Sabbatical

Click here to view / download the Sabbatical Guide

IMPORTANT SABBATICAL DATES
➢ May 21 – Fr. Daniel’s Last Sunday before Sabbatical
➢ May 28 (Pentecost) – Mtr. Lesley’s First Sunday as
Sabbatical priest
➢ August 6 – Feast of the Transfiguration
➢ August 13 – Paul Harris preaches
➢ Sept 10 – Fr. Daniel’s First Sunday back after Sabbatical

INTRODUCTION
After five years of energetic and devoted service to our parish, our Rector, the Rev. Dr. Daniel DeForest London, will take his first sabbatical. In keeping with our parish’s Letter of Agreement with Fr. Daniel, he has accrued three months of sabbatical leave since his arrival in 2018. Also in the Agreement is the provision that Fr. Daniel will continue to receive his salary. Foreseeing this time and knowing we would need a priest to celebrate Eucharist and to help keep us on course liturgically, our Vestry has been saving money specifically for hiring a supply priest. We have also raised funds to help Fr. Daniel with some of the additional expenses for travel and other additional costs expected during his sabbatical. Taking on the many responsibilities Fr. Daniel usually oversees will require us to rededicate ourselves to our shared ministry. Our Sabbatical Team has the job of giving special attention to our congregational life during this time. This guide explains how Christ Church will function during Fr. Daniel’s absence, what events and services are planned and who will be responsible for various aspects of our parish life. Contact information is also provided here. We may think of our Rector as the figure at the center of our congregational life, as the person with the primary responsibility for
making the church function. Thus, the idea of being without him for an extended time could be a source of great anxiety for some of us. Perhaps even worse, the thought of not having a priest around may help fuel for all of us a sense of disengagement from the church. There is a risk of a certain kind of lethargy or laziness we might embrace because we can justify it, saying to ourselves, “Well, I won’t attend this Sunday now that Fr. Daniel is gone.” We must remember that the rector is not the church – the church is us! The church is who we are growing to become, each day in Christ, and while it is deeply meaningful to be guided in that growth by our Rector, we would do well to think of his approaching sabbatical as a collective one in which we too are on sabbatical, growing and learning!

ABOUT SABBATICAL
“Sabbatical,” like “Sabbath,” comes from shabbath, Hebrew for “rest.” The ancient Hebrews not only rested every seventh day, but also let the land rest every seven years to ensure its productivity. Sabbaticals have long been common in academia, but are also a tradition for clergy serving Episcopal congregations. The sabbatical is not a reward for good work or simply an extended vacation period. Rather it recognizes that effective ministry requires occasional extended periods for study, reflection, rest, and renewal. A sabbatical is an important part of a working relationship between the parish and the clergy person, from which both draw benefits. During the sabbatical time, Christ Church members will have opportunities to lead and learn in new ways while still experiencing Sunday services. We trust that our own ministry to one another, already strong, will flourish during this time under the guidance of our sabbatical priest, the Rev. Lesley McCloghrie. Christ Church members will also dream new dreams, and begin bringing them to
life when Fr. Daniel returns. Just as importantly, he will bring energy, ideas, and insights to Christ Church as he rejoins us.

Dear Christ Church companions,
As this guide shows, you will clearly be in good hands while I’m away on sabbatical and I look forward to learning about how you will grow as a congregation during this holy time of being “set apart.” In Catherine Mace’s presentation on the 150-year-old history of Christ Church, she said, “Through…years of change, the congregation learned how to hold the parish together themselves. They became stronger, friendlier, and much better leaders…It was a God-given time of growth for the parish.” I trust that these three months will be a God-given time of growth for Christ Church; and, although you are already a strong and friendly community, I’m excited to see how you will continue to grow and meet new challenges while I’m away. And I will be back!

My sabbatical time will include periods of travel and rest. In late May and early June, I will be participating in a four day immersion program in Yorkshire UK, which will complete my training as a Forest Therapy Guide and move my certification from provisional to permanent. I began my training online in October 2021, with the support of the vestry, and I look forward to incorporating more of my learning into our popular Sacred Saunter Outdoor Eucharists. While in the UK, I also hope to visit St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, Canterbury Cathedral, and the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey, where the English Cistercian monk and author St. Aelred served as abbot.

