbatical as “a period of paid leave granted to a university teacher or other worker for study or travel, traditionally one year for every seven years worked”. As I approach fifteen years of ordained ministry and begin my ninth year at SMLC, this sabbatical would have been my first and probably only one. As a part of that application we crafted a video that told some of Saint Michael story and why a sabbatical was something beneficial both to a leader and to the congregation. You can still view that video here if you would like.
However, the foundation had a large number of applications and ours was declined. As a congregation, we could apply again but given the time and energy required, I proposed a somewhat scaled down approach to the church council that I called a “mini-sabbatical”. It would only be about six weeks instead of three months and the reduced cost would be mostly covered by the congregation. The council enthusiastically agreed to this and recognized the need for some time away to regroup and refresh in addition to the vacation time allocated each year.
Many of you have been asking about the details so here is the plan being put in place:
Goals:
- Detach from the daily demands and responsibility of ministry and provide time for spiritual renewal as well as physical wellness.
- Connect with nature by camping to the Atlantic Coast and back.
- Visit ministry and community sites where there is an intentional meeting of land and people.
- Reconnect with seminary classmates who live in the area.
- Read some books and learn from the people we encounter.
- Strengthen the life Shelli and I share together.
The timeline would be something close to this:
- May 29 – June 3: Time on the farm for Tim while Shelli finishes school.
- June 4 – July 14: Forty days of camping to Maine and returning through Canada.
Then I return to ministry but you won’t likely see me for a bit. After we get back to Omaha and have a few days to unpack, I leave with the high school youth for the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans July 15-21. I will be back in the office on July 23rd and the youth will then lead worship on the weekend of July 27/28. The following Sunday, August 4th, will be Vicar Katie’s last Sunday at SMLC. Some regular vacation will also happen at some point but that would be for a shorter time.
So it will be a full summer, with Vicar Katie continuing her internship under the supervision of Pastor Joyce Miller while I am away. There will be pastoral help from several of the other ordained clergy in the congregation including several days of office hours that a pastor keeps each week. Those schedules are still being put together but I have every confidence pastoral care and worship leadership will be excellently supplied.
Now we come to the congregation’s responsibility. You each have an important role in this time as well. One of your tasks is to stay engaged with one another and engaged in the life of the community. This is not my church. It does not depend upon me or center around me. The church is Christ’s body and you are all individually members of it. My time away can also be a time of strengthening and growth for the whole congregation. Think of these 40 days as something like a church season, a time when you can have an intentional focus on building and strengthening our life together.
- Make an extra effort to worship and take part in activities.
- Start a new group.
- Study and discuss a new topic.
- Invite others to experience worship and service.
- Continue the call process for a second pastor.
- Give extra support to our Vicar and her work.
- Celebrate and support the staff.
- Bring new ideas for the direction God might be calling us as a congregation.
- Step into a leadership role you might not have experienced before.
- Send a card, make a call, visit or go out to eat with someone who might need your presence.
When I return, not only do I want to tell you about my experiences and learning, but I also want to hear about your experiences and your learning! We will find some time to do that and a way for everyone to share. In the meantime, I seek your prayers for guidance and direction for all of us. In the midst of challenging times, may God grant the church a renewed sense of purpose and the power to bring healing and hope to fractured world. Thank you all for being you and for following the call to be community together.