Dear Beloved UUFA Community,
I write with a grateful heart and important news about the next congregational year.
I begin in gratitude. Last month, I fell ill with the flu and–for the first time in all my years in ministry including in training–I was too sick to lead worship. I am so deeply grateful for the amazing staff team and volunteers who moved in to take my parts and lead worship on December 21st and the holiday service December 24. To name a few: Kahla Childers, Zuri Fonseca, Mary Jean Hartell, Meredyth Howard, and Tracy Brown. Their wonderful leadership and gifts of time and care gave me peace of mind to rest and recover, and gave all of you wonderful services. I am also grateful for all of the kind messages with well wishes, and for Rev. Don Randall and Chaplain Michelle Leebens-Mack for offering to help out with pastoral visits. What an abundance of generosity and care we are blessed to enjoy!
I also share my gratitude for the UUFA Board for their good stewardship of ministry. The Board has granted me a sabbatical next congregational year from July 1 through September 30, 2026.
Ministerial sabbatical is a longstanding tradition in Unitarian Universalism as well as other faiths. The root is from the word “Sabbath,” meaning the day of rest after a week of labor. Most Unitarian Universalist congregations grant their settled ministers a sabbatical period of three to six months with full pay in recognition of their difficult and consuming work. The result is a renewal of the ministers’ spiritual resources, new directions of thought and leadership, and growth of vision.
My sabbatical continues this congregation’s long tradition of investing in the minister’s deep spiritual renewal and growth, while the congregation discovers and deepens everyone’s gifts for ministry. My sabbatical will focus on renewing and integrating my gifts in ministry. Specific plans include resting and reconnecting with sources of spiritual renewal; completing a course in mindful outdoor leadership in a New England forest; integrating my years of accumulated educational, research, and preaching material into a writing project; and finding my singing voice.
While I am on sabbatical, I invite the congregation to join in deepening your gifts in shared ministry and to focus on integration by connecting across groups and teams. Since the pandemic, this congregation, like so many others, has at times struggled to achieve volunteer abundance. Often, this is because of anxiety and perfectionism, although some may simply lack the time or energy.
I invite you to receive this sabbatical as a joyful invitation to engage, and to release any thoughts of perfection. You are enough, and your unique offering is needed! A flourishing sabbatical emerges from the light effort of a great many hearts. I invite you to discover what MEME looks like for you at UUFA. MEME stands for Minimal Effort to Meaningful Experience. Sometimes, the simplest spiritual gifts are truly the most powerful.
I also invite the congregation into spiritual integration across programs, groups, and teams. Challenge yourself to learn about (or better yet collaborate with!) a different group or team each week. A renewed Ministry Council will be announced this spring, with roles and gifts to support congregational integration. During sabbatical, allow yourself to get to know the Lay Ministers and their ministries.
As you and I prepare for the spiritual growth of sabbatical, the Ministry Council, Board, and I are making plans so that the congregation’s programs continue strong during sabbatical. The Ministry Council has taken on the role of Sabbatical Team, and the Board is working on a contract for a part-time Sabbatical Minister. Over the next several months, we will communicate more details about:
- Who will support and lead which key areas of ministry, such as worship, pastoral care, religious exploration, congregational life, administration, and leadership
- Who will serve as our part-time sabbatical minister
- Calendar of worship leaders, to include sabbatical minister, guests, and members
- How pastoral care will be carried out
- Support of administration and staff
- Who to contact for what during sabbatical
- How you can pitch in!
As I think about plans for this sabbatical, I am inspired by our time together thus far. We have moved through times of great power, strain, and potential in our world: we emerged from the pandemic learning greater care and covenant, we practiced visionary generosity that released us from debt and invested in our gathering spaces, and we are deepening practice of our faith even as the world challenges our core values.
I am deeply proud and grateful for all we have created together over the past nearly four years since you called me to settled ministry on April 5, 2022. As I look forward, I feel the creative potential in UUFA’s and my mutual call to journey together in Unitarian Universalist ministry. I anticipate all that we may create together with hope and joyful imagination.
All of the generous support and leadership of our staff team and volunteers gives me peace and ease as I continue plans for next year’s sabbatical. May this sabbatical sew deep seeds in my heart and throughout the UUFA community that will grow and sustain us in the next arc of our journey together. I look forward to returning in October 2026 with renewed spirit ready to greet your renewed MEMEs, and to our continued journey together.
With a heart full of gratitude,
Rev. Pippin
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do ministers take sabbaticals?
The ministerial sabbatical has deep roots in Unitarian Universalism and other religious traditions. In ancient Judea, the land was left to rest every seventh year, the Sabbatical Year, so that it might regenerate. For our devoted minister, the sabbatical offers a similar time for rest, reflection, study, and renewal; all these are essential ingredients for sustained, effective ministry.
Rev. Pippin’s sabbatical continues a long tradition in this congregation of investing in the minister’s deep spiritual renewal and growth, while we too discover and deepen our gifts for ministry. On Rev. Pippin’s return, we will all be strengthened for the ministry we will share in years to come!
Why now?
A healthy and lasting settled ministry is like a marathon, not a sprint. It is important to take regular breaks to renew and replenish. In the standard ministerial agreement, as with my letter of agreement, ministers accrue a month of sabbatical each year and should take a sabbatical of 3 to 6 months between the fourth and seventh years. I prefer to take a shorter sabbatical sooner, rather than to take a longer sabbatical later. I believe this best suits the Fellowship’s needs as well. In addition, this will be the first sabbatical I have observed in almost a decade. Given the monumental shifts in our world, I sense a call to observe a period of deep spiritual reflection and integration to return and lead through whatever the future holds.
Who will lead worship while you’re away?
The Sabbatical Minister will preach six times, and Chaplain Michelle Leebens-Mack will preach two or three times. The remaining six or seven services during sabbatical will be led by guest preachers and lay leaders. Additional details and a schedule will be shared as plans are finalized.
How will pastoral care be handled?
The Pastoral Care Team will continue to provide pastoral care throughout the congregation. During sabbatical, Chaplain Michelle Leebens-Mack will provide pastoral care in lieu of Rev. Pippin for pastoral care requiring the minister. The Sabbatical Minister or Chaplain Michelle will officiate any memorials or weddings during the sabbatical.
What about major decisions or crises?
The Board, Ministry Council, Executive Committee, and staff will be empowered and capable to manage congregational needs during sabbatical. Authority over different decisions will be specified for each person or group, and the sabbatical minister will assist as needed.
Will we be able to contact you during sabbatical?
Sabbaticals only work when they are true sabbaticals. Except in the case of a significant emergency, I will not be reachable. This allows both the congregation and me to experience the healthy rhythms of independence and renewal that a sabbatical is designed to provide. I plan to send two to three written updates, which will be shared in the e-news.
Are you coming back?
Yes, with joy! My letter of agreement explicitly states that ministers serve at least one year following a sabbatical. A sabbatical is designed to provide the fuel needed for long-term ministry.
How can the congregation support this sabbatical?
By staying engaged, showing up for worship and community life, supporting staff and lay leaders, and embracing this as part of the healthy rhythm of shared ministry. Your supportive presence will make all the difference!
