The Beginning

Dear Church,

Chris and I are about to embark on a new spiritual adventure—a sabbatical, our first after 25 years in ministry and 35 years in leadership. This isn’t about stepping away from church; it’s about drawing closer to God. We have dedicated much of our lives to serving God and His church, and we are deeply grateful for the journey. However, we’ve come to recognize the importance of Sabbath and sabbatical in God’s design for life. Scripture teaches us that while it’s good to work for six days, it’s also essential to stop and rest. On the seventh day, God didn’t just rest—He stopped creating. He knew when to pause. That’s not always easy for us, but it is necessary.

We are not stepping away from being Christians, friends, or members of the church. However, we believe it’s important to step back from doing and leading others for a season so we can simply listen and follow God. The theme of our sabbatical is: Rest and Refresh, Rejoice and Reflect, Family and Solitude. By stepping away from leadership, we hope to return in July renewed and ready to serve with fresh perspective and energy. This is a time for celebrating God, taking time to listen instead of always speaking, and embracing the rhythm of both connection and stillness.

This sabbatical will also be a time for family and solitude. We plan to spend meaningful time with family, both near and far, and to deepen our connection as a couple. I will also be engaging in an extended solitude retreat to listen more closely to God's voice.

We will begin our sabbatical after Congregational Midweek on April 2nd and will return at Congregational Midweek on July 2nd.

We are so grateful for your love and support in all the different ways you serve. This is new territory for our church, and we are following the LA church policy format as a board. Jose and Jolissa have done an incredible job growing into leadership, and we truly believe they are ready to stand in the gap. In fact, this may be exactly what God has prepared them for. Sometimes, the best way to learn is by stepping up and doing the work. We believe they will flourish in this season, and without us looking over their shoulders, they will have the freedom to lead in their own way. We know you will continue to support them as they guide the church forward.

Although we won’t be attending local services for the next three months—it’s difficult for us to separate attending from leading—we are not withdrawing from our relationships. We love you all, and we’re always open to friendship, fellowship, and connection. However, during this time, we ask that our interactions be outside of a leadership role, simply as brothers, sisters, and friends in Christ.

We love you and look forward to reconnecting in July!

Gary & Chris