Ashley and I will then spend the first week of June in Naples, Italy to participate in a seminar that will bring together scholars of ancient Judaism, Classics, and early Christianity to re-examine the JewishChristian Sibylline Oracles. Ashley, who published her award-winning book on the Sibylline Oracles, will be participating as a principal scholar in this conference. During this time, I hope to visit Fr. Francis Tiso, who lives about an hour north in Isernia and perhaps connect with our fellow Anglicans at Christ Church, Naples.

On June 13, we’re planning to travel to Paris, where I will be participating in the Colloquium on Violence & Religion (COV&R) Annual Meeting. Ashley and I also hope to visit the medieval Prayer Labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral.

We then plan to visit friends and family in the East Coast before heading back to Eureka to rest for a few weeks before heading off to the Anglican College of St. John the Evangelist in Auckland New Zealand, where I was accepted into a month-long visiting scholarship program. I plan to work on my next book about the Gospel of John while immersing myself in the life and unique Anglican liturgies of Aotearoa New Zealand from mid-July to mid-August. We also hope to visit Hobbiton while we are there!

Fr. Daniel’s Sabbatical Schedule & Travel Itinerary

May 21 –Last Sunday before Sabbatical
May 26 – Travel to UK
May 29 – June 2 – Yorkshire UK for Forest Therapy Guide
Training Immersion at Broughton Sanctuary
June 5 – June 8 – Naples, Italy for Enoch Seminar
June 14 – 17 – Paris, France for COV&R Annual Meeting
at the Insitut Catholique
June 18 – July 14 – Eureka CA for rest
July 15 – August 20 – Auckland, New Zealand for visiting
scholarship at St. John’s Theological College
August 21 – Sept 9 – Eureka CA for rest
Sept 10 – First Sunday back from Sabbatical

THE SABBATICAL TEAM
While the leadership of Christ Church has done a great deal to anticipate the parish’s needs and growth during Fr. Daniel’s sabbatical, we know that questions will emerge. The team has been established to coordinate the most basic aspects of our shared ministry. Our first meeting was held back in September 2021 and will continue to meet regularly while Fr. Daniel’s away, and will debrief with him when he returns in September. We must all remember that this is a time for rest and renewal for Fr. Daniel and that we should not call, email, or otherwise contact him. In any case, he will be traveling, often out of cell range and not keeping up with work-related email. (In case of an emergency, the Wardens, the Parish Administrator, or Mtr. Lesley will know how to contact Daniel.) In his absence, questions or concerns that arise should be directed to the Senior Warden, members of the Sabbatical Team, and/or the Parish Administrator, Thomas Swanger. This group will work together to address a particular question, concern, request, or need.

The members of the Sabbatical Team are as follows:

The Venerable Pam Gossard – 707-599-6856
gossardpam@gmail.com
Paul Gossard – 707- 499-9078 – p2gossard@gmail.com
Daniel Hafer – 213-304-3980 – gndaniel@icloud.com
The Very Rev. Lesley McCloghrie – 408-202-0466 –
klmccloghrie@gmail.com
Steve Preston, Senior Warden -213-304-3715 –
gnsteve1947@icloud.com
Karen Price –707-496-1572 – doctorkaren@sbcglobal.net
Pastor Dan Price –707-834-5435 – dprice2345@aol.com
Pastor Karen Stanley –707–633–3376
disciplepastor@gmail.com
Thomas Swanger –707-442–1797
christchurcheureka@gmail.com
Belinda Zander -707-442-5521 – beegy67@yahoo.com

CONGREGATION DEVELOPMENT
DURING THE SABBATICAL

Fr. Daniel’s sabbatical will not only give him a chance to renew himself as our rector, but will also give Christ Church a chance to develop as a congregation. A variety of opportunities for our congregation to grow during Fr. Daniel’s sabbatical are currently being planned, including midweek Bible Studies, special guest preachers, and Sunday morning adult forums from 9:15 – 10 AM. We are currently exploring the possibility of giving the stream team a rest during this season of sabbatical, which would involve limiting our Sunday morning livestreams to only once a month.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR SENIOR WARDEN:
REST, REFLECT, RENEW

