Journey 2 Sabbatical/Extended Vacation

Thank you!

2009-12-01T08:37:00.001-08:00

Dear Readers,
Thank you for following this blog. Within the next twelve months I will be involved in a “project” that is in a country that is VERY unfriendly to Jesus’ followers and any type of evangelism effort is against the law. This “project” is with a previously “unreached” people group. There have been a couple of people who have given their lives to Jesus as a result of this project. So that my presence will not hind this important Kingdom work, I will be deleting the content of any of my church-related blogs. All blog content will be deleted before January 1, 2010.

I pray that you will draw close to Jesus this Advent.

Additionally, please pray for the efforts to reach the wonderful folks of this people group.

God’s blessings upon you!!

Lance

Worship on August 2, 8 & 9

2009-08-12T09:30:00.001-07:00

Before talking about my latest worship experiences I need to clarify (apologize) for some comments that I have made concerning my vacation’s worship experiences.
• It has been a joy to worship at many different churches. The Lord touched my heart at each church. The people and pastors at those churches love the Lord and seek to serve and worship him.
• Secondly, scripture says that steel sharpens steel. Pastor’s have very few opportunities to see what other churches are doing. I have learned a lot from attending other churches. My comments concerning my worship experiences were not meant to be harsh, demeaning or critical. I am truly sorry if my comments offended or hurt anyone. I know that there are Sundays where the music at Evergreen isn’t as good as it should be. I know that there are times when people will say that the sermon was boring. The problem is that people very seldom ever tell the pastor!!! I hope that people will lovingly tell me when things in the service don’t go well. I think that we/I should strive to give Yahweh our/my best effort EVERY Sunday – and every day throughout the week.
• Third, I hope to implement some things I have experienced at other churches at Evergreen!!

Worship at Beit Tefillah
Beit Tefillah is a messianic congregation in Gig Harbor, Washington. The “pastor” (my term, not theirs) of the church is Brent Emory. Brent is a good friend and has preached for me when I am out of town. Our churches have celebrated the Seder together. Brent came to the 10th anniversary celebration that Evergreen gave for me and he came to the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Evergreen’s chartering as a Presbyterian Church.

Beit Tefillah means “house of prayer.”

Things that I learned/was reminded of at Beit Tefillah:
• Jesus’ Bible was our Old Testament! Jesus was a student of the scriptures and quoted them often. Without the Hebrew Scriptures we would not have a New Testament (Apostolic scriptures to my messianic friends).
• Most Christians (including me) are woefully illiterate concerning the Old Testament – this is unacceptable. The New Testament clearly states that we are “grafted” into the root of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Jesus said that he did not come to do away with even the smallest of the laws of the Old Testament. Scripture clearly tells us to study Torah and to teach it to our children.
• Beit Tefillah has a “potluck” lunch following every worship service. A common meal helps to bring people together and build community.

My only concern is going to make me sound like a broken record – the lack of being welcomed by people in the church. Brent and his wife did a good job of welcoming me. Brent welcomed me from the front of the church at the beginning and end of worship. He even asked people to greet me -- and the other visitor. And yet, not one person said a word to me until I sat down at a table to eat lunch. I talked to the other visitor until some other people sat at the table. I talked with a couple of people while eating. The conversation was all about “them” – they didn’t try to learn anything about me! Had I not stayed for the meal, the only two people who would have spoken to me were the pastor and his wife (and I know both of them). This experience has happened at most churches I have visited!

Note: The next to church were visited specifically because they are “satellite” campuses of a church. Evergreen has a sister church in Kake, Alaske -- a small Tlingit village in Southeast Alaska. (Note: our youth groups is in Kake this week leading a vacation Bible school.) Kake Memorial Presbyterian Church is so small that they might never have another pastor. There have been some very preliminary discussion about video taping Evergreen’s sermon for use in Kake.

Mars Hill West Seattle
Our experience at Mars Hill West Seattle was VERY favorable. Their worship team used several old hymns (that have been arranged in a newer style). The church was filled with young families. They meet in an older church building that have done a good job in making it “feel” a lot like the original Mars Hill. Those who like a traditional church will not like the way they have used curtains/drapes/cloth to cover most of the traditional platform area. I am sure that they do this (in part) to manage the ambient light entering the sanctuary – they need to control ambient light to have high quality video. Mark (from Mars Hill Ballard) preaches via video. Until a month ago the message as streaming live. They discontinued this due to technical challenges. All of Mars Hill’s satellite campuses show the message from “last” Sunday.

Things I learned:
• “Streaming” the message is very difficult. If Mars Hill has challenges in streaming the message from one side of Seattle to other sites in Seattle then it would be nearly impossible to have a good experience of streaming a message to Kake – with Kake’s spotty internet service.
• The family in front of us “welcomed” us and talked with us!! This was the first time this has happened all summer!!!!!!!!! Yet, they were the only ones to talk to us.

Light House Christian Center Gem Heights (Puyallup, Washington)
Light House started as a church worshipping on Saturday nights in Puyallup. They have grown so much that they added several Sunday morning services at their main campus. They added another service several miles south in a junior high school. There has been tremendous population growth in that part of Pierce County. We had a good experience at the church!

Things I learned:
• They had a good plan for welcoming visitors! The two greeters quickly determined that we were first time visitors and IMMEDIATELY got a person to talk with us!! This person talked with us before and after the service. He did a good job of telling us about their worship, video message, etc.
• They have a greeting time/food and coffee time during the service. We had been told that we were free to have food and coffee before the service and that there would be a short time in worship for people to greet each other and to get more coffee and goodies. They served coffee from a neighborhood coffee shop.
• A high school girl (who sings in their worship team) walked across the worship area (during the break) to welcome us to worship!! She was very friendly and welcoming.
• We knew all of the worship songs. A person who listens to Christian radio or worship CDs would know the songs.
• Videoing the message is not easy. The “sound” on the video did not match up with the lips that were talking. I spoke to our “visitor greeter person” and he said that it was a regular problem. They contact the tech people at the home church when it happens. This is something Evergreen will have to be careful about if we video our messages.

