Proposal for Pastoral Sabbatical Submitted by the Rev. Stephanie E. Anthony to the Session of First Presbyterian Church of Hudson, WI September 16, 2014 From the Sabbatical Leave policy adopted by the Session of FPC Hudson on August 20, 2013: Sabbatical leave defined Sabbatical leave is a carefully planned period of time in which a pastor is granted leave away from his or her normal ministerial responsibilities in order to spend an extended period of time in study and reflection. Sabbatical leave is not a vacation, nor is it only continuing education. It can be a time of prayer, rest, study and travel. Sabbatical can be an opportunity for the individual to strategically disengage from regular and normal tasks so that ministry and mission may be viewed from a new perspective because of a planned time of focus. 1. Description of leave a. Proposed dates - June 14, 2015 - September 27, 2015 i. I have some flexibility on these dates, but have asked for what works best for the church and family calendars in June as they stand right now. I have agreed to perform a wedding on June 13 for young couple that has worshipped with us a few times and is considering joining the church. Phil and I hope to attend his high school reunion together on the weekend of June 20. It seemed to make sense to include that weekend in the sabbatical. However, if moving the proposed dates later into the summer & fall is helpful I am happy to work with the session on that. ii. This time includes a 3 month sabbatical that the policy allows, as well as 1 week of my annual continuing education leave and 1 week of my annual vacation. Regular terms of call, 2 weeks for continuing education and 4 weeks for vacation, are not altered in a year when a sabbatical could be granted. Transitions in and out of church life, even just for a week at a time, feel disruptive. It seems to me that it would be helpful if I can reduce some of those transitions by combining some of my standard leaves with sabbatical as the policy allows: Sabbatical leave shall not exceed three (3) months, but may be combined, when approved, with vacation and study leave so that the time away with full salary and benefits is no more than four (4) months. iii. Rationale for length A 3 month sabbatical may sound like a long time at first. It is, however, a fairly standard length within our own presbytery and beyond. Disengaging from the active work of ministry takes some significant time. It doesn t happen when I am gone for even two weeks of vacation or continuing Page 1 of 8
education. [The Rev. Kara Root, pastor of Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church, wrote of this eloquently in the last newsletter at her church before her sabbatical in 2013. That newsletter is attached to this proposal as Appendix A.] First Presbyterian Church of Hudson functioned well when I was gone on parental leave for 12 weeks when Margaret was born in 2010. I have no doubt in my mind that it can function well and even thrive if I am granted this complete sabbatical. It also gives the session and congregation sufficient time to complete the sabbatical reflection described below. b. Use of sabbatical time - Stephanie i. Rest and Prayer: The sabbatical I am imagining will begin with a dedicated time to disengage from the 24/7 nature of pastoral ministry in order to regain balance among the family, spiritual, vocational, and community aspects of my life. Ministry as both a profession and vocation has the effect of never turning off. Even when I walk in the door at the end of a work day with no meetings on the calendar, I can t walk away from the reality that if the phone rings at 6:00 p.m. or 11:00 p.m. or 2 a.m. and there is a person in crisis, I am on call. That reality never leaves the back of my mind. I know as a pastor I am living into what God has called me to be and do, but all the same there is a sense in my life that true rest and separation from work are rare. Pastoring is what I am called to do in this time and place, and it is what I love, but it is at the same time exhausting on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level. I am looking for the sabbatical time to be a time of rest from this sort of concentrated energy and a period in which I can focus more attention on being present in the moment I am experiencing, strengthening my personal prayer life, and listening for what God is telling me about how I can best serve here at First Presbyterian Church. ii. Study: Another aspect of the sabbatical I hope to take is a time of study and reflection on what it means to be in a healthy, vital, long term pastoral relationship with First Presbyterian Church of Hudson. January 2015 will mark my 7 th anniversary serving here in Hudson. My previous call lasted 5 years, the national average for length of call across Christian traditions. It has been 20 years since a pastor, installed or temporary, has served this congregation for more than 4 years (Rev. David Crow, 1984-1994). The last installed pastor before I came to Hudson served just one year, 1996-1997. Both the congregation and I are moving into the less familiar, but hope-filled waters of the long-term pastorate. As I prepare for re-entry toward the end of the sabbatical I will focus some of my energy on studying the characteristics of pastors and churches in successful long-term calls and preparing myself spiritually and vocationally for our next steps together. I intend to accomplish this study through individual reading, conversations with others in ministry who have served or are currently serving in long term pastorates, and, if an appropriate event can be found, a continuing education event that will nurture this reflection. [An initial list of books I will consider studying is attached as Appendix B.] Page 2 of 8
