A new year and a new venture

Knowing the Score is going on hiatus for 6 months. It's author is going on sabbatical beginning 10 January 2011. And, really, nothing else about the music ministry of College Church is going to shut down or slow down!

I have been granted the very generous gift of a 6-month sabbatical. It is all the more generous for being my second sabbatical at College Church. (Now in my 26th year of full time music ministry, this will be my 3rd sabbatical. I had a 6-week sabbatical - which I squeezed into 9 weeks - at my previous church.) Let me say here that I am very mindful of the grace this represents. Almost none of you reading this can imagine a job that even holds the prospect for time away like this. I do not at all take it for granted. I simply accept it with thanksgiving and commit to making the best use of the time, and return with fervor, ideas, and energy for the next season of my ministry here at College Church.

Some readers may question the whole concept of a sabbatical from ministry. I seriously understand that. But I won't defend the concept or my making use of it. (I can defend it, but that is kind of pointless.)

 What is a sabbatical for? It is for study, reflection, rest, and preparation for continued ministry. So, how will I make use of the time away?

First - the bulk of my time will be spent in formal graduate theological training. I have been accepted into Wheaton College Graduate School, to work toward the M.A. in Historical Theology. I will be enrolled as a full-time student for the spring semester. Long term, I expect to poke away at this program and finish it on a part-time basis while back in the saddle here at church.

Then - I will also be investigating and visiting a few churches with well developed, intentional and purposeful music internships. We have been blessed here at College Church with quite a few excellent interns over the years. These have developed more or less in response to a particular interest or a particular need. Many of the interns have "done music" and also taken part in the pastoral ministry intern training. All well and good. I think it is time for the church to launch a more formalized annual internship with a standard curriculum and learning/leading opportunities. So I hope to return from sabbatical with a clear plan, a concrete proposal, and the wherewithal to lead it in the coming years.

And also - yes, there will be some rest built in. It's hard to explain how "working Sundays" affects family and personal routines. Many readers build their weeks around their commitments on Sundays - and I am profoundly grateful for that, not to mention dependent on it! But the reality is that of course any one of you may choose to opt out on any given commitment, or even take the summer off (for example). Ministry familes don't really have a normal experience of "weekends." So there is that, to begin with. Beyond that, I will be training (again!) for the Big Sur Marathon, and enjoying cycling. I will enjoy some leisure reading in addition to my formal theological study. And Karen and I will get out to see our kids and friends along the way.

What about church? Well, we expect to settle into a local congregation, as parishioners, and have a church home-away-from-home when we are not away and/or visiting other churches.

So, that's that. This space will be more or less dormant until I return. For those masochists who want to keep up with my writing, you will find me at my professional blog http://tedecethymnus.blogspot.com/ and at my personal blog http://chuckking.blogspot.com/.

Blessings! I know that you will enjoy the music and leadership while I am away, and will with joy

Sing on!