A Pastoral Word | May 2026
From Chris Price & Jeremy King
May 6, 2026
Hi Everyone,
Jeremy and Chris here.
We are writing today to tell you about an upcoming sabbatical for Jason.
Our Board has thoughtfully extended an invitation to Jason to participate in a 12-week sabbatical, starting in the middle of May and concluding in mid-August. We strive to be a church that prioritizes pastoral health and spiritual vitality and sabbaticals are a significant means of contributing to that goal.
A sabbatical includes rest and refreshment but it is not an extended holiday or bonus vacation time.
The language in the Lead Pastor Sabbatical Policy describes the goals well:
To give our Lead Pastoral Team emotional, mental and physical rest, restoration and renewal in order to nourish their well-being;
To contribute to the professional and spiritual growth of our Lead Pastoral Team, so as to benefit their continued ministry;
To expect and hope that the renewal and refreshment of our Lead Pastoral Team will permeate, benefit and bless the overall church upon their return.
Our Board views this sabbatical as an investment into our church by investing in those who bring leadership and care to our church. Our desire is that the time and space Jason receives from the significant responsibilities he carries leading the church, staff, and Board will strengthen him, and as a result will strengthen our church. This is also a way of expressing honour and care for him—to acknowledge the weight of responsibility he carries and the sacrifice required to lead our church in the ways he does.
A natural question to ask is, how will his responsibilities be covered in his absence?
Though missed, deeply and profoundly, the church did more than fine with us (Chris and Jeremy) away. We think the same will be the case with Jason’s extended absence—simply because we have an amazing team that is more than ready to step in and step up with Jason being away from his typical responsibilities.
Jeremy, along with our executive pastor, Todd Lueck, and our other site pastors, Jon LeFave and Rachel Matson, will continue to provide pastoral leadership to our staff and congregations. Much of the day-to-day pastoral responsibilities will continue to be covered by this team. Their pastoral experience and leadership gifts will serve all sites well in Jason’s absence. Chris will continue to lead the teaching time into the summer months, as well as invite a few guest speakers to share on Sundays over the next little while.
Jason, in discernment with us and the Board, has developed his own personal plans for his time away. During his leave he will be largely unreachable by email or the normal forms of communication, but I know he will be praying for the church often and missing our times of corporate worship on Sundays.
As was the case with us, Jason’s sabbatical is not a response to pastoral burnout, any other health concerns, or spiritual issues that require attention. We thank God for that. This is about long term health and sustainability in ministry, something our Board and staff care very deeply about.
We have had a front row seat to see the great sacrifice that Jason and his family have made over the past 7 years. Leading the church is a privilege, but also a weighty responsibility, a joyful burden that Jason has carried well. But there is always a cost to this type of leadership and we are thrilled to see him accept this invitation from the Board. Having experienced our own sabbaticals in the past year, we know what a meaningful time it can be with the Lord and loved ones.
We will miss Jason’s leadership and working side-by-side for the church during this season, but we hope to still hang out. :)
Not dissimilar to our own sabbatical, here are some ways we can pray for Jason’s time away:
Let’s pray that God uses this time to do a profound work in his life: mind, body, and spirit.
Let’s pray for good rest and good patterns of sleep.
Let's also pray that God awakens dreams and vision in his heart for the years to come.
Pray for our team, especially those who get to take on new responsibility in his absence.
Pray for our congregation, that we would continue to experience increased depth and growth as a community.
Practically, Jason’s last Sunday before he goes on sabbatical is this Sunday, May 10. If you have any questions or concerns about his sabbatical leave, you can direct inquiries to Jeremy, Chris, or The Way Church Board.
We love this church. We love that we get to lead and pastor this church together. We love the team we work with and the people that make up our congregation. It is a profound joy to walk with all of you and remain full of hope as we look ahead at what God has in store for us.
May His Name be honoured amongst us.
Sincerely,
Chris and Jeremy
P.S. If you are wondering—what about you guys? Are you planning to take a sabbatical? Well, we did. And it was awesome. But the answer is still yes. In about another seven years or so. If Jesus doesn’t come back by then, we will let you know the details at the appropriate time. :)