Sabbatical Information Station
Pastor’s sabbatical starts this month. It is a time that we show support for our pastor by allowing him this time for rest, renewal and reconnection. We as the congregation will also have opportunities for growth and reconnection. Our goals for the congregation during the Sabbatical Leave will be 1) Grow our intimacy with our Lord; 2) Deepen our connection to the family of Lord of Grace; 3) Explore our spiritual gifts and talents; 4) Grow our gifts and talents as we minister to one another; 5) Gain the courage to use our gifts and talents to help Lord of Grace and the community that surrounds it to THRIVE. On behalf of the Sabbatical Team, I wanted to share some information on congregational activities which include worship, pastoral support, fellowship and education.
Worship services will continue at regular times under the leadership of Pastor James Dew. He led services for us in the past and is looking forward to being with us for the next three months. During those months, four services will be led by members of the congregation. Worship committee has found a team of members to act as worship leaders and provide the sermons for those services. It is a wonderful opportunity for our members to spread their spiritual wings by providing worship opportunities for us.
Pastoral support will be coordinated out of the church office. Please call or send the office an email if pastoral support is need during the sabbatical. Angie will contact Cindy Stein with the request. Cindy will contact the member and they will decide together if the Prayer Support Team can meet the members need for spiritual support or if Pastor Dew needs to be called in. Cindy and her team have been training with Pastors Lars for several months and are well equipped to support us in pastor’s absence with the back up support of Pastor Dew.
A variety of Fellowship activities are planned to help us stay connected and perhaps make new connections within the congregation. On July 4th is the annual 4th of July Picnic and Fireworks watching. August will be busy with the small group studies on Spiritual Gifts. Sue Justis, Phyllis Teager and Cindy Stein have coordinated a combination small group study around the book Gifted Life by Joseph Acton. We will learn how to explore our spiritual gifts and talents and how best to use those in serving the Lord and one another. There will be a series of Zoom seminars by Pastor Acton to compliment the small group studies. Council will be having their annual retreat in August as well. Rally Day will be September 9th and provide another fun activity for food, fellowship and an outreach activity. There will be a welcome home reception when Pastor returns in October.
The next three months will be a fun and exciting time for the congregation. As Pastor takes this time to reconnect and relax with his family, we can all look forward to the worship, educational, and fellowship activities that have been planned. This will be an exciting time for all of us to grow and reconnect!
Sabbatical Planning Team