Good pastoral care ethics dictates that information not be passed from one care giver to another without the involvement of the parishioner. Carol will not be available for any visits or by phone during her sabbatical leave. Karen will be available for office hours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays and by phone for concerns and emergencies. Pastor Harlan and Karen will maintain the team approach to pastoral care needs, counseling and visitation. Access to pastoral care can be done as it always has been by calling the parish office.
Sabbatical leave is a time of learning for both the staff member on leave AND the congregation.
For instance, only Mercy Hospital has a program to call the church when someone is in the hospital, but it is not their priority to do so. Their first priority is to make the necessary treatment. Jesus was met by many people requiring care, yet in every case it was the responsibility of the person needing care to make that need known to Jesus. There may be many more questions about the sabbatical leave, simply because this is the first time that St. Mark's has done this. All income listed has been received to date.