Preaching Sabbatical

On September 12th, I’ll begin a twelve week preaching sabbatical. I’d originally proposed nine weeks, but our session thought twelve weeks would be more helpful. I’m deeply thankful for their care and support of me. It’s another reason why there is no other church I’d rather pastor. In this newsletter I want to share what this sabbatical will look like, my reasons for requesting it and answer some possible questions. 
 

What It Is

The preaching sabbatical is pretty much what it sounds like. I’ll take twelve weeks off from studying, writing and preaching sermons. I’ll keep all my other ministerial duties like pastoral counseling, discipling, hospital visits, funerals, church administration and planning etc. I’ll be available to meet with you or respond to questions as I normally am. We will likely be gone 2-3 Sundays during this time, but otherwise you’ll see me and our family as you normally would. The time I’d normally spend preparing sermons will be used for some writing projects. What are they? You’ll need to keep reading! 

This preaching sabbatical will give you all an opportunity to hear sermons from other pastors. We’ll bring in a number of the people we support through our missions giving, invite  some local pastors, and fill in any remaining slots with our elders.  I know I’m looking forward to listening to sermons for a while instead of giving them; this is one of the great things I miss now that I’m a pastor. 
 

Reasons for Requesting It

I have two primary goals during my twelve weeks off: writing and refreshment. If you’ve been at JVC for more than a few months, you know that I like illustrations from camping and backpacking...  Here's one more! When you go backpacking you need to filter water every day. This involves taking a small pump with a filter to a stream and pumping away till your bottles are filled. When I’ve taken my kids backpacking I’m always reminded how much more water I need to pump (and even though they try to help some) it’s hard enough work that I’ve got to do the majority of it. 

Something I didn’t understand until a number of years in ministry is how much preaching each week is like filtering enough water for a whole troop on a backpacking trip.  It’s a work that you’ll never be done with. Sometimes it feels like the need for water comes faster than you can pump it. You enjoy the rest once you’ve filled all the bottles, but you know you’ll be back at the creek the next day. You’re aware that the more water you must drink to stay hydrated also means the more you’ll need to pump later. 

I’ve been at JVC for nine years now, and I hadn't realized it till this year, but I’ve been struggling to keep up with all the pumping. I’ve been feeling like I’m barely getting all the water bottles filled, only to have them fully drained by Sunday after the service. 

I mentioned that my main goals during this time are writing and refreshment. In many ways these are interrelated. What I’m hoping to do during these twelve weeks is have some time to pump water without it all getting used on Sunday. I want time to pursue writing projects that will allow deeper study and focus than I can get now. I want the space to wrestle with topics without the pressure of needing to turn my study into a sermon by Sunday. I want to fill up some tanks that have been feeling more and more dry. 
 

Questions

Are you thinking of leaving JVC?
Unfortunately, there does seem to be a correlation between people taking sabbaticals and then leaving for another church after returning from sabbatical. While I can’t fully know where my heart will be when I return, I can say at this time I have no desire to be a pastor anywhere else. I got ordained in this church, and by God's grace, I’d love to retire at this church. It’s my belief that this time will actually allow me to better serve you for the coming years.

What will you be writing?
I have two writing goals. First I want to complete and publish an academic article I started several years back, looking to reframe how we think of special and general revelation. Not sure what that means? My plan is to distill my study here into a series of newsletters that I think you’ll find useful and practical, so stay tuned! 

Secondly, I want to develop an outline and start writing a book on pastoral leadership. I don’t have a clear idea on what exactly this would look like, but more and more I see it is a pressing need. Seminaries don’t focus on this, our denomination does not examine candidates in these areas, and many pastors flounder for years, if not decades, trying to understand how to lead their people. I don’t think I’m an expert, but I do think I’ve got something to offer others. Providentially, a reformed publisher reached out to me this summer about a project around this topic, so I hope my work this fall would eventually be published. 

How can I help?
I realize this may not be a question you were asking, but I do have one thing to ask of you. Please pray for me during this time. Pray for God to give me refreshment. I’m not just looking for some time to write, but I’m also looking for deeper spiritual refreshment and filling. Please pray for God to refresh my soul over these months. I want to be a good pastor to you; more and more I’ve realized I cannot do this unless I’m fully alive in Christ. 

Why just a preaching sabbatical?
Oftentimes pastors will take a sabbatical that removes them from all regular ministerial duties. Last year the elders had a number of discussions around this, and none of us believed this was a best practice. I don’t feel a need for a break from any of the day-to-day aspects of ministry–even the hard parts. Every job has hard things, and I think it’s better to have healthy ways to deal with the hard things regularly than it is to pile all your hopes on a sabbatical every six to seven years. Many fields–whether academics, teaching, writing, or TV production–often run on a schedule that incorporates time away from pressing weekly demands to create space for deeper, more creative and intellectually challenging work that will bear fruit later. I think preaching is this type of work. I didn’t realize it when I started, but it’s the most draining part of my ministry. 

How will this help JVC?
This probably reveals more of my own insecurity than a question you have. I want to be seen as just as hard-working as any of you, and a sabbatical is something few—if any—in our congregation have the luxury of taking. While preaching feels like it takes up a large chunk of my intellectual and spiritual energy, it only takes up about a quarter of my time. In this sense, while you won’t see me in one of the most visible aspects of my ministry, I’ll still be serving, praying and meeting with you all as I usually do. But a church’s health is rarely better than that of its leadership–including the pastor. This preaching break will allow me to experience refreshment and growth, and I believe that will benefit our church in the coming year as I continue to minister to you. If this first sabbatical goes well, it’s something that I’ll likely plan for every six years or so. 

Hopefully that helps answer most of your questions, but feel free to reach out to me or any of the other leaders if you have any additional questions. 

In Christ,
Pastor Jon