Concern:
• Here goes the broken record. Let me begin by saying that this church has been the best of all the churches we have visited in dealing with visitors. Still, only one “unofficial” person talked to us! The original greeter at the door (who took us to the visitor greeter person) sat two rows in front of me during worship. During the greeting time (or after worship) he never said a word to us – even though he knew we were first time visitors. The person sitting in front of us never said a word to us. I know that most visitors want to remain fairly anonymous; still, I think a certain amount of general friendliness to visitors should be the norm – not the exception! Once again, a big “THANK YOU” to the high school student that came over and welcomed us!!!

Worship on Sunday, July 26.

2009-07-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Once again we attended two different churches on Sunday. The first church is called Soma (http://www.somacommunities.org/). Soma is located in downtown Tacoma. There were about 100 – 120 people in worship. Soma worships in a renovated warehouse/commercial building. They have done an excellent job of making the space a good place for worship—even though they do not have air conditioning.

Thoughts concerning Soma:
• Chairs, tables, sofas and skinny-butt chairs—The folks at Soma have been very creative in putting together a very “warm” or “friendly” or “comfortable” worship center. The “front row” of each of the four sections were sofas!! Kids (prior to Children’s church/class) occupied on sofa. A family with two young kids came in and sat in the second row of their “section” – with the kids heading straight for the sofa! Throughout the sanctuary were wing-back arm chairs. Moms holding small babies occupied some of these chairs. I believe that every one of these chairs was filled. Additionally, little tables (like round “end” tables were throughout the worship area. Picture this: four or five regular chairs, then a end table, an arm chair, another end table, another arm chair, then five or six regular chairs. Bibles were on the end tables. People put their coffee, iced tea or water on the end tables. Very cool. My one criticism is the skinny-butt chairs. All but one of the churches we have visited use chairs instead of pews. This was the first church that had skinny-butt chairs. It is almost impossible for an adult to fit on their chair and not have “contact” with the person sitting on the next chair. No church should EVER have skinny-butt chairs!
• Food following worship—Food was provided following worship to encourage people to stay around and talk. No one person was responsible for providing the food. They were very upfront about encouraging people to bring food to share with the entire church. If no one brings food then there is no food that day. This is a great way to encourage EVERYONE to be involved in the food ministry.
• Music, the two-man band—The worship band was so-so. There was an acoustic guitar and a base guitar. It was obvious that their drummer was absent that day--drums with no one using them. Songs were done in a done in a key that a “regular” person would have trouble singing in.
• The one hour sermon—I do not mind a sermon that last an hour(see my notes on the next church)—if the teaching is good and the delivery is good. The content was very biblical. My whole family felt that he could have covered everything is much less time. The preacher spent too much time “reading” his notes to us.
• Neighborhood Bible studies/small groups—The church uses neighborhood small groups. The plus is that the groups are made up of people of all ages. The minus is that the groups are made up of people of all ages. Our daughter is looking for a church home with good Bible studies. She commented that she would not feel comfortable in a small group with older single men. The bottom line—she wants a group that is around her own age.
• Visitor friendliness—NOT A SINGLE CHURCH WE HAVE VISITED WAS PARTICULARLY “WARM” TO VISITORS!!!!!!!! One of the pastors welcomed us before worship. One person that I know came up to talk to us after church. Not another person even said “Hi” to me!! We stayed for food. We looked at their book sales table. No interaction from anyone!!
• Bible driven—The church is very open about Jesus, salvation, sin, the Bible, etc. Very refreshing!
• An epidemic of pregnant women and very young kids—The church had lots of young families. There were a few people older than me, but not many. There were very few people in the 20-25 age group.

Overall impression: Soma has many things going for it. God bless their ministry!

Mars Hill Ballard—take two!
Mars Hill has four worship services each Sunday: two in the morning and two in the evening. A couple of weeks ago we attended the earliest service and this week we attended the last service.

Thoughts about Mars Hill:
• A much younger crowd—The later service was a MUCH younger crowd than the early service. I would guess that 80+% of the people were between the ages of 18 and 30. The place was PACKED!!!!
• Music—I loved the music at the later service. The “style” of music at the earlier service would appeal to a younger crowd than me. I found it interesting that the particular “styles” were at those service—and not reversed!
• Great preaching—Mark is a GREAT preacher/teacher! Period. End of story.
• The hour+ sermon—Mark preaches for an hour. Sunday night he preached for 65 minutes (I could see the count-down timer above one of the video cameras). The sermon did not “feel” long. I did not see a single person lose interest or get fidgety.

The bottom line: I would recommend Mars Hill to anyone looking for a church!!!

Worship at Adventure of Faith Church

2009-07-20T14:06:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we went to worship at Adventure of Faith Church in Port Orchard, Washington. Adventure is a Presbyterian church, although one may not recognize it as such. Previously, our elders had visited worship at Adventure. I was unable to attend.

Their web site states that they have two Sunday worship services. The earlier service is billed as “mainstream contemporary worship with a touch of traditional.” The later service is billed as “contemporary worship on the cutting edge.” Our church does a good job of blending contemporary and traditional worship styles; therefore, we attend the later service.

To be honest, I was disappointed. The preaching was fine. The rest of the service was “contemporary” but far from “cutting edge.” I had hoped to find a Presbyterian church that was doing something more along the lines of Mars Hill or Saddleback.

Positive things:
• Good signage in the church. Outside signs even directed a visitor to the “front” door.”
• Welcome booth was easy to locate.
• Coffee was in the main hallway—near the information booth.
• Mission information was also in the main hallway.
• Coffee-shop-style-tables were in the rear of the sanctuary so that people could eat a bagel or a donut during worship.
• An “alter call” was given at the end of the service.

