A note From Richard:
"I am so thankful that God brought Greg to Trinity to be one of our pastors. He and Mary Jane with their kids have been a true gift from the Lord to many of us personally, to our church family, and to the broader community. Our session is eager for him to enjoy and be refreshed and rejuvenated by his upcoming sabbatical. Would you join us in praying for this to be a rich time for him and his family. Pray with us for a deeper faith and joy in Jesus and a renewed sense of calling to serve him and us as a pastor. We will certainly miss him while he's gone and be eager for his return to continue to bless us as he has been blessed by Christ."
—Richard Vise, Senior Pastor
a note From Greg:
Dear Friends,
I want to let each of you know that, after Sunday, April 26th, the Session of Trinity has granted me a sabbatical until the end of June. During this time, I won’t be in the pulpit or engaging in any pastoral work.
First of all, I want to make sure that each of you knows that “sabbatical” isn’t code for something else. This is not a “leave of absence,” emergency relief, or anything like that.
Secondly, what is a sabbatical? For a pastor, it’s a bit different than for others. For instance, a professor might be expected to produce an article or a book draft during a sabbatical. Instead, a pastor’s sabbatical takes its cues from the Lord’s provision for the Israelite land: every seven years, it was to lie fallow. It wasn’t to be “worked” that year. It was to be replenished by sun and rain and simply be. Growth would still take place, but not through work. It was a counter-intuitive way of ensuring a field’s continued fruitfulness. I’ve been serving in full-time church ministry for 14 years (8 of which as an ordained pastor and nearly 4 of which at Trinity); however, I’ve never had a sabbatical.
Please be assured that this time away does not signal any loss of interest in pastoral ministry or in serving as one of your pastors. Nor do I have a desire to be called anywhere else. Mary Jane and I love you and love Trinity. My prayer is that this sabbatical will replenish my soul and lead to an even longer and more fruitful ministry with you.
I can’t adequately express my appreciation to Richard and to our elders. They haven’t merely allowed me to take a sabbatical. They have given it their blessing and support. Sabbaticals are not a “right,” or owed to anyone. Richard and the Session have graciously seen this as an investment in me and in the long-term health of the church.
So, what will our family be doing? Mary Jane and the kids will continue to live life as usual while the kids are still in school. However, there will be a break from working Sundays for me and a season of “normal” weekends for us as we visit different churches. As Summer arrives, we also plan to take some family trips. Additionally, I have some plans for some ordinary downtime, visiting friends and family, an intentional spiritual retreat, and (unsurprisingly) books I plan to read.
If you have any questions about this, please don’t hesitate to ask – even if your question is: “Why should I feel okay with you not working for 8 weeks?” I’d be glad to get together and talk more about it.
Until then, I look forward to seeing you as we continue to enjoy the season of Easter together.
Yours in Christ,
Greg
How you Can Pray
As Richard encouraged, would you join us in praying for Greg and his family during this sabbatical?
For this to be a rich time of rest and renewal for Greg and his family
For a deeper faith and joy in Jesus during this season
For a renewed sense of calling as he returns to serve the Lord and our church