Pastor Carrie will return from Sabbatical on July 12th! I’m writing to share with you a major change that is a result of her time on Sabbatical and her personal discernment. She is returning with a desire to move from full time to part time. Her hope is to spend more time with her children and nurture a growing relationship with her significant other, Kevin, and his children.

The council has affirmed her discernment as something that is very good for her but may present some challenges for First Lutheran. It is not what we hoped would come from Sabbatical but we also acknowledge that this kind of discernment was always a possibility when someone is given the time to reflect on their life and ministry. The church council and I have decided to run an experiment for the next 7 months with Pastor Carrie going part-time. The experiment will run from July 12 to January 31, 2027 with a candid assessment by September 30th. We will be watching to see if First Lutheran’s ministry can thrive with two full-time pastors and one part-time pastor.

Pastor Carrie’s role will be reduced to three primary functions, Worship, Pastoral Care, and Memorial Services. She will continue to be present on Sunday mornings for liturgy at the traditional services, she will provide pastoral visitation Sundays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays and she will continue her role in planning and presiding over memorial services. Her compensation will reflect the reduced duties and hours.

She will no longer be preaching regularly, overseeing functions in the Peel House, consulting with the renovation team nor serving on the Senior Staff leadership team. There are many other ministries that Pastor Carrie has been involved in throughout the years and as she pulls back from them we will learn together what that means for the congregation. Other staff will take on some of her responsibilities and be compensated for that extra work, and we will make arrangements as new gaps in ministry become apparent.

As we enter this new season together let us discern together what God is doing among us. This may be an opportunity for others to grow in their ministry. We may be surprised as the Holy Spirit uses this change to guide First Lutheran in new directions. We pray that Pastor Carrie will continue to use her gifts to bless our congregation and help us achieve the mission God has laid before us. We also pray for her new relationship and desire to use her gifts to bless her family.

If you have any questions or concerns I encourage you to share them with me and members of council. And please keep us informed of ways this change affects our ministry in ways we may not be aware of.

Pastor Travis