Interesting things:
• All food served at the church had to be purchased (bagels, donuts, yogurt, etc.)
• The only time anyone said anything to us was at the “official” shake hands time—and then they only said “hello.” No one else said anything to us during our entire visit. On second thought, the greeters said “hello” to us when they handed us the bulletin. So far, none of the three churches we have visited were “welcoming.”

Adventure’s style is geared to those who have been in church before, even if they do not currently attend a church.

Final thoughts: If I were to go to Adventure again I would attend the first service. I have heard that the music is quite good that that service. The music at the second service was slightly “above average” at best.

Worship last Sunday – Mars Hill and University Presbyterian Church

2009-07-17T20:16:00.000-07:00

One major component of my “vacation” involves worshipping at other churches. It is a rare occasion when a pastor gets the opportunity of worship at another church. Well, this summer I will have several opportunities to worship at other churches.

Of course, the best thing about visiting other churches is that I can sit with my wife and daughter during worship!! Following worship we discuss the things we liked and the things we didn’t care for (or thought that they could have done better).

Last Sunday (July 12) we went to Seattle and attend Mars Hill Church in Ballard AND University Presbyterian Church. Wow!! Talk about different churches!!

Overall Summary: I would gladly attend Mars Hill every Sunday. I have been to U. Pres. and have absolutely no desire to go back.

Mars Hill Summary
Strengths:
• The Preaching: Mark (the pastor) preached for about 45 minutes. He is in the final weeks of a series on 1 and 2 Peter. The preaching was biblical. He stuck with the text and really challenged the congregation to submit to the text. He stressed that when our “belief system” differed from the biblical text we need to transform our belief system to come into conformity to the text.
• Communion every Sunday: Communion at the end of each worship service. Communion is served by intinction—going forward to receive the bread and then dipping it in the wine/juice. There were many stations where people could go to receive communion. The lines were fairly short and moved quickly. The person holding the “cup” was actually holding two cups – one labeled “juice” and one “wine.”
• Preparation for the sermons: Mark “publishes” a book of study material for the entire sermon series. There are daily Bible readings for each week. Small groups (called “community groups) discuss the “homework” and the messages.
• Community groups stressed: Community groups were mentioned MANY times in the message and at other parts of the worship.
• Age diversity in worship: Being 52-years young, I was truly afraid that I would be the oldest person in the congregation. WRONG!! We parked about a block from the church. Before we had walked 10 feet I spotted two people that were older than me!! There we many people older that me -- by many years. One member of the four person worship band was older than me! The congregation was filled with people of all ages. Yes, the larges demographic group was the 18 – 30 year olds.
• Technology and lighting: The lighting and technology were WELL DONE!!!
• Ear plugs were available for any one who does not like loud music!

Could be done better:
• Couldn’t tell where the front door is. Actually, I think that every door was a “front” door.
• No one talked to us – even at the “greeting” time.

We plan on going to a Sunday night service at some point this summer. We understand that it is more interactive and cutting edge (Twitter is encouraged).

University Presbyterian Church Summary

Strengths:
• A very good choir: One would expect nothing less.
• The “unusual” sermon: The pastor had been preaching through “Pilgrims Progress.” A local television personality did a wonderful job with the pastor as they portrayed two characters from the book.
• Parking lots: The church has access to several parking lots. We had to drive around the block while waiting for the earlier worship service to end.

Could be done better:
• Lack of age diversity: I might be wrong, but I believe that our 24 year old daughter was the youngest person in the sanctuary! I was definitely younger that the “average” person in the sanctuary. I was SHOCKED at how old the church appeared to be. (Note: Classes for kids were at the earlier service. Therefore, it is possible that the parents were at that service.)
• No one said anything to me.
• The lady at the “information” table had no idea as to what was in the various brochures that were available there.
• The “Men’s Room” was difficult to find. The “Lady’s Room” was easy to find.
• Technology… what technology? The highest tech thing in the church that I saw was a microphone. There was no “technology” in the narthex or any where else that we walked. The wireless microphones were the only technology upgrade since the 1950’s.

A person that prefers a “traditional” style of worship will prefer U Pres. A person that prefers a “non-traditional” style of worship will prefer Mars Hill. A person who values age diversity will prefer Mars Hill.

Back from the San Juan Islands

2009-07-12T20:48:00.000-07:00

Photos: Glenn and Ken, Brenda, Skye Reach, the family, sunset at Shallow Bay on Sucia Island. Click on the photos to enlarge them.

The first part of my vacation was to the San Juan Islands. I captained the sailing vessel Skye Reach (a sailing catamaran). Ken Graves, my nephew Collin and I took the boat from Shilshole Bay, Seattle to Anacortes. Then, Collin headed home and Brenda and Theo (our wives) joined us. We traveled through many of the best anchorages in the islands. The temperatures were in the mid to upper 80's (hot for Washington). We had a total of 13 people spend time on the boat (Brenda and I, our kids Alyssa and Forrest, Ken and Theo Graves, Glenn and Tami Malone, Al & Cathy Isaac, Tony and Joy Cook, and Collin). The boat is back in its slip. We are back home. A great trip.

The first day...

2009-06-24T08:23:00.000-07:00

Some things change. Some things stay the same.

My early morning ritual of going to The Oasis and doing my through the Bible in 90 days continued on this the first morning of my vacation. One cup of coffee down and one to go!

I suppose that it is fitting that today's reading covered the transition from David's reign to that of Solomon. The transfer of power took place while David was still living. In a sense, a "transfer" is beginning at Evergreen today. The voice mail on my cell phone has been changed to refer callers to the church office for things pertaining to Evergreen. Today I begin to screen calls--the wife, kids and family members will have their calls answered; all other calls (with a few exceptions) will go to voice mail to be dealt with as time allows. No visits to the hospital or nursing home. Other people will cover those bases. No sermons notes to work on today. No music to get ready for Sunday. No worship bulletin to be done on Thursday. The transition is beginning.

It feels really STRANGE. Today I will mow the lawn, re-pot peppers that are in the greenhouse and work in the dahlias.

The last day of work...

2009-06-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

Well, today is the last day before my extended vacation. Today is all about tying up loose ends.

