Let me suggest one final possibility for the congregation and pastor upon the pastor’s return from a sabbatical. Remember that the congregation is part of the larger church of Christ. Consider about a month after the pastor has returned having a congregational event to which a member of presbytery was invited.
Again, let it be a fun event with food, music, and good fellowship. However, invite the presbytery staff member to address the congregation with his or her vision for the possibilities of ministry together as a presbytery and the role of your particular church in that larger ministry. Ask the person to dream big and out of the box and perhaps have several specific possibilities that the church can consider. Let there be plenty of time for questions and exploring how to build on the ideas suggested for a more complete vision that involves more churches in the presbytery.
Then conclude with a liturgical reading of 1 Corinthians 13 but alternately substituting the presbytery and the name of the church for the pronouns in the passage. EG, “If the Presbytery speaks in tongues of mortals and angels, but does not have love, the churches in it are noisy gongs or clanging cymbals” etc.
Conclude with a prayer for the future of Christ’s church.
