What will you do on your sabbatical?

This is the 3rd part of my Sabbatical 2016 series.  In my first 2 posts, I talked about what it is and why Restoration is making it happen.  Here I want to drill down a little further into what I am doing.

The hope of my sabbatical is to be renewed in my love for Jesus and to be renewed in my connections with my family, while at the same time providing time and space for Restoration to grow into a new season of shared leadership and ministry.

What will I do?

Because of my kids’ educational needs, the sabbatical will really have 2 parts.  Part 1 will be in Arlington from March 1- mid June.  Part 2 will be out west from mid-June to mid-August.

Part 1:  Arlington

It is my hope to have a daily rhythm of activities that are very different from my normal tasks.  In my work, I spend a lot of time expressing myself with words.  I am looking forward to the way different mediums will help me express myself and elicit greater understanding of how I am growing in Christ.  The ‘daily task’ change feels inherently renewing.

Here are some questions that have come up about this season:

1. Where will you worship?  Remember that one of the goals for the sabbatical is to allow new leadership opportunities to emerge and flourish at Restoration.  To that end, I will not attend the Sunday Eucharist at Restoration for my entire sabbatical.  My last Sunday to be with you is February 21 and my first Sunday back is September 4.  I am looking forward to worshiping with my fellow church plant colleagues in the area and in churches I have never visited.  Restoration staff are permitted 4 Sundays a year away from the church.  So I rarely get to be in other contexts and I am excited to see what God is doing.
2. What about your family?  You will probably see them occasionally around Restoration.  One of the joyful realities for our family is that our church is also a primary community of friends.  So as I pursue other rhythms, activities, and places of worship, the rest of the family will probably stay connected to their small groups and occasionally the Sunday Eucharist.
3. What if I see David around Arlington during the sabbatical?  What should I do?  Say hi!  Feel free to ask me how I am doing.  Feel free to tell me what God is doing in you and in the church.  Those serendipitous, unplanned encounters will be fun for me.

Part 2:  a deep dive…

Once the kids have finished their academic year, we will load into our van, throw 6 bikes on the top and back, and head west.  It is a gift to have a block of time to ‘disappear’ and be together.  It will be a unique and unusual summer–  no swim team, birthdays in different locations, a long time away from home.  We are all so excited and grateful for the opportunity to invest in our family relationships.

We will re-emerge in Arlington in the middle of August.  I will spend some time writing, listening, and preparing my heart to re-engage with the work of leading Restoration.  Lord willing, on September 1, I will get on my bike and pedal over to Quincy Street for the next season.

-David