No date has been fixed at the time of writing this, so keep an eye on the notice sheet for details.
This will be my last letter to you until the autumn as I have applied for a sabbatical, which is generally for a 12 week period, only the second one in my 39 year ministry, and my first for 26 years.
‘But what’, some of you might be asking, ‘is a Sabbatical?’. The Diocesan rules explain it like this:
Educators and other professions have been used to taking long periods of leave at regular (if infrequent!) intervals, in order to reflect and develop areas which the busyness of ordinary life does not allow.
Clergy used to work at a pace which allowed time for reflection and study as part of their normal ministry. Increased demands due to larger workloads have made it difficult to do this. To take a block of leave allows the minister to read, research and rest in a way which brings re-creation and enrichment to his or her ministry.
A sabbatical is not a holiday, though it should incorporate a period of holiday and relaxation. Nor is it study leave in the strict sense, because it should have this dimension of recreation, rather than exchanging one frenetic lifestyle for another load of work. Nor does it have to be related to your current work: it offers the chance to explore new interests, and does not have to be justified by being of proven benefit to what you are doing now (or in the future). If it enables you to grow into what God calls you to be, it will benefit the people you work with as well.
As a part of what I am hoping to do, I intend (funds allowing!) to spend some time on retreat on Holy Island in Northumberland (just happening to take a few hours to explore some of the Percy castles there!), and to have a week at Lee Abbey. However most of my time will be spent here in Torquay.
Although I will be around, physically, one of the rules is that I shall not be taking part in the life of St Matthias’ for that period. If you meet me, please feel free to talk to me (your friendship is important), but I will not be getting involved with parish matters. I am grateful to the staff team for making this possible for me.
The exact dates have not yet been confirmed, but, as soon as they are, they will be published on the notice sheet.
Finally, Carl will be leaving us at the end of June to explore more fully a call to full-time ministry.
We would like to thank him for the work he has done during his time with us, it will prove a useful foundation for future work with young people here, And we pray for God’s blessing on Carl, Rachel, Joel, Charis and number 3 (due September) for their future life and ministry.
Have a good summer, make the most of whatever good weather we have, use some of the summer’s leisure to make extra time for God, and come back refreshed in September… God has a lot of work for us still to do! Meanwhile…
May God bless you all,
Gordon Percy
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