iii. Travel: Lastly, if granted, I will use some of the sabbatical time to do some traveling, particularly in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Since we arrived here in Wisconsin, Phil and I have heard about so many wonderful places to visit and enjoy with our family the lakes, the parks, Door County, Apostle Islands, the Dells, Duluth. The list has at least as many destinations as there are members of this church. c. Use of sabbatical time First Presbyterian Church i. The sabbatical time is not just for the pastor, but it also serves the congregation. Some congregations experiencing a pastoral sabbatical use the time to invite preachers and worship leaders with vastly different perspectives than that of their own pastor. I hope our church will use my time away to broaden our horizons in worship styles and preachers. ii. The sabbatical also offers the opportunity for the congregation to step in and be ministers to one another in a way that often doesn t happen when a pastor is available on a daily basis. The sabbatical time will help members of our faith community grow in spirituality and discipleship. iii. It would be helpful for the session, at least, and also other members of the church to use the sabbatical time to think about the future and the pastoral relationship. This could happen through: 1. Focus groups and guided conversations about our congregational life and mission 2. Discerning priorities for the role of ordained leaders and boards at FPC pastor, session, deacons 3. Studying long-term pastoral relationships and the characteristics of churches and pastors within them by reading the same or similar books I am reading during the sabbatical. 2. Goals to Be Achieved and Expected Outcomes a. GOAL 1: The number one goal I hope a sabbatical will achieve for both the congregation and me is rejuvenation for our future together. I see the sabbatical time as an opportunity for the church and me to look forward to how the next chapter of our ministry together can take shape. We might imagine the sabbatical as similar to that period of time just before an installed call begins when there is excitement about what will come next, dreaming about the future, and a shifting of functions and priorities to match the gifts and abilities of the church and leadership with the needs of the community. I know I will be thinking and praying about who I am, what I have to offer, and how that fits into the next steps for First Presbyterian Church. I hope that the congregation will engage in similar exercises, and I am prepared to assist in planning opportunities for this kind of work while I am gone. b. OUTCOME 1: In addition to new energy when we are back together, one way we will take advantage of this simultaneous thinking about our future is with focused conversations and a new time of discernment about where God might be leading us together. Page 3 of 8
c. GOAL 2: I also hope to achieve rebalance in my work portfolio. The work portfolio is a tool that I learned about at a mid-career wellness seminar sponsored by the Board of Pensions that I attend in the fall of 2012. In the work portfolio, work is divided into 6 categories: wage (salaried job expectations), fee (extra items such as non-member weddings and funerals), home (family and household tasks), gift (non-compensated activities that tap into one s God-given gifts, such as volunteer work, community music organizations, etc.), study, and soul (prayer, family and friend relationships, and hobbies that uplift the spirit). The idea is that for a healthy vocation work should be balanced across these categories. My soul work (including quality time with family) and study work are the most out of balance in the way my ministry and life are organized now. One of my goals for the sabbatical is an intentional reboot on my work portfolio. An excerpt from Work Portfolio Worksheet developed by Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church helps explain the relationship between work and Sabbath: Often pastors spend a great majority of their time and energy in wage work (and fee work). This can become imbalanced, to the detriment of other areas of work in the person s life, (especially because this is feels like a meaningful endeavor, and is connected to a sense of call). A Sabbatical can be seen as an intentional stopping of wage work and fee work for a specified amount of time in order to give concentrated and intentional focus to the other areas of work, particularly study work and soul work. This is done so that when the sabbatical is over, the sense of balance between all the different types of work may be restored, and the pastor may return to wage work with a renewed sense of energy, imagination, intelligence and love. d. OUTCOME 2a: Specifically I hope to return with some new intentions for my weekly work flow that help me achieve balance across both the pastoral tasks of ministry and my personal work portfolio. I expect to return with insight into what I need personally and professionally in order to strengthen my spiritual life and be more holistically healthy. e. OUTCOME 2b: Upon return I look forward to conversations with the session and Personnel Committee about what areas my ministry should focus on in the immediate future and what areas might be covered in other parts of our church structure or laid aside for the time being. f. GOAL 3: The summer of 2015 marks a time of change in my family as we will be becoming a family of all big kids. Margaret heads to kindergarten in the fall, and this coming milestone has led me to reflect on the state of my family life. My children are becoming more and more aware of my presence and absence in the home in evenings. The current flow of meetings in the church schedule often has me out of the home in evenings 9 or 10 of the 14 evenings in the middle two weeks of the month. There is a noticeable difference in the household these weeks. I am disconnected from the rhythms of family life, and the children are grumpier for it. This third goal is related to the work portfolio goal, but more specifically, it is about reconnecting with my family. Page 4 of 8
