The length of sabbaticals vary widely from a few weeks to a year or more. Having completed almost twelve years of ministry in our church, I asked the elders for six months of sabbatical. They generously and enthusiastically agreed. In order to make this as smooth as possible, we’ve scheduled my sabbatical into two periods of approximately three months each, separated by a year. We hope this schedule will make my absence easier on the church and make the re-entry easier on me. The first period will be Fall 2009 and the second will likely be scheduled for Fall 2010. The first concern of the elders is that my time away from the church be a period of true rest and restoration. So, depending on how things are progressing, we may have to adjust our schedule. However, currently I plan to resume my regular duties sometime this December (2009).