"...everyone did as he saw fit."

2009-06-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

Inconsistency. Faith when it is convenient. Such are the history of God's people through the time of the Judges. The people worship whatever god they desire. Inevitably, enemies make life difficult for the Israelites. The people call out to God when things get some bad that they cannot take it any more.

The book of Judges ends with this quote: "In those days Israel had no king, everyone did as he saw fit." Notice, people did not do what Yahweh (YHWH)saw fit. The people turned from YHWH. Other gods were worshipped.

As I await the beginning of my extended vacation, I continue to grieve for the Presbyterian Church (USA). The quote from Judges seems to fit the PCUSA perfectly. Admittedly, the rank and file of the denomination love God and desire to follow his commands and decrees. And yet, many in leadership forsake the commands and decrees of YHWH, following their own ideas and beliefs--doing as they see fit.

I just finished reading the beginning of 1 Samuel. Hannah had been unable to have children. She prayed to the Lord asking for a child--promising to give the child to the Lord's service. She conceives and gives birth to a son -- Samuel. Hannah remembers her promise and give Samuel to Eli--the priest. As a mother, I am sure that part of Hannah wanted to keep the child. However, she was true to her commitment and gave the child to the Lord! God blessed Hannah be allowing her to have other sons and daughters. By following the way of the Lord -- not her natural way -- she was blessed by God.

It is my prayer that during the upcoming time of rest and refreshment that YHWH will draw close to me so that I can follow his ways--forsaking my own thoughts and ideas and cling to his commands and decrees.

The Bible in 90 Days

2009-06-18T09:12:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how many people who go to church have never read the entire Bible. Since my high school years I have been in churches where most everyone would say that the Bible is God's Word. To this day I firmly believe that that the Bible IS God's Word!! Period. End of story.

For my vacation I have undertaken the 90 day journey of reading the entire Bible. I am using June 1 as my starting date (even though I didn't begin until June 3). Today's reading will take me through Joshua 15.

The early part of Joshua clearly points out how fickle people are. People would cry out to Yahweh when things were going poorly. Yahweh would us a judge to deliver his people. And, with a short time the people would return to worshiping other gods. One would think that they would have learned their lesson. Not!!

Time and time again, God warned his people about worshipping other gods.

It is amazing how similar things are today! The "gods" that are worshipped today may not be made of gold, silver or wood. We worship at the feet of pleasure, individuality and self-centeredness. Other gods are toys, cars, $$$, free time, alcohol, drugs and sex.

People call out to God when things are bad. People "make deals" with God. Some of these people may even start attending a church.

It is my prayer that my closeness to Yahweh is constant--in good times and in bad.

Preparing for the extended vacation -- continued

2009-06-17T10:40:00.000-07:00

Challenges in preparing for the vacation:
1. Worship team--I am the leader of Evergreen's worship team and guitar player. Our church does not have many folks who a gifted musicians. We have been unable to find a guitar player for the time that I am going to be gone. Our solution was to get another keyboard so that we can have two keyboards (when both can attend) and a piano. The keyboards are versatile and provide a "full" found. A member of the worship team will "lead" the group while I am out of town. Summer is always a challenging time for the worship team do to family vacations. This year the challenge will be even greater.
2. Congregational care--This is one area that we have had covered--until yesterday. Our deacons have been planning to covering this area. Yesterday, one of our deacons informed us that she wants/needs to resign. We are now in "scramble" mode trying to cover this area.

Big "THANK YOU" goes out to several individuals or groups:
1. Sumner Presbyterian Church--Steve Starr, senior pastor of Sumner Pres., is a good friend. Sumner church had Steve take a time of renewal (purposely not calling it a sabbatical) several years ago. I asked Steve if it would be alright for me to ask two of the pastors on staff if they would be interested in preaching a time or two for me. After talking with his staff, Steve offered to have people from Sumner fill the pulpit the entire time I am gone!! Thank you Steve and Sumner Presbyterian!!
2. Joy Cook--Joy is our office administrator. She will work longer hours and carry a greater load during the vacation. Thank you Joy!!!
3. Tony Cook--Tony is the clerk of Evergreen's session (for those who aren't Presbyterian, the clerk keeps our minutes and is suppose to know the rules and regulation of the denomination). Tony is leading the steering committee. Tony is a gifted leader, well organized, even keeled and a great encourager. Thank you Tony!!!
4. Evergreen's session--This group of dedicated folks will now meet twice as often as the steering committee. They are planning MANY special events for the summer months to send the message that Evergreen is moving forward, even though the pastor is on vacation. Thank you session!!
5. Evergreen's deacons--The deacons are taking on a larger role during my absence. Janet, the deacon moderator, will carry a greater burden. Thank you deacons and Janet!!
6. Evergreen--This vacation would not be possible without the love and support of the entire Evergreen family. Thank you everyone!!

Vacation (sort of like a mini sabbatical) drawing near!

2009-06-16T08:58:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe that my two month vacation begins in one week! Part of me is looking forward to this time; part of me is dreading this time.

Changes already implemented:
1. Lay worship leaders--Evergreen has a history of lay folks help to lead worship. This group has been transformed! People were selected based on ministry gifts. The group has people who love the Lord, are comfortable in from of large groups of people and have good communication skills. They are currently leading almost all of the worship service in preparation for this summer. Good job everyone!!
2. Steering committee--In the Presbyterian Church, the church is governed by elders. The elders currently serving terms meet in a group called the "session." The session cannot meet unless the moderator of the session is present (that is the pastor--me). So what happens when the pastor is gone for an extended time? In the typical "sabbatical" a temporary moderator will be appointed by the Presbytery. We are trying to have Evergreen be LESS dependent on the pastor. So, we have formed a "steering" committee of session to guide the church during the vacation. The group cannot make any decisions that would need to be made by the session. I am available if a special session meeting is needed. The steering committee is composed of all session members, two deacons, the clerk of session and the church office administrator. The session had its regular meeting in April. The steering committee met later in the month to plan for the summer. The session met in May. Part of the meeting was debriefing the steering committee meeting. The steering committee met last Sunday (June 14) and will continue meeting every two weeks during the vacation. It is working out quite well.

