Sabbatical Summer 2024
May 21, 2024
To the former spiritual refugees, now citizen-saints of God’s empire, Galileo Church: grace and peace to you, from God our Helper-Sovereign and Jesus our Brother-Lord. I hope this letter finds you safe and strong in the Spirit of the living Christ.
TL;DR: Katie’s going on sabbatical; the church has amazing plans while she’s gone; somebody else is paying for it; find details for participating on our website.
My sabbatical plans, thanks for asking!
I can’t imagine you have not heard, but I’ll say it again: I have a long sabbatical planned for this summer. It’s a gift from you, to allow me the time for expansive rest and recreation; and from the Lilly Endowment, which annually funds scores of Clergy Renewal Grants.
A sabbatical is a sabbath rest; it’s not for writing or worrying or any of the other things I have usually done on long breaks from my work alongside you. Here are some delightful things I’m planning:
A college friend who lives in Sydney, Australia is coming to visit for several days.
I’m working on plans with a couple of stateside friends for visits.
My siblings and their spouses, along with Lance and me, are spending time together in Santa Cruz, California, without our kids. It’s been 25 years since we could travel together without little ones in tow.
Lance and I are taking my parents on a trip. We’ll ride Amtrak overnight from Seattle to Montana, spend a couple of days in a lodge at Glacier National Park, then ride Amtrak back to Seattle.
Lance and I are traveling to Greece for a culinary tour of the Greek islands. We’ll taste and cook our way through regional cuisines. We’ve never been to Europe before! #firsttime
I’m spending time at a women’s wellness retreat in North Carolina.
I’m attending as many (Dallas) Shakespeare in the Park performances as I can.
Disciples of Christ clergy are gathering for a retreat in Washington, DC.
I’m attending a board meeting for the Louisville Institute in Kentucky – not exactly rest, but a gathering I always enjoy.
I have a number of projects in mind for my home, my mind, and my body. I’d love to return to you feeling healthy, rested, well-read, and rid of all the stuff I’ve been meaning to eBay.
If you’re a praying person, I would be grateful for your prayers as I seek to rest well and renew relationships with my beloveds. My sabbatical begins on Sunday, June 2, and ends on Monday, September 9.
Worship: Summer Sabbatical Jam!
For 15 Sundays (June 2 through September 8), Galileo Church will hear from a variety of preachers. Carissa Robinson, Josh Bridges-Hickey, Rev. Yevette Christy, Rev. Remi Shores, David Clarke, and Rev. Deanne Carter are all lined up!
And yes – Nathan Shores will make a couple of guest appearances as Consigliera-on-Cello!
Carissa Robinson will be planning and producing worship each Sunday. Steph Hord will keep our Missional Support Squad (worship helper) grid up to date. Want to volunteer to help lead worship, up front or behind the scenes? Sign up here.
The church’s three-part plan: RRNBE!
The Clergy Renewal Grant inspires the pastor’s congregation to do wonderful things while she’s away. The Missional Logistics Team and Spiritual Care Team have crafted a plan that we hope will ignite your curiosity and participation!
This three-part plan intends to strengthen Galileo Church’s commitment to “do real relationship, no bullshit, ever” – or, RRNBE.
1. Genograms: Know Thyself!
Learn how your family tree passes along dysfunction, trauma, and valuable gifts to you – and how you can break negative cycles and make the most of a positive legacy. To participate:
Join Rev. Steve Langford for a Genogram workshop, Saturday, June 29, 10 am to 2 pm Central, onsite (at the Big Red Barn) and online (at galileochurch.org/livestream). Invite friends and family. We’re serving lunch! Babysitting is available! RSVP here.
Get a one-hour, one-on-one appointment with Rev. Langford to review your genogram. Appointments are subsidized; you pay $20 directly to Rev. Langford and the church picks up the rest. Meet onsite or online. Here’s the sign-up.
Want more information about genograms? Take a look here.
2. Cohort Gatherings: Find Your People!
Get with folx in our church who share a critical demographic detail in common with you. Have some dinner, and talk with each other about your connection with Galileo Church. Cohort gatherings:
are hosted by the MLT and SCT, who will guide discussion
include a catered meal
are onsite at the BRB and online via Zoom
meet just once, but could meet more often in the future, if they want that
can help the MLT and SCT (and eventually me) know how our church can be the best possible church for you
Cohorts for summer 2024 include:
trans women
parents of young children
adoptive parents, educators
social workers and counselors
people coming out late-in-life
neurodiverse adults
“y’all come” for anybody who doesn’t match more specific cohorts.
Cohort schedule, RSVP instructions, and Zoom links are coming soon. You can find all of that here.
3. One:One Meet-ups: Make a Friend!
Invite any Galileo person you don’t already know well to have coffee. Or say “yes” to someone else’s invitation! The only point is to get to know someone new-to-you.
We’re hoping the whole church, all together, will enjoy 100 one:ones by summer’s end! How many will you do?
We have coupons for two FREE drinks at Buon Giorno Coffee in Grand Prairie or Fort Worth. When you schedule a one:one, ask Carissa for your coupon! Buon Giorno is owned by co-conspirators David and Leyna Clarke.
For Inside Out folx: we’ll happily send you a gift card for Starbucks so you can get coffee with a potential friend over Facetime or Zoom. Reach out to Carissa for your gift card.
Inside Out folx, register your availability for online one:ones on a public list – so people will know you’re available for an invitation.
We’ve got suggestions for “Better Questions” to get beyond the basics. Feel free to prepare your own!
When you’ve completed your one:one, encourage the church by (1) posting a selfie to our one:one gallery, and (2) dropping a colorful ball into the glass containers at the BRB! The 100th ball is a disco ball…
Details, details
The Clergy Renewal Grant is funded by the Lilly Endowment. Lilly is paying for travel for myself and my beloveds; and for Galileo Church’s staffing and programming in my absence.
People to contact:
for administrative questions or needs: Steph Hord
for worship, G-Kids, e-newsletter: Carissa Robinson
for Helping Hands: Alisha Owner
for June Pride events: Haley Varnadoe, John Kirts, Kristen Hargis, and Katie DeVaull
for Big Red Barn issues: Kate Kalivoda or Kimberly Grogan
for S4: Rebecca Lay, Kat Mac Kenzie, or Kristen Hargis
for financial questions: MLT treasurer Wes Parks
for overall church operations: MLT co-presidents Ashley Araki and Chris Williams
What I’m hoping and praying for
Here’s the main thing: time and again over the past 11 years, Galileo Church has proven that this church knows how to church. Y’all know how to be together for worship and friendship; how to support each other through weird, hard stuff; how to rest easy when everything does not go according to plan; how to rejoice when it goes even better than we imagined.
So the baseline I’m assuming is, Galileo’s gonna be fine, and God will be glorified through the church’s life together. I don’t have to be around for that to happen. Thanks be to God!
The icing on this delicious cake will be that when I come back in September, not only will I be feeling fortified and rarin’ to go – but so will y’all, all together! Old relationships will have grown stronger; many, many new relationships will have been planted; whole new sets of BFFs will have sprouted! The whole church will shimmer with the possibilities of what God can do when a bunch of quirky, queer, Holy-Spirit-imbued, grown-ass adults get together and love each other on purpose.
If you’ve got questions about anything here, you’ve got my ear until June 1. Give me a shout!
“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.” 3 John 2
in love and peace – Katie