INSIDE EVERGREEN

April 2024

Dear Evergreeners,

There are two main things to share with you…and three additional pieces. Even a skim will be worth your time.

(1)  As most of you know, this calendar year, I will receive a three-month sabbatical.

  • A sabbatical is a season of rest from work for the sake of re-filling, re-commitment, and return.

  • The dates for my sabbatical are May 27 to September 1.

  • I know that almost none of you receive the option of sabbatical in your vocations. Typically, sabbatical is limited only to academics, though I know of one medical doctor who has had one.

  • On account of this rarity, I suspect that it may be confusing, perhaps even unsettling, that a pastor would step away from active pastoral work. After all, it’s not like pastors are the only people who wear thin and face the threats of burn out. And, frankly, I think there is a lot to be said for a conversation about how all of us relate to rhythms of work and rest. (Plug: Sean Molloy started a Sunday morning class on work this past week; Siji Adewunmi will tackle the topic of rest in May.)

  • My own thinking about sabbatical has evolved slowly over the 12+ years that I’ve been at Evergreen. As with many things in ministry, I’ve found help from the late Eugene Peterson. Here’s a link to a brief article he wrote about pastoral sabbaticals in the late 80s, but if you’re not up for looking at it, here’s the meat:

     [The life of robust, beautiful discipleship] is life at risk before God, dangerously and awesomely at risk, and it needs fully alive pastors to represent it. If the life of faith is reduced to a church program or into jargon, the gospel is betrayed and the spirit dulled. Yet churches make little provision for renewal of spirit in those they set as overseers for the renewal of their spirits.

  • In other words, the gift of sabbatical is not only for the pastor. It’s for the church. And since the church exists for the redemption of the world to the glory of God, sabbatical is also for our neighbors. Maybe strangely, sabbatical is a matter of missional faithfulness.

  • I hope to say more in time, both before and after the sabbatical, so I’ll pause there for now…

(2)  It’s time for another celebration of God’s faithfulness to us at Evergreen.

  • This coming Sunday, we’ll recognize Brandon Placek for his seven years as an elder.

  • With two new elders now installed, and with a very full slate of other responsibilities, Brandon has opted to step-down from the Evergreen session.

  • There will be more acknowledgment of Brandon’s service on Sunday, but I want to get things started already by reflecting briefly on his contributions to the negotiation over our current building. This was in 2020, which wasn’t exactly a simple era in global history! The session talked and prayed and emailed. We met in-person and via Zoom. There were conversations with neighbors and potential buyers and other interested parties. And through it all Brandon offered measured input richly seasoned by a vision for Evergreen to shine the light of Christ to our city and to one another.

  • I am thankful for Brandon’s role in those challenging months. I am thankful for his kindness and warmth, his earnestness and wisdom across the years. I am thankful for him. And for Mary and the boys!

  • May the Lord bless them all with deep rest and joy, as we all advance together in the work God that is doing in our church.

 

(3)  Three additional pieces.

  • On April 24, your elders and pastors plan to gather for a half-day retreat of prayer and planning. We welcome you to pray with us for God’s wisdom to bathe our conversation and for his presence to be eminently clear in all that we pursue together. We also look forward to reporting afterwards on how God answers these prayers.

  • Maggie Gettman has stepped fully into the role of Children’s Ministry Director. If you didn’t get to thank Jessyca Yang for her service this last Sunday, I’m sure it’s not too late! God is so kind to load our church with such capable and willing leaders.

  • Last Saturday, Evergreen hosted a training for women interested in serving alongside Dee Vaubel and the “Freedom in the Son” ministry at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. Last Thursday, Ian and I had the privilege of meeting with the ministry’s board, and we are now in the next stage of pursuing options for providing pastoral ministry at Coffee Creek. Would you pray with us for open doors, especially for baptisms?

 The Lord’s blessings to you all. I look forward to being with you on Sunday…or whenever the Spirit re-unites us.

 Christopher