Enough for now--- more on this latter.

Our latest update-- As of March 17, 2008

2008-03-17T15:49:00.000-07:00

Reverend Lance Williamson

Part A – Program Rationale and Design
A.1 Overall character and purpose: What does a church do when there is a healthy relationship between pastor and congregation, but the two have become so comfortable with each other that creative tension no longer exists? What if the church becomes so complacent that it is in danger of becoming "lukewarm" like the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:16)? Evergreen wants to stay in relationship with Pastor Lance and rekindle the fire of purposeful ministry and mission. We see a sabbatical as a time to reflect, redefine and revive our roles as players on the same team.

We envision a three-and-a-half-month sabbatical with two distinct components - one for the pastor and the other for the congregation. We see this two-pronged approach as critical to the success of the sabbatical as a purposeful time of renewal for both parties, resulting in a vibrant relationship for many years to come.

Pastor Lance will use his time for rest, spiritual renewal and professional development. The plan includes recreation time for him to participate in two activities he loves, sailing and growing dahlias, with people he loves: his wife, his children, his extended family and close friends. He has scheduled time alone with God for reflection, prayers and spiritual refreshment. Lance will grow professionally through work with a leadership coach and by visiting with pastors who have successfully implemented the Purpose Driven Presbyterian model in their churches.

Members of Evergreen's congregation will also work with the leadership coach to rediscover their roles as partners in ministry. Leadership training will start months before the sabbatical, culminating in the summer away from Lance, giving them a chance to put into practice what they have learned.

The sabbatical will give both Lance and the congregation a time away from the familiar habits that have developed over the past twelve years and will provide an unparalleled opportunity for growth and renewal.

A.2 Rationale: When Pastor Lance came to Evergreen in June of 1996, the church had been through a difficult few years. After the beloved organizing pastor's retirement in 1991, there was an interim pastor, a called pastor who left after fourteen months, and then another interim.

Enter Lance Williamson, a young pastor with a young family. It was a time of hope for the congregation. Lance's arrival began a period of stability and spiritual growth for Evergreen. Under his leadership, worship is central to the life of the church, strong relationships have formed and new programs and worship services have been added. Lance has worked tirelessly for the church, as preacher, musician, moderator of Session, comforter of the sick, teacher of classes and in all of the other roles of a small church pastor. His devotion to the congregation and its members has never faltered.

While Lance's time at Evergreen has been positive, the congregation has increasingly been content to let him shoulder much of the work of the congregation. The church has become more and more pastor-centered. Although the congregation has grown in faith and dedication to the Word, the program work of the congregation has been done by a relatively small number of persons. In this atmosphere Lance has had difficulty delegating responsibilities. As part of the sabbatical, Lance will examine his own management style with the help of a leadership coach to see how he can empower others to participate in ministry. The opportunity to visit other churches, talk to other pastors, and observe other congregations will also be a benefit of the renewal program.

In 2005, Evergreen participated in the "40 Days of Purpose." It was a time of significant spiritual revival for our church. The session adopted the "Purpose Driven Presbyterians" model for the church. Session committees were organized around the five purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission/evangelism. The leadership training will help congregational leaders rekindle a vision of what it means to carry out these purposes. The sabbatical will provide Lance the opportunity to visit Purpose Driven Presbyterian Churches to gain insights into their successful implementation of the model.

The time is ripe to redefine roles and redistribute the workload at Evergreen. A time of sabbatical will let the congregation put leadership principles into practice. The sabbatical will give Pastor Lance a much-needed time of rest, time to pursue his "heart sing" activities, and time to explore how to continue his work at Evergreen in a deeper way.

A.3 Process: The congregation has been favorable to the idea of a sabbatical for several years. Our Presbytery has also been favorable to the concept, sending a letter to the churches to endorse the idea. In Dec 2007, Evergreen's session approved a sabbatical for Lance for summer 2009, and approved the formation of a team to write a proposal for the clergy renewal program. A significant portion of the spring 2008 leadership retreat was spent in lively discussion regarding the benefits of a sabbatical, for both church and Lance, as well as addressing members' concerns. The congregation has been engaged throughout the proposal process, receiving information through newsletters, a web log, and discussions at meetings.

A.4 Pastor’s activities and timeline: In early spring, the church and Lance will begin work with a leadership coach who specializes in sustainable leadership development. The plan calls for three joint sessions with Lance and church leaders – two before and one after the sabbatical. The coach will meet separately with the church and with Lance during the summer away.

The sabbatical will begin mid-May. After six days at home to unwind, tend the dahlia garden and ready the house for an extended absence, Lance and his wife, Brenda, will travel to Ohio for five days of intentional time alone with God at a retreat center operated by the Pastors Retreat Network. The purpose of the retreat is to reconnect with God and receive his word, individually and as a couple.

From the retreat they will travel to England to continue the slower pace in a narrowboat on the canals of England. A week traveling at three-and-a-half knots through the countryside and villages will give them time for reflection. They will be joined by Brenda’s parents (Bud and Barbara Fisk). A few days touring England will round out the fortnight there.

After six days back at home in mid-June to check on the garden, unpack and repack, Lance and Brenda will make their way to the Bahamas for a week on a sailing catamaran, joined by two other couples (Glenn and Tami Malone, Ken and Theo Graves). This is a repeat of two very successful sailing trips with these friends in the past, although this is a new destination for all. It is a joy to experience God’s creation with friends who recognize the author of the beauty.

From the Bahamas, Lance and Brenda will travel to the British Virgin Islands, where they will be joined by their children (Alyssa, 23 and Forrest, 22) for some family sailing. This will be a time to reconnect as a family, as their recent schedules have taken them all over the world and there has been little time for all to be together.

