A Season to Step Back… So We Can Move Forward
by Pastor Sean Kelly
Note: Pastor Sean will be on sabbatical from May 25 through September 13, 2026.
Let me start with something I mean deeply.
I love being your pastor. I love this church. I love what God is doing here. And I love the season we're stepping into together.
Which is exactly why this next step matters.
As I shared last week, sabbatical is about ceasing. Stepping away from the normal pace and pressure of ministry to rest, renew, and realign. Not because something is broken, but because I want to stay healthy, faithful, and effective for the long haul. This isn't quitting. It's pausing, on purpose, for a purpose.
So what will this look like? A few things, in broad strokes.
First, it will be a season to invest in family, especially our adult kids who have scattered to different corners of the country. Anyone who has launched kids into adulthood knows those moments don't happen on their own. You have to go get them. We're going to do that.
Second, Jenny and I will have time to travel and simply be together. After decades in ministry, unhurried time is a genuine gift. We plan to receive it that way.
Third, there will be space for reading and writing. There are ideas and projects that have been quietly simmering for a while. This season creates room to bring some of them to the surface. I'm not sure what I'll find, and honestly, that's the point. My plan is to listen without pressure, without a packed calendar, and without a need to produce anything.
Through it all, the goal is the same: cease for the purpose of renewal.
When a pastor leads from fullness rather than exhaustion, the congregation feels it. When leadership is grounded rather than running on fumes, the mission moves forward with clarity. This isn't stepping away from the church. It's stepping away for the sake of the church.
I'm grateful for a congregation who understands that distinction, for a team that will lead well while I'm gone, and as always, for the privilege of doing this alongside you. I love being your pastor, and I look forward to many more years with the honor of that title, God willing.