Summer Sabbatical

I'll be taking a month in the summer as a study leave again this year. I have about eight or nine months of sabbatical stored up and have found that taking a month in the summer is my best way to recharge and work on some projects that I otherwise don't have time for. Last year I used the sabbatical to get ahead on message preparation and it stuck all year. I should be entering my study leave ahead by at least three weeks. This helps a lot in planning other elements for the message and service (e.g., videos, faith stories, special music).

This year my focus will be on developing our basics course on the Bible and doctrine. I talked about the need for this during the Seven Stupid Things Smart Christians Do to Sabotage Their Spiritual Growth series. If you didn't do well on the test we gave, you'll want to take this course that will become a regular around Five Oaks.

While I'm gone we have a great line-up of speakers. Pastor and author Todd Stocker will be sharing his story and talking about parenting one week. And Vince Miller will do a three-week miniseries on Jacob, Joseph and Moses called "Moments Weakness Becomes Strength."