As the sailing comes to an end and Brenda returns home, Lance will stop in Florida for a week and a half of visiting pastors who have successfully implemented the Purpose Driven Presbyterian model in their churches. He has a number of contacts in the Purpose Driven Presbyterians network from attending their annual conferences.

At the end of July, Lance will return home to a dahlia garden coming into full bloom. The typical week in the month of August will find him meeting with a pastor from a Purpose Driven Presbyterian church in Washington, working in the garden, taking a day-sail in Puget Sound, visiting Pacific NW dahlia shows, and attending area churches on Sunday. The cadence of the non-structured days will be a time of rejuvenation before returning to the work of the church.

Lance will travel to San Francisco for a session with his leadership coach in late August to reinforce lessons learned. The sabbatical will end on Labor Day weekend.

A.5 Pastor’s statement: Three things make my heart sing: serving the Lord as a pastor, boating and growing dahlias. The clergy renewal program will provide an opportunity to grow in each of these areas. The renewal program will allow me to step away from the daily commitments of pastoring a small congregation and focus on allowing the Lord to refresh my spirit through prayer, God’s Word, reflection and recreation. The years I have spent at Evergreen have been great. Yet, I have allowed people to lean too heavily on me for direction, comfort and support. I need to change my management style. The work with the coach and the time apart will help me examine my style of leadership. It will be helpful to have a single coach to work with both the congregation and me as we move into a desired future. Visiting with Presbyterian pastors whose churches use the Purpose Driven model of ministry will highlight best practices.

The renewal program will allow me time to spend time boating with family and friends, working in my dahlia garden and visiting other dahlia gardens throughout the Northwest. These activities help me to experience the amazing power of God through God’s creation. The miracle of two dahlias producing a “new” variety is awe-inspiring. The power of the wind and waves reminds me of how insignificant I really am; and yet, the God of the universe cares deeply about me. The sabbatical will cause a symphony within my soul.

This time of renewal will be very good for Evergreen. A time of focused coaching and training before the sabbatical will equip the church’s leaders with the skills and confidence to oversee the church during the sabbatical. Other than the sermons, the elders and deacons will lead all aspects of the church and its ministry. The congregation will experience leadership and pastoral care provided by the laity. This intentional time apart will help Evergreen to move into a preferred future—one where purposeful ministry and mission are led and owned by the entire congregation.

A.6 Congregational statement: We love our Pastor but we are a pastor dependent congregation. Lance puts others first and neglects himself, which is probably why we like him so much! Lance has run every aspect of two services for over three years. Lance is rarely absent and has been known to preach even while ill. We offer a service on Saturday night with another on Sunday morning. Lance has given his entire weekends to trying to make this schedule work for three years with enormous personal sacrifice.

Our "40 Days of Purpose" campaign was the most significant revival we have seen at Evergreen; it was our wake up call as a church and followers of Christ. Evergreen again needs revival. We need to rethink the role that Lance plays as our pastor. We need to rethink our purpose as a church in the Graham community. How can we meet the needs of the large portion of our community who do not attend worship services and have little or no connection with any church?

Our hope for this sabbatical is to 1) give Lance time for renewal & relaxation, 2) give Evergreen members time to evaluate our roles and responsibilities, 3) give Lance time to reflect and redefine his role as a pastor in a small Presbyterian congregation, 4) give Lance time to consider his next steps with the Purpose Driven Church model, and 5) give Evergreen leadership the responsibility for church operations. The objective would have Lance returning rested, healthy and excited; equipped and prepared to lead our revival.
A.7 Covering pastoral functions: The leadership coach is key to the congregational component of the renewal program. The coach, Jerry Straks, comes with an impressive resume of sustainable leadership development in churches and corporations. He will work with the elders and deacons to develop both spiritual and organizational leadership abilities. Because increasing the capacity of church leadership is a thrust of this program, we will not hire an interim pastor. We will create a part time position to coordinate the caring ministries. This person will work with our deacons to make sure that the needs of the congregation are met. Currently, this function is performed by our head deacon and is a volunteer position, but with the increased responsibility and hours, fairness dictates that the position be compensated. To cover the preaching, we will have a number of visiting pastors. This will give the congregation an opportunity to hear a variety of messages and styles. Members of the congregation will lead the other aspects of the worship services. For our office administrator, who oversees the day-to-day operations of the church, we have budgeted an increase in hours and hourly wage. The Clerk of Session will be the person ultimately responsible for resolution of any confusion or conflict. To commemorate the leave-taking, we will send Lance off with a commissioning service on his last Sunday. During the sabbatical, each of the functional areas of session will hold an event (i.e. mission activity) in order to keep the congregation engaged. A celebration event at the end of the sabbatical will welcome Lance back and provide an informal time of sharing experiences during the sabbatical. Lance's return will coincide with our annual fall kick-off.

A.8 Communication

Prior to the sabbatical, the congregation will be kept informed through a web log (blog) set up for that purpose, the church newsletter, and meetings. During the sabbatical Lance will use the sabbatical blog to keep the congregation informed and share insights from the renewal program. The blog has a place for readers to post comments, so the insights can flow both ways. Many in the congregation are used to using electronic communication, so it is natural to use this media. Once the sabbatical is completed, Pastor Lance and several of the church's elders will teach a six-week class on learnings and insights from the renewal program.

Part B – Congregational Information
B.1 Church history

On Christmas Eve, 1981, Rev. Elden Unruh and twenty plus others met in his home for Evergreen's first service. In February of the next year, the group began meeting at the Graham fairgrounds. The church was officially chartered by Olympia Presbytery PC(USA) in February 1984 with 54 members. Through the support of Olympia Presbytery and others related to the Presbyterian Church, enough money was raised to begin building on the current site. July of 1988 saw a joyful procession of church members as they walked from the fairgrounds to their new home on the top of the Graham hill. Many of those early members still call Evergreen home. In 1994 Evergreen completed an expansion of kitchen and classroom space, and added a sanctuary. In 2005 Evergreen became a Purpose Driven Presbyterian church, following an intensive study that involved a number of small groups, as well as a sermon series.

