A Sabbatical Break for Dub, and Some Encouraging News For Us All

/ Steve Petch

Some Encouragement

I hope you enjoyed our Easter Sunday services at Welcome Church. If so, you may be interested to know that it was the highest Sunday morning we’ve ever seen as a church, with 1355 people in attendance across the two meetings. We’ve only seen greater numbers than this at our Carol Services, where we have four services, that run into the afternoon and evening too.

Of course, we’re not concerned about numbers for numbers sake, but because each number is a person – and we care a lot about people meeting Jesus.

Here’s an even bigger encouragement though: this week I’ve been hearing that many churches, some from our Commission family and some from elsewhere, are also seeing lots of growth and have had their highest ever Sunday numbers too.

It seems that God is up to something in the UK but it’s happening further afield too. One church we know in Mongolia recently baptised four people, including the local Shaman who has now come to faith in Jesus. He publicly repented of leading people astray and is now wanting to tell everyone about Jesus instead.

I’ll post some links below that I’ve seen in the news this week for your encouragement – do check them out. In order they are an article from The Telegraph, an article from Premier Christianity, an Instagram post from Pete Gregg of 24/7 Prayer, a short YouTube interview that Justin Brierley (who lives in Woking) did for The Spectator, and lastly an article from The Independent.

I could have easily added another ten links on the same topic, from most of the major news outlets. It does seem that something is happening!

Dub’s Sabbatical

I’m sure we would all agree that Dub, our Outreach Pastor, is a huge gift to our church. We’re so thankful for his heart, his energy, his faithfulness, and for all he brings to our community.

This year marks Dub’s tenth year of full-time ministry with us, and as part of investing in his long-term health and calling, we’re giving him a three-month sabbatical—from the start of May to the end of July.

A sabbatical is a time of extended rest and spiritual refreshment, and it’s essential for sustaining the journey of pastoral ministry. During this time, Dub will be fully unplugged: no emails, no phone calls, no WhatsApp, and no church responsibilities. He and Tanya won’t be worshipping with us on Sundays either—they’re stepping back completely in order to rest deeply.

Dub has already been working hard to make sure that everything he leads is covered while he’s away. As a church, we want to honour this time by fully supporting that boundary. One of the best ways we can bless the whole family is by giving them space to rest well—and by holding them in prayer throughout this important season.

We love Dub and Tanya, and we’re excited for all that God has in store for them—and for us—over the next ten years.

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
— Mark 6:31

“Acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord… Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:12–13

Stay connected with everything happening at Welcome Church by subscribing to this blog for weekly updates sent straight to your inbox

Leave a comment