Pastor Todd’s Upcoming Sabbatical
I’m writing this note to update you on my summer Sabbatical from May 1 through July 31. This July will mark my seventh year at First Churches. Seven years is often a significant psychological time marker. (Think 7 days of creation, the 7 Years War, 7 Year Itch!) A wise person told me long-term pastors need to reinvent themselves every seven years. Otherwise either the pastor or the congregation get bored with the other. While I don’t yet think of myself as a long-term pastor at First Churches, since Solomon Stoddard served here for 55 years, seven years does mark longer term commitment in the modern era. After spending some time thinking about what would benefit my growth as a pastor, I concluded what I really need is a pilgrimage. Pilgrimages are a way of physically and spiritually being [...]