A Word from Laura: Pastor’s Sabbatical
This past Tuesday, the church session officially approved a 12-week pastor’s sabbatical for me, from May 29 – August 20. I’m thankful and looking forward to this opportunity. While this has been in the works for quite a while, the details are now official, and I wanted to make sure that you are in the know. Here are some typical FAQs from congregations about the pastor’s sabbatical, along with responses:
What is a pastor’s sabbatical?
The purpose of a sabbatical is extended Sabbath time – a period away for rest and renewal. It’s an opportunity I wish everyone had; I intend to honor the goal of unplugging from daily and weekly demands. In granting the sabbatical request, the session honored both the presbytery’s policy of granting sabbatical after six years of service (I will have just finished eight!) as well as the commitment you made as a congregation when you called me in 2015. Although it has been a while, the tradition of pastor’s sabbaticals is long-standing at Western.
What will you do during sabbatical?
I am planning some down time at home in Arlington as well as our family’s home in Montreat, NC. While I look forward to worshiping as a family, a rare circumstance for Scott and me, I am intentionally not seeking anything too “churchy.” I hope to do some local day-trips for hiking and historical tours and possibly a woodturning class, but anticipate some truly unstructured days.
We also are planning some family travel. One of our trips will be to the Caribbean, in hopes that our teenage daughter might get to have a “spring break” kind of trip (but with parents!). In celebration of our twenty-fifth anniversary this fall, Scott and I will take a two-week trip to Tuscany. I will honor the practice of “unplugging” from church email and correspondence and look forward to reconnecting when I return in August.
Who will provide pastoral coverage while you are gone?
The Rev. Dr. Dean McDonald, a colleague of mine at Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church more than twenty years ago, will serve as a temporary stated supply for ten of the twelve weeks. Rev. Irene Bennett will also be present most of the time. You’ll hear more about Dean and get the chance to meet her on May 21. She will serve twenty hours a week, leading worship, moderating staff and session meetings, providing emergency pastoral care, and keeping our ministry alive. I love and trust Dean, and I think she will “get” what makes Western special. I hope you will enjoy her presence!
What about all the church activities this summer?
The most important contribution you can make is to remain active in Western’s ministry, showing up on Sunday mornings, volunteering as you feel led, and continuing to support our mission. Your session is committed to fulfilling their responsibilities of leadership this summer! They will continue to meet and have divided up the tasks around personnel searches, ensuring Sunday morning leadership for greeters and hospitality, even special music. You’ll get more details in our weekly email in the following weeks; in the short-term, you may direct personnel-related questions to Kathy Hawk and other session-related questions to our clerk of session, Becky Koenig.
Western friends, I remain grateful for this opportunity. Although I’ve been ordained for almost 25 years, this is my first sabbatical. I began serving church professionally right out of college; in my adult life, I’ve never gone twelve weeks without showing up for work on Sunday! It’s still a little hard to believe. Given the intensity of the last three years that I know many of you have also experienced, I look forward to returning with the benefit of some deep breaths, good rest and new perspective.
Grace and peace,
Laura