g. OUTCOME 3a: I am only effective pastorally if I am supported by my family. I have been blessed thus far with a spouse and children who get behind the work that that I do. I believe their support will be strengthened when they get my undivided attention for a sabbatical season and see that the church and I are prioritizing our healthy family relationship. h. OUTCOME 3b: Additionally, an outcome that is important on the church s end of this goal is collaboration among the committees and boards on a meeting schedule that is more balanced across the month and/or the determination of which meetings of which committees are most important at different times of the year in order to spread out my evening workload. i. GOAL 4: Finally the last goal for sabbatical is most definitely rest and re-creation, through time spent just being with my family and traveling together. Being a family with two different work schedules and only one shared day off each week makes these weekend trips impossible. Neither Phil nor the kids have been any further east in Wisconsin than Glenwood City to the county fair. Phil and I enjoyed a weekend on Madeline Island when I performed a non-member wedding there one weekend. The kids and I saw as much of Duluth as you can see from the finish line of Grandma s Marathon in 2013. Our vacations together take us to Nebraska and Florida to visit family, so we haven t enjoyed the offerings of the place we have called home for almost 7 years. j. OUTCOME 4: With real weekends together for one summer, we hope to be able to explore this area with our whole family. This goal will help me return to work with energy, shared experiences with many in our church, and a new appreciation for the place in which I serve. 3. Personal Statement of Value to Pastor and Church: Being called to pastoral ministry is something I never expected when I was growing up. I definitely heard and followed my call much earlier than many of my colleagues who came to ministry as second, if not third, careers, but it was the farthest thing from my mind until the day it became clear to me. I have never looked back. I truly love what I do - - even when some of the days and some of the work are hard. I love serving the people of First Presbyterian Church and the community of Hudson. I am proud of how far this congregation has come since the very difficult days in the decade before God called us together. I am proud of the growth we have experienced in the time I have been here both in membership and in discipleship, and I believe that God continues to call us together to explore faith, share God s love, and grow disciples of Jesus together. But, as the church recognized in adopting its Sabbatical Leave Policy, the work of ministry is professionally hard and personally demanding, and I am growing tired. Not tired of anything or anyone, and burnout isn t threatening immediately, but I m just growing tired. I don t always feel like I m able to offer the best of what God has given me to share in this ministry, and that is not how I want to serve. The church is also not getting the best of me as I continue to operate in this way. This time for intentional rest and prayer, study and travel will allow me to return with a renewed energy and vision for our ministry together. Page 5 of 8
4. Plan for covering pastoral duties a. I look forward to working with a sabbatical task force to suggest and engage worship leadership while I am gone. When I was given parental leave in the summer of 2010 we used a combination of pulpit supply pastors who came one week at a time and one pastor who came for about ½ to 2 / 3 of the rest of the leave. I am willing to be as involved as requested in suggesting possible pulpit supply for short or long term opportunities during the sabbatical. I will be available until the leave begins to answer any questions supply pastors or preachers may have about our worship, the goals of the sabbatical, and how they may assist the congregation in this time. b. We already have a strong visitation program in place with the deacons, but in advance I will work even closer with them to ensure this is running smoothly. With the sabbatical task force I will help make sure that local pastors and my Presbyterian colleagues nearby are on call to cover any major pastoral care emergencies and needs. c. The Personnel Committee is requesting a one-year increase in the pulpit supply line item to cover the cost of worship leadership. The cost to pay another Presbyterian pastor to moderate the session is $50 plus mileage. If it is desired, this cost could be minimized by moving the dates of the June and September meetings until before I leave or after I am back. Another option would be to declare a sabbatical for some, but likely not all of the regularly scheduled meetings. I am submitting an application for a Sabbath Sabbatical Support Grant from the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions. This grant can include up to $500 for the church to help with the cost of pastoral leadership during the sabbatical. 5. Terms of Sabbatical Policy: By submitting this proposal, I am agreeing to all the conditions and terms of the Sabbatical Policy of First Presbyterian Church of Hudson, WI. Page 6 of 8
Appendix B Possible sabbatical reading list: Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading by Martin Linsky, Ronald A. Heifetz In It for the Long Haul: Building Effective Long-Term Pastorates by Glenn E. Ludwig Under the Unpredictable Plant: An Exploration in Vocational Holiness by Eugene H. Peterson A New Beginning for Pastors and Congregations: Building an Excellent Match Upon Your Shared Strengths by Kennon L. Callahan Pursuing Pastoral Excellence Pathways to Fruitful Leadership By Paul E. Hopkins Becoming the Pastor You Hope to Be Four Practices for Improving Ministry By Barbara J. Blodgett Know Your Story and Lead with It The Power of Narrative in Clergy Leadership By Richard L. Hester and Kelli Walker-Jones Tending to the Holy The Practice of the Presence of God in Ministry By Bruce G. Epperly and Katherine Gould Epperly Four Seasons of Ministry Gathering a Harvest of Righteousness By Bruce G. Epperly and Katherine Gould Epperly Blessed Connections Relationships that Sustain Vital Ministry By Judith Schwanz The Last Long Pastorate: A Journey of Grace by F. Dean Lueking The Grace of It All: Reflections on the Art of Ministry by F. Dean Lueking Women in long-term pastorates: Joy Douglas Strome at Lakeview Presbyterian Church in Chicago (18 year) Page 7 of 8
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