A sabbatical announcement
My dear Chapel Hill family:


I have often been asked by pastoral colleagues how it was possible for me to have remained in one church for more than 30 years. Of course, my first response is always, “They are a Sweetheart Church.” A close second is, “Have you ever BEEN to Gig Harbor?”
But here’s a third reason: long ago, your elders decided they wanted to invest in a long-term relationship with their pastors, and one way to do so was to provide sabbaticals.
Sabbaticals are not vacations. They are an extended time of rest, renewal, and study. Every seven years, I have taken a sabbatical and I have always returned with a fresh sense of energy and passion and greater clarity about our next steps forward.
Pastors Larry and Megan have now been at Chapel Hill for seven years, believe it or not! I knew that once we launched Chapel Hill Port Orchard, it would be virtually impossible for them to take a sabbatical. Further, it seemed wise to precede the launch with a focused time of prayer, renewal, and restoration. So, I asked them to take their sabbatical October 21-December 20.
Our pastoral and leadership team will cover the bases during their absence and they will return in time for Christmas.
It’s important to know that this sabbatical in no way negatively impacts the launch of Chapel Hill Port Orchard. In addition to the team I mentioned above, there is a highly capable Port Orchard leadership team in place that will continue to work hard toward our launch goals. In fact, it is likely this sabbatical will greatly benefit the new church plant because it will have given Megan and Larry the opportunity to be refreshed and ready to tackle the opportunities and exciting challenges in store next year.
On behalf of all the pastors, I want to thank you for your generosity. I’m Exhibit A of how a church can care for and invest in a pastor in the long term. I know that Megan and Larry will be blessed by this gift.
Pastor Mark
P.S. – If you haven’t downloaded the Echo prayer app yet, please do so! It’s a very easy way to have something in your pocket to help you be intentional about what you notice and what you are praying for as we continue to shift our focus toward becoming advocates for the city.