Sabbatical: Q&A

Dear Friends in Christ,                                                                                                              

Back in September 2015, the church council approved a Sabbatical leave for Grant and me, for three months, beginning on June 6, 2016.

What is a Sabbatical?

A Sabbatical calls for an extended time of Sabbath-keeping, of stepping away from usual duties and responsibilities. It calls for rest of the body, though also rest of the spirit. For a work-loving person, this will be a challenge, though perhaps all the more necessary. Jewish scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel reminds us, a Sabbatical will be a good grounding in humility that the church will survive (even thrive!) without our help.

How long will we be gone?

We will begin our Sabbatical on June 6, 2016, following the conclusion of the Montana Synod Assembly in Billings. Our last day in the office will be June 3^rd. We will return to the office September 6, 2016.

What will we do?

We look forward to continuing education classes, rest, reading, increased time for devotions, and enjoying creation. As a family, we will travel to Minnesota and Washington, to learn and to spend time with extended family and friends. You can read more details about the classes we’ll take online, at: https://weraise.wheatridge.org/en/projects/30218-Pray--Play--Partner---Sabbatical-2016

All of our activities (and time for rest and renewal) focus around the theme: Pray, Play, Partner.

Where will we worship?

As it would be difficult for us to step out of the role of co-pastors here at Christ the King, our family will worship elsewhere during Sabbatical. Though we will miss being in worship here with you dearly, we hope to share ideas from other congregations upon our return.

Who will cover our responsibilities during our absence?

Pastor Mark Ramseth, member of CtK, is coordinating Sunday morning worship. A schedule of wonderful guest preachers, including some members of CtK, has been put together. Sunday services have already been mostly planned.

The Church Council will have a “council host” each Sunday, to answer questions and make announcements.

Pastors Mark and Carol Ramseth, and LPA John Sheppard will provide pastoral care in emergency situations. The Congregational Care Team has been trained and deployed to offer ongoing pastoral care to members of the congregation. If you are in need of a visit or pastoral care, please call the Church Office, 587-4131.

Kristin Harney is coordinating WoW (Worship on Wednesdays).

Jen Erickson is coordinating WoW dinners.

Josh Keehr is heading up the construction of the prayer labyrinth.

Dawn Byrd and Courtney Yovich will oversee church communications.

The Sabbatical Team is planning special summer events (Spring Clean-Up Day, Madison River Float Trip, Worship at Hyalite, etc.)

Lucy Peterson remains our faithful Family Promise Coordinator.

The Family & Youth Team will coordinate the Middle School Service Plunge and the High School Mission Trip through FLBC.

Amy Yovich and Renee Schon will head up Vacation Bible School.

Know that you all will continue to be in our prayers during this absence.

How is the Sabbatical funded?

The congregation voted at the Annual Meeting to increase the usual “pulpit supply” line item by $1300, to cover the cost of guest preachers for the Sundays of the Sabbatical. Also included in the spending plan is $1500 for continuing education (an annual part of our compensation). Costs above the $1500 will either be funded through our crowdfunding campaign, or paid for by us pastors.

Please see the May 13, 2016 post on the CtK blog (http://ctkbozeman.blogspot.com/2016/05/pray-play-partner-sabbatical-2016.html) for more detailed information on the Sabbatical budget.

Will we be in contact with CtK during Sabbatical?

An important part of a Sabbatical is to make a complete break from things. Dawn Byrd will notify us of any major events in the life of the congregation, and we will continue to receive the weekly email newsletter while on Sabbatical. We will not be checking our CtK email accounts. Please contact the Church Office during the Sabbatical, at 587-4131, or office@ctkbozeman.org.

How will we evaluate the Sabbatical upon our return?

We will submit reports to the Church Council upon our return, and will meet with the Sabbatical Team, the Mutual Ministry Team, the church staff to share experiences of the Sabbatical (both ours and CtK’s). I expect that all of our ministries will continue to flourish while we are away and new ones will arise. A Sabbatical is really a two-way process, with both the staff persons and the congregation reflecting upon prior ministry, being renewed, and seeing new patterns emerge as we discern God’s will for us.

We are excited for this time of renewal and pray it will be a blessing for Christ the King as well.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us, before June 3^rd, with any questions or concerns.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Lindean