Friends in Christ,
With gratitude to you, I am planning a 3-month sabbatical this fall and want to share some initial plans and how the congregation will be cared for and led during my time away.
In the Diocese of Colorado, clergy sabbaticals are an expected component to the clergy and parish relationship and provisions are included in the Letter of Agreement. Our Bishop advises congregations to offer sabbaticals every five years of service. Many of you will recall that I took a sabbatical in 2012 and was beginning to plan for one in 2020 when the pandemic visited us.
The purpose of a clergy sabbatical differs from academic sabbaticals where a professor might be expected to conduct research, publish a book, or otherwise engage in professional development. Clergy sabbaticals are set aside for clergy renewal in body, mind, and spirit. While they often include a pattern for study, they can also be used for rest, travel, and personal enrichment. In 2012 I focused on the theological themes of calling and vocation and the development of a theology of work. This fall, I am gathering ideas and sketching out plans where I intend to brush up on Pauline studies, practice a rhythm of prayer and exercise to renew my own vocation as a priest, and spend time with my family.
Typically, there is also a congregational dimension to the sabbatical wherein the congregation working toward goals and objectives. These might include, for example, developing a new member ministry, or pursuing outreach at a deeper level, or coordinating an adult forum series. These are intended to help us all grow and develop. It can be an exciting and stretching time for everyone!
The vestry sets aside monies in a “Sabbatical Fund” to provide resources to help me benefit from this time and, importantly, to provide ‘coverage’ for the congregation in terms of liturgy, pastoral care and leadership.
Here are some things that I think you will find of interest:
The vestry and wardens are meeting with me this weekend to pray and deliberate on the coming year at Saint Gabriel. Part of our discussion will focus on the fall.
You can be confident that our church staff, led by our parish administrator Meg Stern and supported by your wardens, Fr. EJ, Sharon Stewart and Cecily Fink, and Mark Kelly, Caroline Johnson and Nicole Heifferon in their roles will ensure the smooth operation of the parish.
Fr. EJ has agreed to assume pastoral care needs, including hospital visitations and officiating funerals should they occur. Between us we have a Letter of Agreement that includes compensation for this enhanced role. I am very grateful to EJ for his willingness to serve in this capacity and to continue his monthly pattern of preaching.
During the fall, I’ve asked visiting clergy to officiate and preach on Sundays. I think folks who’ve been around here a long time will be very excited to know that Rev’ds John Andrews, Nina Stasser, and Kathy Boeschenstein – who served as clergy at Saint Gabriel many moons ago will preach and officiate at least weekend. In addition, other clergy friends and colleagues will be here as well – the Rev Jack Stapleton, the Rev. Cathy Cook Hitch, the Rev. John Wengrovius and the Rev. Joseph Wolyniak.
I will profile each of these wonderful people in the Trumpet over the course of the summer.
The dates for this are: August 29 – November 26. I look forward to resuming my duties on the First Sunday of Advent.