Sabbatical News - April 28, 2017

April 28, 2017

Dear Resurrection Family and Friends,

He is Risen! This statement of fact is the foundation of Christianity. It is a truth that separates what we believe from all other religions. By conquering death Jesus offers us the gifts of forgiveness, renewal and eternal life. The Easter message is one of living hope and great joy, a message that Christians celebrate throughout the year.

Holy week was a particularly special time for us at Church of the Resurrection. I know you join me in expressing sincere gratitude to our clergy and staff who worked tirelessly planning wonderful services, an amazing music program and fun family activities that helped us to connect with, worship, and remember our Lord who died for us.

These past two weeks have made me more mindful of what a precious resource the staff is to our community. They are given to us as gifts from God and there comes a time that we need to allow them time to be with Him for refreshment and renewal. David Drake was called to Resurrection seven years ago, leaving his former church where he served as Rector for five years. Our church has experienced incredible growth under his leadership and his seven years of service to our congregation have been selflessly given.

In October 2015 the vestry recognized the need for a period of rest for David and offered him the opportunity to go on sabbatical. This decision was announced to the congregation in early 2016 and received strong support. I am grateful for the unity we share as we prepare to transition to a period of Sabbath rest which will begin on July 1 and end on November 15.

The leadership sees this sabbatical period as a time of spiritual renewal for our whole church family. A Sabbatical Planning team, led by Steve Dassoulas, has been working collaboratively with the vestry and staff to ensure a plan is in place for our congregation. The team is also overseeing plans for David, and the Drake family, as they enter into this time of refreshment and renewal. Starting next week the team will provide weekly articles related to the sabbatical which you can access through Res News or the church website. We welcome any and all conversations. Please feel free to address any questions to your vestry or to members of the Sabbatical Committee.

I ask for your prayers as we navigate these changes. We look forward to seeing where the Lord will lead us. He is our rock and He is very much alive. He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

T.J. Anderson, Senior Warden