B.2 Membership and attendance:

Evergreen has 121 members. The average attendance for Sunday worship is 80; on Saturday it is 15.

B.3 Names and tenure of the last four pastors: In the two decades since that first meeting, Evergreen has had three called pastors: Elden Unruh (July 1984 - June 1991), Mark Hilditch (June 1993 - August 1994), and Lance Williamson (1996 to present). During the transition times between called pastors, Evergreen had two well-loved interim pastors, Wayne Keller and Ron Snelling.

B.4 Ministries of the church: Evergreen has been devoted to mission throughout the world and community since its establishment as a new church development. This devotion is exemplified by support from the congregation as a whole and by the work of individual members.

On the denominational level, Evergreen participates in One Great Hour of Sharing, the Peace Offering and Christmas Joy. We have used our portion of the Peace Offering to help children and families in the community. We have sent workers and money to the New Orleans disaster recovery program, and have also taken special offerings to benefit other worldwide disaster recovery, such as tsunami relief.

The whole church gets enthusiastically involved in Operation Christmas Child through Samaritan’s purse. We have a special relationship with Video Ministries, a mission program which supports pastors in Chile. We support higher education with financial contributions to Whitworth University in Spokane, WA. We have a sister church relationship with a small church in Kake, Alaska. Our congregations keep each other in frequent prayer. We purchased an on-demand water heater for their church, sent contributions for their community efforts, and have sent, and will send, mission groups there to work in the community.

In our own community we have supported a Presbytery-established Cambodian ministry. We support Habitat for Humanity of Pierce County and the Graham Food Bank with dollars and volunteers. We provide Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets and gifts to needy families in our area. To help other needy persons we have joined with Love INC in their service. Our members mentor high school students as they work for their community service credits. We are in the process of becoming a designated emergency shelter in case of natural disasters in our area.

We offer programs for both youth and senior citizens of the church and the community. We join with other churches in the area for a family fun day in the summer. Our building is used four days a week for Scout programs. Evergreen and its members are truly dedicated to serving others.

B.5 Church budget: Please see page ___ for church budget.

Part C – Pastoral Information

C.1 Pastor’s Education

Sheldon Jackson College (Sitka, Alaska) 1977 Associate of Science.
Washington State University (Pullman, Washington) 1980 Bachelors of Science

Fuller Theological Seminary (Pasadena, California) 1986 Masters of Divinity.

C.2 Ordination and pastoral positions

Ordained by Presbytery de Christo, Presbyterian Church (USA). October 5, 1986

Pastor - Trinity Presbyterian Church, Cliff, New Mexico. Sept 1986 – June 1988

Associate Pastor - First Presbyterian Church, Moses Lake, Washington. June 1988 – Dec. 1991

Campus Chaplain - Sheldon Jackson College, Sitka, Alaska. January 1992—June 1996

Pastor - Evergreen Presbyterian Church, Graham, Washington. June 1996 – present. (12 years)

C.3 Other information

For the past two years Lance has written a blog about issues facing the church, both local and national. He has a following of fellow clergy bloggers,and was even picked up by a national church news service for his coverage of a conference he attended. He is an accomplished guitarist who works hard perfecting his art and introducing the church to new music. He has served on General Council in two separate Presbyteries. His current Presbytery involvement includes the Pastor and Congregational Care team and the planning team for the annual Presbytery clergy/spouse retreat. Lance’s community involvement includes local ministerial associations, coaching youth sports, the Graham Business Association, and Habitat for Humanity.

A.2

2008-03-01T14:29:00.000-08:00

Provide a clearly articulated rationale for engaging in the clergy renewal program. Include a discussion about why this is an appropriate time for the pastor and congregation to participate.

Pastor Lance Williamson came to Evergreen in June of 1996. The church had been through a difficult few years. After the beloved organizing pastor's retirement in 1991, there was an endearing interim pastor, a called pastor who left after fourteen months, and then another interim, a wonderfully supportive retired pastor who still worships at Evergreen.

Enter Lance Williamson, a young pastor with a young family. It was a time of hope for the congregation. Lance's arrival began a period of stability and spiritual growth for Evergreen. Under his leadership, worship has continued to be central to the life of the church, strong relationships have formed and new programs and worship services have been added. Pastor Lance has worked tirelessly for the church, as preacher, musician, moderator of Session, comforter of the sick, teacher of classes and in all of the other roles of pastors in a small church. His devotion to the congregation and its members has never faltered.

While Pastor Lance's time at Evergreen has been positive, the congregation has increasingly been content to let him shoulder much of the work of the congregation. We have become more and more pastor-centered. Although the congregation has grown in faith and dedication to the Word, the program work of the congregation has been done by a relatively small number of persons. In this atmosphere Pastor Lance has had difficulty delegating responsibilities. As part of the sabbatical, Pastor Lance will examine his own management style to see how he can empower others to participate in ministry. The opportunity to visit other churches, talk to other pastors, and observe other congregations will be a major benefit of the time apart.

In 2005, Evergreen participated in the "40 Days of Purpose." It was a time of significant spiritual revival for our church. The session adopted the "Purpose Driven Presbyterians" model for the church. Session committees were organized around the five purposes: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission/evangelism. The leadership training in preparation for the sabbatical will help congregational leaders rekindle a vision of what it means to carry out these purposes.

The time is ripe to redefine roles and redistribute the workload at Evergreen. A time of sabbatical will let the congregation put into practice leadership principles and make the purposes more personal and vital, apart from the pastor. The sabbatical will give Pastor Lance a much-needed time of rest, time to pursue his "heart sing" activities, and time to explore how to continue the Purpose Driven work at Evergreen in a deeper way.

Part A--Program Rationale and Desing - A.1

2008-03-01T14:27:00.001-08:00

Begin with a summary statement describing the overall character and purpose of the renewal program you are proposing. To present a strong application, please give careful thought to the connection between the proposed activities and your rationale. Programs that are coherent,well-integrated and possess a degree of thematic unity often are the most compelling. Your opening statement should convey these characteristics.

