Beloved Eliot,
On March 2, I will begin a three-month sabbatical for renewal. Sabbatical is rooted in God’s command to the Israelites to give rest to the land and people every seven years. That’s why sabbatical is offered to pastors in the seventh year of ministry. I am deeply grateful that the congregation has extended this gift to me. The goal of sabbatical is not for research or to produce a paper or other product. The goal is rest and renewal for my body, mind, and spirit so that I can be whole and can serve you more faithfully in the future. I hope it will also be a time of renewal for the congregation and our leaders as you minister together in my absence. I hope you will be reminded of the gifts God has placed within you for ministry and leadership!
I have organized my time away around the theme of jazz music. I first discovered jazz in seminary and fell in love with watching musicians play live. When a jazz band plays, every member knows the song but they never play it the same way twice. Improvisation and experimentation are encouraged. Leadership is shared among band members. The musicians enter the music without being exactly sure where it will lead them or even whether it will lead each of them in the same direction; yet the performance is cohesive, beautiful, even soaring. I am also intrigued by the way leadership and power are shared in a jazz ensemble so that the audience may not know who is leading the band. So much of this serves as a metaphor for ministry, and I hope to explore that metaphor and feed my soul during my time away.
Eliot Church received a grant from the Lilly Foundation to support my sabbatical. That grant enables me to do some life-giving things with my time, and it provides for support and renewal activities for the congregation. I am excited that you will hear from five preachers representing different ethnicities and genders. You will also have a chance to gather in conversation groups for community building. A video project will explore the past, present, and future of Eliot and help tell our shared story.
In order to facilitate true rest and renewal, I will not be in contact with the congregation until I return on June 14. While you are welcome to follow my social media feeds, I will not be tending to email or answering text messages. The session and staff are well-equipped to lead while I am away.
Again, I am grateful for this opportunity, for the support of the congregation, and for the resources of the Lilly grant. Most of all, I am grateful to be your pastor.
In Christ’s love,
Pastor Heather
Sabbatical Schedule
March 2–14: Leading a pilgrimage in the Holy Land.
March 14–April 7: Ttraveling in Europe to visit friends and listen to live jazz music in Europe’s jazz clubs.
April 10–May 27: Staying in New Orleans to study jazz and leadership. This time also includes work with a spiritual director and visual art lessons. A group of seminary friends will visit for a four-day spiritual retreat.
May 31–June 5: Family vacation in Maine
June 5–14: Re-entry time before returning to work
Contact information
Pastor Heather will not monitor email or answer text messages during her time away. Instead, you can contact the following people:
Administrative needs: Lori Hoffman, office@eliotlowell.org
Day Center needs: Charly Ott, daycenter@eliotlowell.org, 978-257-5638
Pastoral Care:
Henry Ntoro, henry_ntoro@yahoo.com, 978-328-7650
Thysan Sam, thysans@yahoo.com, 978-866-8216
June Taing, hjtaing@gmail.com, 603-508-2078
Session business: Bill Hall, bill.hall@comcast.net, 603-321-6066
Church Activities
In addition to some excellent guest preachers, the following activities are planned for the congregation:
Conversation Groups
The experimentation and improvisation of jazz music are rooted in the musicians’ ability to listen to one another and knowledge of the music that is their shared story. Building on these themes, Eliot is hosting four events for conversation and community building. You are invited to attend as many as possible. Each will be different and offer chances to connect with new people within the congregation.
• Sunday, May 1, at 11:30 a.m. at church, including lunch
• Friday, May 6, at 7:00 p.m. at church, with light refreshments
• Sunday, May 15, at 4:00 p.m. on Zoom
• Sunday, May 22, at 3:00 p.m. at Innovation Academy, outdoor walk and talk
Documentary Video Project
Raysam Halm is leading an effort to create a “Roots of Eliot” documentary video that captures our community building work and tells our shared story. It will present our history, who we are today, and where God is leading us by including recordings from the conversation group sessions and interviews with individual church members.
Watch for opportunities to share a piece of your story for inclusion in the video.
A red-carpet documentary premier event will be held at a local theater in late June, after Pastor Heather’s return. Date and location are still pending.
Jazz Worship Service
To celebrate Pastor Heather’s return, our worship on Sunday, June 19, will be filled with jazz music led by Tyler Donkoh-Halm and his band.