Post Sabbatical Summary Report
Pastors Dean and Rosalie Brown
August 10, 2015
Rosalie
and I returned home from our mini sabbatical on August 9, 2015. Of the 28 days
were were on sabbatical, we spent 14 study days at the parsonage, 9
study/travel days in New York State and 5 days in New Brunswick, Canada where
we studied and attended a family reunion. We rolled up thousands of miles on
our Hyundai in the process!
You
may be wondering, “What did you do on your mini sabbatical?” Here’s a partial
answer to that question:
Studying and Dialoguing
We
spent most of our time reading, studying, praying, and dialoguing about
ministry and how God will use us to lead you in the years ahead. Topics
included the myth of work-life balance, church finances, church relationships,
pastoral counseling and care, resolving relational conflict, the necessity of
understanding our cultural context so that we can assess the role our church
plays in it and how we can better speak the language of our culture so as to
win people to Jesus Christ.
One More Person
We
held a marathon movie night by watching “Schindler’s List” and were broken for
lost people by one of the final scenes in the movie. Oskar Schindler, a German
weapons manufacture turned savior of the Jewish people, wept tears of regret,
exclaiming, “I could have gotten one more person!” We wondered if, on the
Judgment Day, we, too, will cry those same words of regret.
Communication
We
studied the issues surrounding communication in the local church and learned
that systems in an organization break down every time the organization triples
in size. Our church is an organization that has more than tripled in size since
2011 and must, therefore, re-engineer its systems or we can expect
organizational tensions to result.
Do’s and Don'ts
We
studied the functions of a pastor and discerned the “To Do’s” and “Don’t Dos”
that must now characterize our ministry.
Intentional Relationships
We
renewed our commitment to develop intentional relationships with those we lead
so as to better equip them to serve at their fullest potential.
Schooled by the Holy Spirit
We
were schooled by the Holy Spirit on many things, especially on the need to love
one another because love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4: 8). Ephesians
4: 32 also spoke in clarion tones to us as we set the tone of our ministry in
the years to come: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving
each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ministry is a Marathon
We
embraced the fact that ministry is a marathon and not a sprint and that
incorporating silence and solitude into our lives will help keep our energy
“topped up” and available to serve the church and our broader community.
Weaknesses and Strengths
We
understood (again!) how fallible and weak we are as servants of our King, but
that we lead best, not in the exercise of our strengths, but in the embrace and
acceptance of our many weaknesses (2 Cor. 12: 9-10).
Whispers of the Spirit
We
visited historical military sites in our region and heard the whisper of the
Spirit reminding us that even though Satan will wage war against the church (as
the British did the Americans in the Revolutionary War), we need not be
intimidated by our size because the One who is in us is greater than the one
who battles against us (1 John 4: 4). We were inspired by the fact that a
small, rag-tag army led by George Washington could defeat an
outstandingly-equipped British force much larger in strength and reputation!
Releasing Ministry
We
accepted the reality that we cannot be the church’s custodians or building
superintendents any longer and will better fulfill our roles as lead/assistant
pastors as we release our facility to others who are uniquely gifted for the
task.
Agile Programming
We
were schooled in the concept of “Agile Programming”, a concept utilized in the
software start-up world that helps companies remain flexible and informal as
they set and achieve their goals.
Celebration of Progress
We
celebrated the progress Vantage Pointe has made in the three years since she
launched on Easter Sunday 2012. We visited churches where it was apparent that
there had not been a DTP assessment!
Loving and Serving Lost People
We
met people that did not know the Lord and yet had a Wesleyan Church in their
community. In casual conversation, unsaved people spoke to us of the churches
in their community and how they did not know the Wesleyan pastor because he was
not out in the community where he could be known. We studied ministerial
involvement in the community and resolved to return to one of our strengths as
a couple – loving and serving people who do not yet come to Vantage Pointe
Church.
Services and Campuses
We
gave thought and study to the notion of a second service or a second
campus/venue at Vantage Pointe.
Millennial Generation and Ministry
Because
we're a growing church, and the millennial generation will play a role in our
continued growth, we studied this generation in some detail and began the
discovery of how best to reach, serve with and lead this talented group.
Personal Productivity for Ministers
We
completed a 300+ page book on productivity while traveling in our car and
implemented a complete renovation of our personal management systems so as to
better deal with the myriad and growing responsibilities and inputs that rush
into our lives on a daily basis.
Support and Sacrifices
While
there is so much more we could write about our mini sabbatical, we wish to
thank each one who supported us with their prayers, financial gifts, generous
hospitality, and love. We’re also indebted to those who served in our place
while we were away. We acknowledge that our absence meant more work for you but
we’re confident that God will reward you and our church for your sacrifices.