Rest, Reflect, Renew: the goals of a Sabbatical Leave, for the Rector, and for the Parish. Fr. Daniel’s Sabbatical Leave is from late-May through earlySeptember. As Senior Warden, I look forward to working closely with Mtr. Lesley (our Sabbatical Priest), our other clergy, staff, and lay leaders, our Sabbatical Team, and our Vestry in guiding the Parish through its own period of Rest, Reflection, and Renewal.

Meeting periodically since September 2021, the Sabbatical Team is formulating plans for special events and other activities to help us to rediscover and reinforce the special bonds we have with one another in Christ, to find new and exciting ways to fulfill our mission “to glorify God, follow Jesus Christ, and serve all people through the power of the Holy Spirit,” as “a community of companions walking together in the Way of Christ’s love for all,” and to welcome Fr. Daniel back in September for revived and refreshed mutual ministry. On a practical level, if you encounter Fr. Daniel around town during his Sabbatical, please feel free to share a greeting but refrain from further conversation. And, if you have questions, concerns, or suggestions during the Sabbatical, please contact any member of the Sabbatical Team at our contact information elsewhere in this guide. Looking forward to our journey together of Rest, Reflection, and Renewal!

Steve Preston
Senior Warden

OUR SABBATICAL PRIEST
Mother Lesley McCloghrie served as the priest-in-charge and vicar of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Pawling NY for ten years before moving up to Humboldt County in February 2013. She began serving as the Resident Associate at Christ Church, becoming the Interim Rector after the retirement of the Rev. Dr. Susan Armstrong. When Fr. Daniel arrived in 2018, Lesley supplied at Sts. Martha and Mary Mission in Trinidad and St. Paul’s in Crescent City, and twice
as Sabbatical Priest at St. Alban’s in Arcata. She returned to Christ Church as an Associate in 2019 and now serves as the Dean of the Sempervirens Deanery. The Very Rev. Lesley McCloghrie will serve as the pastoral and liturgical leader during the sabbatical, working with the senior warden, vestry, and parish administrator to make sure everything runs smoothly.

PASTORAL CARE
While we see Fr. Daniel in church and at meetings, some of us may not realize the time he spends providing pastoral care and support: visiting members, providing ministerial counseling and doing the many other things involved in being the pastor of our congregation. While no one can replace Fr. Daniel’s spiritual guidance and comfort, the Senior Warden and the Clergy have volunteered to visit or coordinate visits to a hospitalized or homebound parishioner. They will provide spiritual and emotional support through deep listening to any persons in need. Should extremely urgent pastoral needs arise, the Rev. McCloghrie will be available for emergencies where a priest’s ministerial services are needed.

Pastoral Care Team: Lesley, Pam, Anne, Steve P., Thomas

Pastoral Care Contact Information
If a pastoral need arises, please begin by contacting Mother Lesley
and sharing your need with one or both of them.

The Rev. Lesley McCloghrie – (707) 840-0331 (home)
408-202-0466 (cell)

•Thomas Swanger – 707-442-1797 (church office)

COMMUNICATIONS
Parish contact: 707-442-1797, christchurcheureka@gmail.com

The Parish office hours will remain the same:
Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday – 9 AM – 1 PM

FROM LETTER OF AGREEMENT
“Three months of sabbatical leave will be available for use after the completion of five full years of service, from the date of hire. Sabbatical leave is for the welfare of both the Rector and the parish and is to be taken during the tenure of the Rector, not at termination, and will not be paid as compensation when the Rector leaves the parish. At the end of a sabbatical leave, the Rector must return to this parish for one calendar year. Additional sabbatical leave will begin to accumulate from the date of completion of a prior sabbatical.”

Vacation: Four calendar weeks of annual vacation (20 work days), including at least 4 Sundays.

Fr. Daniel will be away for a total of 15 weeks (13 weeks of sabbatical + 2 weeks of vacation).

Click here to view the Sabbatical Guide

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