Hello Trinity Church,
I’m Jim Zandee, and I have the privilege of serving as one of your Elders here at Trinity Church. On behalf of all the Elders, I’m very pleased to announce that we are sending Pastor Mark and his wife Denise, on a three-month sabbatical from May 8th to August 3rd, 2025.
You may be wondering, what is a sabbatical?
A sabbatical is a time for refreshing and renewal, and as Mark mentioned, it’s an opportunity for him and Denise to spend more time together, connect with God, and earnestly seek divine guidance for their lives. Mark will share more about their sabbatical plans in the coming weeks.
It needs to be pointed out, especially for the many people who have joined the church in the last few years, that this is not a new or sudden decision. Our Personnel Policy Handbook states that we offer our pastors a sabbatical every seven years. We allocate funds in each annual budget to cover the costs of this sabbatical and have been discussing the timing and details for over a year. The main considerations involve handling pulpit supply and weekly leadership in Mark’s absence. We have prepared a FAQ document with more information about the sabbatical, and as always, you can reach out to me or other session members with any additional questions you may have.
Mark has served as a Trinity pastor for over 20 years and has taken only one sabbatical, which was in 2017. The last five years have been particularly busy and demanding for pastors, especially in dealing with COVID and all the challenges that came with it. During this time, Mark has also been completing his Doctor of Ministry, participating in our “All Generations” campaign, and for about a year, he took on the stressful responsibility of working with a nearby church to assist them in working on some sensitive personnel matters. This is certainly a good time for a sabbatical!
Several people have inquired about giving a special “love gift” towards this sabbatical, as we’ve done in the past. If you would like to contribute, we've set up a special “Sabbatical Fund” where you can give online or by check. Please select “Sabbatical Fund” from the online giving menu or mark your special gift as "Mark and Denise Love Gift,” and I’m sure the Fullers would be very grateful for your generosity.
We at Trinity are deeply grateful for Mark and Denise and look forward to this upcoming time of renewal and refreshment for them. |
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