Lauren Wolcott Sabbatical

The SWPA Synod sabbatical policy for synods staff is found on page 19 of the current policy manual. The policy expects that employees shall take a sabbatical of from one to three months after having served in the synod office for six consecutive years. Lauren Wolcott began serving as Communication Director on October 29, 2018, and reached six year of consecutive service on October 29, 2024.

Lauren Wolcott will be on sabbatical July 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025.

During Lauren’s time away, the communications workload will be reduced to the most essential tasks. A small team of volunteers will cover synod-wide emails, website updates, database/payment processor management, social media content, and the bishop transition. Thank you to Sandy Delorenze, Pastor Jess Felici, Janice Jeletic, and Jess Sanzotti for their assistance to make this sabbatical possible.

---

The synod’s model “Sabbatical and Health Leave Policy” notes that a sabbatical “is an opportunity … to experience a renewal of oneself and of one’s mission… a time for reflections, spiritual re-encounter, renewal and community.”

Renewal of Self

Lauren plans to reside near Bangor, Maine, for the entire three months of this sabbatical and spend her time in pursuit of her hobbies: hiking, biking, reading, and pottery.

Renewal of Mission

The synod employee handbook recommendation for employees is to spend one week in structured study. Lauren intendeds to spend an equivalent amount of time in structured education, spread throughout the duration of the sabbatical in pursuit of a UX (User Experience Design) certificate.

UX is a multidisciplinary field of product development that involves branding, design, usability, and function. Concepts excerpted from UX have already proven to be of great value in Lauren’s approach to synod work, and she believes more fully understanding this field will yield more useful methods for achieving goals and finding creative solutions.