What is a sabbatical?
A sabbatical is extended paid time off to seek God’s face and engage in activities that provide rest, refreshment and renewal. Sabbaticals function as a means of revitalization in ministry where both the pastor and the church find a renewed dependency and reliance on God.
What are the dates of Pastor Wade’s sabbatical?
The summer of 2024 (May 15th to August 20th).
What’s the purpose of this sabbatical?
Some years ago the Session studied and developed a sabbatical policy for our pastoral staff. Working with a sub-committee of elders, Wade and Marian are developing goals for this time away. These goals will be threefold:
1) Rest – A time for spiritual and physical rest. Stepping away from the daily activity and stresses of ministry for a few months to pray, reflect on God’s Word, and seek and do “soul care” together.
2) Travel – Wade and Marian will be away from BCS about half of the time of the sabbatical traveling. Some of this will include pastoral retreats, doctorate study and research, and quiet places for reflection.
3) Learning Project – In May, Wade will finish the final academic class on his doctoral program and will begin developing the proposal for his dissertation and research. A part of his time away will be used to visit and meet with mentors and begin refining and writing his research proposal and questions of his qualitative study.
Who will be preaching during this time? Who is responsible for Pastor Wade’s ministry responsibilities during his absence?
Pastor Tree will preach for the majority of the summer, leading us through a series on the book of Esther. In cooperation with Westminster’s elders, he’ll also be responsible for much of the shepherding and we’re developing an on-call list for our elders to care for the congregation in times of need. The session has approved a Sabbatical Team, which along with our staff will assist in other matters and support Pastor Wade during the sabbatical.
For pastoral or shepherding matters, contact Pastor Tree
For church administration or ministry team matters, contact Steve Hampton
For other staff or administration issues, contact Paula Lundgaard
For sabbatical matters or questions, contact Pat Wells
Should I be worried?
Wade and Marian love the church, and we love them. This sabbatical is intended to help deepen their spiritual roots and connections to the Lord and WPC. We look forward to them going and coming back rested and rejuvenated in the Lord. We will have a sendoff for the Colemans in May and a time to welcome them back in August.
How can I help?
- Please pray for the congregation, the elders, the staff, the Colemans and
the Lord’s blessings during this Sabbatical timeframe. We will be highlighting specific prayer requests in the Weekly newsletter and in worship to guide your prayers through this summer. - Respect the Coleman family’s time away.
- Pastor Wade will not be accessing his church email or church cell phone during this time. This is intended to give him a dedicated time of rest from his normal pastoral duties.
- They will be attending other churches during this time to experience how other churches lead their worship services and to worship without having responsibilities to lead.
- In case you are wondering, If you run into the Coleman family at the grocery store, yes you are allowed to talk to them. 🙂