Sabbatical: Pastor Nate
Hello to our Knollwood Church Family,
As Elders, we are thankful to God for Pastor Nathan and his family. They have been with us here at Knollwood for about 4 years now. During this time, we have seen God do some good things as well as some hard things. As we all know well, the last two years of dealing with the covid epidemic have been stressful and tiring for many. On top of that, Pastor Nathan has led Knollwood through a number of significant changes, from changes in our membership, to changes in our leadership, to renovations of the church building, and even including the incorporation of the church and starting a new ministry outreach focus to the Yazidi people.
In light of all of these changes, it should not be a surprise that Pastor Nate is in need of rest and a time of refreshment. Therefore, the Elders of Knollwood, in consultation with Nathan and Stephanie, have decided to give Pastor Nate his Sabbatical a little early. Normally, the Sabbatical would happen after five years of ministry. While Nathan has only been serving at Knollwood for four, the church he served at before did not give him a Sabbatical break, and he is ready for one. We want to protect our Pastor so that he gets the rest he needs now instead of risking a possible burnout. God has designed mankind to need rest breaks. Your elders see that our Pastor is in need of a break to rest and refresh himself for the future ministry God is preparing Knollwood to go through in the months and years ahead.
Please note that Pastor Nate is not leaving. He is taking time to rest and refresh himself for future ministry here at Knollwood. Our association of churches, FEB Central, encourages each church to give their pastors Sabbatical rests. The benefits of doing so lead to the prolonged ministry of church shepherds. The dates of his Sabbatical will be from June 27 to September 18. Pastor Nate will be back in the saddle again on September 19.
What do the next three months look like for Knollwood?
First, we want you to be aware that Pastor Nate’s family won’t be attending Knollwood during this Sabbatical. This is the advice they have received to make sure that he gets a full rest. Please pray for them during these next few months. They love the Knollwood family, and they will miss you as much as you will miss them. Joelle, Michaela and Caleb will continue to connect to ministries such as youth and Day Camp, in part because they want to spend time with their friends here.
Second, the staff and the Elders have been working diligently to put a plan into place so that Knollwood will continue to run smoothly. Our Associate Pastor, Pastor Matt, will continue to oversee our Sunday worship gathering along with men of God who will faithfully preach God’s Word each Sunday. Pastor Matt, along with our other staff, will share in the day-to-day needs of our church family. They are intentionally making themselves available, and we are confident that this will be a fruitful season for the church all around.
Finally, we will be shutting down much of our weekly ministries during the summer to allow everyone at Knollwood a time for refreshment and renewal. Please consider attending our bi-weekly summer picnics and BBQs. We have planned these to be a time for the Knollwood family to gather and fellowship together.
What can we do during the Sabbatical?
In Pastor Nate’s absence, we would like to challenge each of you as members of the body of Christ to be intentional about using your spiritual gifts to build up the church. Pastor Nate is only one person. Although he and his family will be away, the rest of us will still be here. Please use this time to serve and volunteer if you see a need.
Please pray! Pray for our ministry this summer. Pray for Pastor Matt and the elders as they serve. Please pray that Pastor Nathan will faithfully use this sabbatical time wisely.
Pastor Nate has expressed how much he will miss seeing each of you. One of his goals during this Sabbatical is to prepare to better lead us to serve the Lord in the many years ahead. In order to meet this goal, he is willing to bear this time apart.
May God bless each of you individually, and the whole Knollwood church family together!
The Elders of Knollwood Baptist Church