Values that Make Our Heart Sing: Sabbatical News

On Friday, March 3, I texted Pastor Nathan to wish him a happy installation anniversary. Four years ago, on Transfiguration Sunday, we held a special gathering of worship to officially install Pastor Nathan. The entire weekend was fun and memorable. Rev. Dr. Katie Hays, lead evangelist for Galileo Church, preached the service; Rev. Dr. Eugene Butler, represented the Christian Church in Ohio; Rev. Dr. Valerie Forstman, Associate Dean for Common Life and Director of Admissions, represented Brite Divinity School; and Dr. Al Travis, organist at Broadway Baptist Church, blew out any settled dust in the pipes of our organ. What a significant day in the life of our church!

Our covenantal agreement with Pastor Nathan provides a 13-week sabbatical after 5 years of service. He will meet his five year anniversary on September 1 of this year! Sabbaticals aren’t paid vacations but rather time for rest and renewal for both the pastor and the congregation. Our church leadership began planning for Pastor Nathan’s sabbatical several weeks ago, and we’re excited to share some of the ideas with you. We are confident that this upcoming sabbatical will be a testament of our faith and fortitude, not just among ourselves, but to our community as well.

Pastor Nathan, Gerald Western (Chair of the Elders), Ron Dauphin (Chair of the Board), Megan Rowe (Vice Chair of the Board) and I are writing a proposal for a Clergy Renewal Grant through Christian Theological Seminary, which the Lilly Foundation funds. If awarded, the grant would fund part or all activities proposed to take place during the sabbatical in addition to funds to cover Pastor Nathan’s duties while he is away.

Here are some of ideas we’re including in the grant proposal. Pastor Nathan and Chad will spend a month in Santa Fe, and Nathan will take part in meditative practice at the Mountain Cloud Zen Center, where his former colleague, Dr. Forstman, is the lead teacher. After their time in Santa Fe, Pastor Nathan will go to the New Skete Monastery in Cambridge, New York, and inhabit a monastic rhythm of life. The monks of New Skete are known world-wide for training dogs, particularly German Shepherds. Thunder will accompany Nathan for this trip, much to Chad’s relief.

Our church’s plans are exciting, too! We’re requesting funding for guest preachers and activities, and we’re also hoping to engage the Just Values program with Dr. Barbara McClure. Through Pastor Nathan’s work with Dr. McClure, he learned about Just Values, a “system for understanding 125 individual and organizational values and linking them to an exhaustive list of skills and behaviors” (just-values.com). Congregational leaders as well as the sabbatical grant committee have met with Dr. McClure to learn about this program and how it can inspire both church and pastor toward renewal, rebirth, and regeneration.

There’s another exciting piece about this grant for all of us. Following Transfiguration Sunday, February 11, 2024, Pastor Nathan will leave for sabbatical. All of us will journey through the seasons of Lent and Easter. During this time, we will increase our faith practices, engage in spiritual direction, and discern the values that make our hearts sing. Pastor Nathan’s first Sunday back in the pulpit will be Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 2024.

Over the last four years, we have demonstrated our enthusiasm, resilience, and dedication to God, church, and neighbor. Furthermore, we experience God’s faithfulness every day! While a sabbatical of thirteen weeks could cause some anxiety and fear, we welcome this opportunity to ponder anew all the Almighty will do. Will you join with us in prayer as we navigate this valuable process? With your partnership and the Spirit’s guidance, we’ll embrace the opportunity to grow and imagine the future God wants and ultimately will have. We have exciting possibilities to explore, and God will lead us every step of the way!

Blessings,
Lauri Warfield (Vice Chair of the Elders)