In the Bible, God established the Sabbath, a mandatory day off each week, and extended that principle to include resting the land itself every seventh year. Knowing that we need to rest, God wisely decreed such times so His people wouldn’t “burn out.” The elders sent Greg on sabbatical this year to provide him a time of refreshment, to re-charge his batteries for the next period of ministry.

In the same spirit, the church leadership has decided that 2008 will be a sabbatical year for our Dickens program. For the past seven years, November and December have been tremendously busy months around Heritage. It takes literally thousands of hours of volunteer labor to prepare the village, to feed and clothe the workers, and to set up and tear down each display and tree stand. Many church members have given sacrificially of their time every year since Dickens began.

Our plan is not to “cancel” Dickens, but to streamline what we do for maximum impact in our community. On campus, our plans are to continue the tradition of Tiny Tim’s tree auction and to have choirs from the schools in the community come to sing in the Worship Center. We will, however, take a sabbatical from erecting the Dickens Village façades and buildings, and will greatly reduce the number of costumed participants.

Beyond our campus, we plan to “Take Dickens to the Streets” in our new holiday campaign "Season of Service." We will participate in the Fayette Tree Lighting, and the Dickens executive committee is planning activities that will allow us to “be Jesus” to people around our community and around the world. Those activities may include servant evangelism opportunities, like providing free gift wrapping at area shopping centers, or providing help and support for those in need. While we will continue to ask folks to “come and see,” we also want to “go and be” the hands and feet of Jesus.

Change is always difficult, and I realize some people will disagree with this decision. There is no way to give all the reasoning that led to the decision in a letter, but if you have questions, please ask. For those of you who have helped year after year, and for those who were looking forward to their first Dickens, thanks for what you have done. I hope you will be part of this year’s efforts to bless our community.

Sincerely,

Jim Sloderbeck
Executive Pastor

1. Isn’t this just all about saving money?

We always want to be strategic in how we spend money for ministry purposes, and there isn’t any question that producing Dickens takes a considerable amount of money and donated services. Beyond that, the volunteer time given would cost tens of thousands of dollars if we had to pay people for their service. This year’s sabbatical from some of the Dickens activities will give volunteers a much-needed break. The plan is to concentrate on community-focused activities that are clearly related to our mission as a church. We believe that will also be a cost-effective plan for our congregation at this time.

2. What about Bethlehem Village, the indoor program, concerts, etc.?

There will be several of the same events this year that you have enjoyed in the past. We will also be adding some new events and ministies this year. The Fayetteville Tree Lighting event will have the opportunity for you to dress up in your Dickens costume if that's something you enjoy. We will also have the annual Tiny Tim's Celebration of Giving Silent Auction benefitting the Joseph Sams School. We will also be hosting several concerts and other events.

3. Have we seen the last Dickens production?

The sabbatical is just what it says—a time to rest and to plan. After seven years, we are at a point where serious discussions need to be held about the future of Dickens. Every program has a “shelf life,” and we don’t ever want to keep doing a program just because we have always done it. Many of our façades are nearing the end of their useful life, as wind and weather have taken their toll. However, Dickens Village has been a great way to introduce people to Heritage, and with “re-tooling” may continue to be strategic for several more years. Hopefully, taking a respite this year will help us see what is worth continuing, and what needs changed.

4. I think I’m really going to miss being involved with Dickens. Are there going to be other opportunities to serve this Christmas season?

Absolutely! “Season of Service” means we are going to provide avenues of service that will enable our church family to be involved in our community, to serve and to celebrate.

If you have additional questions, please contact Shellye Febrey, First Impressions Minister.