In my role at BUMC as Executive Ministry Assistant, a great deal of my work entails supporting Ken and the myriad hats he wears as Senior Pastor. A typical day for me might include setting up meetings for the Capital Campaign leadership team, following up with recent visitors regarding an upcoming New Member Seminar, relaying messages regarding pastoral care issues, creating the sermon note bulletin insert (http://www.biblegateway.com/ is my friend), and writing up a summary of the morning’s staff meeting. My tasks and projects offer insight into the bigger picture that Ken must constantly focus on in his capacity as leader of a nonprofit organization Monday through Friday as well his primary role on Sunday as a preacher of the Word.
It was when I returned from maternity leave a few weeks ago that I learned that Ken had scheduled a six-week sabbatical to begin on July 1. Ken had told me a couple of months ago that he hoped to take a sabbatical sometime soon, so although the news was not out-of-the-blue, I did have a moment of thinking “I hope there’s enough to keep me busy while he’s gone.” Similarly, more than a couple people have wondered aloud, “What will Ken do to keep busy while he’s gone?” In the conversations I’ve had with him about his plans for July and August, I sense in Ken an excitement in anticipation of taking some time for in-depth study, reading, and mentoring. “Sabbatical” is not being used as a fancy word for “extended vacation” – based on his reading list and study plans, he will be as busy focusing on formational and spiritual growth as he’s ever been focusing on weekly sermons and day-to-day BUMC business.
To start with, Ken’s planned reading list is impressive. At the top is a Christian’s main source of spiritual growth, the Bible. He will also continue his study of Richard Stearns’s The Hole in Our Gospel, which Ken referenced in his sermon on June 28. Other authors he will be looking toward for insight include Patrick Lencioni, John Miller, Bill George, and Craig Groeschel. Check out Ken’s Sabbatical Reading List along the right-hand side of this blog to view the specific titles.
To supplement and support his reading, Ken will be journaling and working with mentors on spiritual and emotional intelligence studies. His time away from BUMC will culminate in attending the Loveland location of Willow Creek’s Leadership Summit, a two-day conference that focuses specifically on professional development issues and research for church and lay leaders. After all that, Ken expects that he’ll return “tanned, rested, and ready” for what God has in store for him as a follower of Christ as well as pastor at BUMC (and he promises not to skimp on the “tanned” part).
As for me, I am looking forward to Ken’s sabbatical, too, and not because I think I’ll have 40 hours a week to sit around and daydream about my baby daughter. I will have a chance to further expand my role here in working more closely with Equipping Ministries, Worship & Arts (the summer musical sounds like it’s going to be a blast!), Pastor Thomas, and our new Social Networking team (coming soon: Twitter!).
So for those of you embarking on your summer vacations, I send you prayers and best wishes for fun in the sun. Meanwhile, summer’s slower pace at BUMC is allowing for a period of learning and renewal as we rev up for the next season in our community. I know that I’m looking forward to sharing with Ken what each of us learned during his summer sabbatical.
It was when I returned from maternity leave a few weeks ago that I learned that Ken had scheduled a six-week sabbatical to begin on July 1. Ken had told me a couple of months ago that he hoped to take a sabbatical sometime soon, so although the news was not out-of-the-blue, I did have a moment of thinking “I hope there’s enough to keep me busy while he’s gone.” Similarly, more than a couple people have wondered aloud, “What will Ken do to keep busy while he’s gone?” In the conversations I’ve had with him about his plans for July and August, I sense in Ken an excitement in anticipation of taking some time for in-depth study, reading, and mentoring. “Sabbatical” is not being used as a fancy word for “extended vacation” – based on his reading list and study plans, he will be as busy focusing on formational and spiritual growth as he’s ever been focusing on weekly sermons and day-to-day BUMC business.
To start with, Ken’s planned reading list is impressive. At the top is a Christian’s main source of spiritual growth, the Bible. He will also continue his study of Richard Stearns’s The Hole in Our Gospel, which Ken referenced in his sermon on June 28. Other authors he will be looking toward for insight include Patrick Lencioni, John Miller, Bill George, and Craig Groeschel. Check out Ken’s Sabbatical Reading List along the right-hand side of this blog to view the specific titles.
To supplement and support his reading, Ken will be journaling and working with mentors on spiritual and emotional intelligence studies. His time away from BUMC will culminate in attending the Loveland location of Willow Creek’s Leadership Summit, a two-day conference that focuses specifically on professional development issues and research for church and lay leaders. After all that, Ken expects that he’ll return “tanned, rested, and ready” for what God has in store for him as a follower of Christ as well as pastor at BUMC (and he promises not to skimp on the “tanned” part).
As for me, I am looking forward to Ken’s sabbatical, too, and not because I think I’ll have 40 hours a week to sit around and daydream about my baby daughter. I will have a chance to further expand my role here in working more closely with Equipping Ministries, Worship & Arts (the summer musical sounds like it’s going to be a blast!), Pastor Thomas, and our new Social Networking team (coming soon: Twitter!).
So for those of you embarking on your summer vacations, I send you prayers and best wishes for fun in the sun. Meanwhile, summer’s slower pace at BUMC is allowing for a period of learning and renewal as we rev up for the next season in our community. I know that I’m looking forward to sharing with Ken what each of us learned during his summer sabbatical.
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