Congregations need to be intentional about receiving a pastor back from a sabbatical. In some ways a 3-4 month sabbatical can pass very quickly but it is important to recognize that everyone continues to change. When a pastor returns to a congregation, there is an uncertainty on both parts as to what has occurred and what it all means. It is a mistake to assume that now that the pastor is back, everything will pick up and continue as normal.
Consider some simple things that a congregation might do to assist in the reintegration of a pastor and family to the congregation.
Consider asking the church school to make some posters to welcome the whole family back. It might include some verbal affirmations of how important the pastor and his or her family is to the congregation.
Second, a brief reception might be organized as a welcome home party. It should be a fun party that makes room for laughter as well as some welcoming speeches. Maybe some of the musicians could create some fresh words to a familiar hymn that speaks of the joy of being back together.
Third, getting back after being away can be stressful. Consider the pleasure in discovering the congregation has prepared some meals for the first few days and maybe restocked the pantry with some staples.
Fourth, consider composing a liturgy for the first worship service that recognizes the return. This might include a renewal of baptismal vows for the whole congregation and a renewal of the call to the pastor to guide them in their journey. If the church has a mission statement, this would be an excellent time to form it into a litany for the whole congregation.
Fifth, one could invite the whole pastoral family to kneel within the congregation and have a laying on of hands by the session before the congregation asking God’s blessing on the family and giving thanks for their ministry.
Finally the session might deliberately plan some time at their first meeting to ask the pastor to speak of any possibilities that has occurred to the pastor during the sabbatical that the session needs to examine for the future of the congregation’s ministry.