What does a church do when there is a healthy relationship between pastor and congregation, but the two have become so comfortable with each other that creative tension no longer exists? What if the church becomes so complacent that it is in danger of becoming "lukewarm" like the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:16)?

Evergreen wants to stay in relationship with Pastor Lance, but does not want to become "lukewarm." We see a sabbatical as a time to reflect, redefine and revive our roles as two parts of the same team.

We envision a three-month sabbatical with two distinct components - one for the pastor and the other for the congregation. We see this two-pronged approach as critical to the success of the sabbatical as a purposeful time of renewal for both parties, resulting in a vibrant relationship for many years to come.

Lance will grow professionally by visiting with and learning from pastors who have successfully implemented the Purpose Driven Presbyterian model in their churches. His inquiries will focus on how the model affects the churches and the impact it has on the pastors, particularly on their management styles.

Members of Evergreen's congregation will take time to rediscover their roles as partners in ministry, rather that solely followers of Lance's directions. Leadership training will start months before the sabbatical, culminating in the summer away from Lance, which will give us a chance to put into practice what we have learned.

Opening Paragraph—Setting the Stage.

2008-02-15T22:44:00.000-08:00

The sabbatical grant writing team has been hard at work. Here is a glimpse at our draft first paragraph…

What does a church do when there is a healthy relationship between pastor and congregation, but the two have become so comfortable with each other that creative tension no longer exists? Are we so complacent that the church is in danger of becoming “lukewarm” like the church in Laodicea (Revelation 3:16)? We do not want to let that happen. We see a sabbatical as a time to reflect, redefine and revive our purpose as Evergreen Presbyterian Church.

The “Rationale" -- Beginning Thoughts.

2008-02-08T22:47:00.000-08:00

At our last meeting we brought together our individual thoughts on the “rationale” for the sabbatical. We are convinced that the sabbatical will be beneficial for Pastor Lance and the congregation. They will be working on different sides of the same coin (so to speak).
Although the ideas were stated differently, they all pointed to a similar theme: the need for leadership development for the church and a need for Lance to acquire some management/delegation skills.

There was discussion about what needs to happen at the church, in terms of specifics - and the conversation kept coming back to developing leaders in the church; developing a sense of ownership and responsibility in the elders; a sense that the ball is in their court and they need to run with it; of starting the ball rolling rather than waiting until someone else starts it.

At the church leadership retreat in March, there will be a time to discuss the sabbatical, particularly the following two questions:
1) What would be the benefit of Lance being gone for a time - both for the church and for Lance?
2) What are your main concerns about Lance being gone on sabbatical? It was suggested that the second question, particularly, be given ahead of time and that the responses be written. Someone could then compile the concerns and they could address them at a later time in the retreat (or at an additional gathering). This would help keep the conversation within a reasonable time frame.

The Cast of Characters

2008-02-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

Here is the list of the team members that are working on the Lilly Clergy Renewal project along with the skills they bring to the team.

Brenda: Brenda is a CPA that specialized in not for profit audits while working for a huge accounting firm. She is currently employed by World Vision and works in grant compliance (she looks at lots of grants and grant proposals).

Glenn: Glenn is an educator and elementary school principal. He has taken classes in writing grants and was successful in getting a grant for his former school. The grant was to enable the students to broadcast their own daily “news” program over the school’s television system. Glenn is very creative (it was his idea to have a blog for this process). Glenn has served as an Elder at Evergreen Presbyterian Church.

Tony: Tony is a lawyer by education and served in various capacities in the Washington State Senate (from being legal counsel to the Senate to being the highest non-elected person in the Senate). He is a critical thinker and a dedicated Presbyterian. He is currently employed by our Presbytery. Tony has been an Elder at Evergreen and is our clerk of Session (keeps the minutes).

Joy: Joy is a journalist by education. She is a skilled writer and a critical thinker. She has served on the local school board for several terms and has seen many grant proposals. Joy is the office administrator at Evergreen.

Lance (that’s me): I am the pastor at Evergreen Presbyterian Church. I have been at the church for 11.5 years. I am a visionary who gets bogged down with the details. I feel that I am the least skilled for this process of the whole team. I bring the unique perspective of being the pastor of the church.

The beginning steps in the journey.

2008-02-07T22:35:00.000-08:00

This journey began at Evergreen Presbyterian Church’s annual congregational meeting in January 2007. Pastor Lance had left the meeting while the congregation reviewed his terms of call (Presbyterian lingo for compensation package). A member of the congregation suggested that the church should begin the process of talking to Pastor Lance about having a sabbatical. The Session (Presbyterian lingo for church board) was giving the task of looking into the possibility of a sabbatical.

In November 2007 the Session met as a working group of Session (not an official Session meeting as Pastor Lance was out of town due to a family emergency). The idea of a sabbatical was discussed at length. The Session was very supportive of the idea of a sabbatical for Pastor Lance.

In December 2007 the Session voted to endorse a three month sabbatical for Pastor Lance in 2009. The Session looked at the 2008 National Clergy Renewal Program by Lilly Endowment Inc. A team was to be assembled to help write the proposal.

During the January 2008 congregational meeting the proposed sabbatical was discussed, as was the possibility of a Lilly National Clergy Renewal Program grant.

The proposal writing team has been hard at work. The deadline for the completed proposal is may 14, 2008.

Join us for the journey!!

2008-02-07T22:26:00.000-08:00

Evergreen Presbyterian Church has started the process of planning for sabbatical for its pastor—Pastor Lance (that’s me). This blog is intended to:

Document the process of developing a clergy renewal program grant proposal;
Keep the congregation informed with the most up-to-date information about the proposed sabbatical;
Elicit comments from the Evergreen Presbyterian Church family;
Allow interested person from across the globe to follow our progress, learn from our process and give comments and recommendation on this project.

Thanks for joining us on this journey!