By the end of this week, we will have had 24 baptisms since September! It’s been a crazy season like we have never seen at Bailey. It is typical to have a number of baptisms following CIY and church camps in the summer months, but to have adults and young people alike making this decision through the fall and winter is awesome to behold!
However, baptism is just the beginning. As Jesus tells us, making disciples includes not only baptism but also teaching and training (Matthew 28:18-20). Or, as I like to say, “we catch ‘em, and we clean ‘em!” There is no “catch and release” in the Kingdom of God. We are called to come alongside each other, to model what growth and maturity in Christ look like, and to pick each other up when we stumble. Please be praying for those who have recently taken the step of baptism, and be sure to go out of your way to encourage them and invite them to small groups, church events, or even out for dinner. Discipleship is built side by side as we do life together.
I share this because a maturing and healthy church family is so important when a pastor goes on sabbatical. As the elders announced a few weeks ago, I will be going on my 4th sabbatical in the 28 years since I started at BCC. If you are wondering why a sabbatical is important, look at that last number: 28 years. I firmly believe that the reason I have been able to be here at Bailey this long is largely due to the opportunity the church has provided me to rest, heal, and rejuvenate. Ministry, as well as life, is a marathon, not a sprint. And it takes a respite along the way to make it to the finish line.
Bill Easum’s online article, Benefits of Long Tenure, notes that the average minister stays in a church less than 5 years. Having stayed in one church setting for 24 years, he understands the benefits of longevity. One of Easum’s suggestions for those who wish to stay put is:
You must take time away for renewal. It doesn’t matter who you are; the longer you stay somewhere, the easier it is to get bored and stale. This goes beyond being a lifetime learner. Being in the same place for twenty-four years forced me to have extended periods away from the church for personal renewal. Sure, I got fired up about the church’s progress, but the larger the church became, and the longer I stayed, the more difficult it was to remain fresh. No one likes a stale pastor.
My goal for each sabbatical is to come back refreshed, reinvigorated, and re-joyed. Please pray for me during my sabbatical (May through July) to be sensitive to God’s leading, to find grace, peace, and joy for the next leg of our journey together, and for God to protect and bless the Bailey church family while we are apart. And I will pray for you, as well!
In Him,
Daren Penwell