SABBATICAL 2025 FOR PASTOR KIPP AND FAMILY
May 4, 2025
After 20 years of pastoral ministry and 9 years of ministry at Westside Chapel, I’ll be taking a sabbatical this summer (‘25). A sabbatical is a scheduled period of rest from the weekly demands of ministry in order to be refreshed and renewed. The sabbatical will begin after the June 1 Sunday worship service and graduation picnic and will conclude July 26.
Sabbatical comes from the sabbath which comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to cease” or “stop.” In the creation account in Genesis, God put into place a rhythm of working 6 days and ceasing from work on the seventh day. When Israel was established as a nation, God put into place times of rest and ceasing from work once a week, seven times a year, every seven years and every 49 years. We were created to work but also to cease from work in order to gain physical and spiritual rest. In the New Testament, Jesus regularly gets away in order to spend time to be refreshed through prayer and solitude.
About 5 years ago, a mentor of mine recommended I consider taking a sabbatical. He had taken a sabbatical himself and highly recommended it as a healthy practice for pastoral ministry. I have gone back and forth between whether I should take a sabbatical or not, but I feel confirmed that God wants this for both me and my family and for Westside at this time. The Elders have also encouraged and been supportive of me taking a sabbatical at this time.
I am not taking a sabbatical because I’m burned out or because I’m thinking of leaving Westside. Rather I believe this will be a time that God works in both my life and the life of Westside Chapel to prepare us for our next season of ministry together.
How will I spend my time on sabbatical?
Focus Upon Spiritual Renewal: Spaced out throughout my sabbatical, I’ll be getting away for extended prayer, Bible study and worship. Most of these times will be at St. Francis Prayer Center in Stoneville. Jenny will join me when she is able and the whole family will join me at least once.
Focusing Upon Our Family: We will take our normal summer beach vacation with Jenny’s family in South Carolina. We’ll also have other family activities that allow us to enjoy just being a family. I’m sure we’ll end up camping--we love to tent camp. We are hoping to make a trip to Colorado to see my 95 year old grandma and other relatives we haven’t seen for a while.
Focusing upon our Marriage: Jenny and I will have time to sow into our relationship and to just enjoy being married. When Jenny is able, she will accompany me throughout this sabbatical. She invests heavily in the people and ministry of Westside, and so this will be a chance for her to be refreshed also. We will also do a Bible focused marriage conference together.
Other focuses: I am still working though other details of areas of personal growth. I am consulting with the Elders and our district. I will have various mentors that I plan to check in with regularly during the sabbatical. I will also have various check-in points with the Elders.
I believe that this sabbatical will also be good for Westside.
God has called us to be a diverse (multicultural, multiethnic, multi-socioeconomic) gospel-centered church. We are learning to love each other like family across cultures so that we can reach the nations in Greensboro and beyond. I look forward to how God is going to use this sabbatical in both my life and my families life and the life of Westside.
In preparation for this sabbatical, our sermon series will be on sabbath and rest.
Prayerfully,
Pastor Kipp
Sabbatical comes from the sabbath which comes from the Hebrew word meaning “to cease” or “stop.” In the creation account in Genesis, God put into place a rhythm of working 6 days and ceasing from work on the seventh day. When Israel was established as a nation, God put into place times of rest and ceasing from work once a week, seven times a year, every seven years and every 49 years. We were created to work but also to cease from work in order to gain physical and spiritual rest. In the New Testament, Jesus regularly gets away in order to spend time to be refreshed through prayer and solitude.
About 5 years ago, a mentor of mine recommended I consider taking a sabbatical. He had taken a sabbatical himself and highly recommended it as a healthy practice for pastoral ministry. I have gone back and forth between whether I should take a sabbatical or not, but I feel confirmed that God wants this for both me and my family and for Westside at this time. The Elders have also encouraged and been supportive of me taking a sabbatical at this time.
I am not taking a sabbatical because I’m burned out or because I’m thinking of leaving Westside. Rather I believe this will be a time that God works in both my life and the life of Westside Chapel to prepare us for our next season of ministry together.
How will I spend my time on sabbatical?
Focus Upon Spiritual Renewal: Spaced out throughout my sabbatical, I’ll be getting away for extended prayer, Bible study and worship. Most of these times will be at St. Francis Prayer Center in Stoneville. Jenny will join me when she is able and the whole family will join me at least once.
Focusing Upon Our Family: We will take our normal summer beach vacation with Jenny’s family in South Carolina. We’ll also have other family activities that allow us to enjoy just being a family. I’m sure we’ll end up camping--we love to tent camp. We are hoping to make a trip to Colorado to see my 95 year old grandma and other relatives we haven’t seen for a while.
Focusing upon our Marriage: Jenny and I will have time to sow into our relationship and to just enjoy being married. When Jenny is able, she will accompany me throughout this sabbatical. She invests heavily in the people and ministry of Westside, and so this will be a chance for her to be refreshed also. We will also do a Bible focused marriage conference together.
Other focuses: I am still working though other details of areas of personal growth. I am consulting with the Elders and our district. I will have various mentors that I plan to check in with regularly during the sabbatical. I will also have various check-in points with the Elders.
I believe that this sabbatical will also be good for Westside.
- Westside will hear from other voices on Sunday mornings. The Elders and various guest speakers will cover the Sunday sermons.
- Westside will get the opportunity to further share the ministry load at Westside. I am so grateful for all the Westsiders who serve in various ministries of Westside. Yet there are definite ways we can still grow in sharing the load of leadership and ministry at Westside. I am working through areas of delegation. I encourage you to be open to how God might grow you in the area of leadership and service during the time of my sabbatical.
God has called us to be a diverse (multicultural, multiethnic, multi-socioeconomic) gospel-centered church. We are learning to love each other like family across cultures so that we can reach the nations in Greensboro and beyond. I look forward to how God is going to use this sabbatical in both my life and my families life and the life of Westside.
In preparation for this sabbatical, our sermon series will be on sabbath and rest.
Prayerfully,
Pastor Kipp