I was a weird kid—in the best way. Every Sunday after church, I’d rush home and play church with my stuffed animals. I directed an imaginary choir, wrote my own sermons about loving people (remember, this was the South in the 1970s), and served Holy Communion to the dog using bread and Kool-Aid. Reverent and resourceful. 

One of my favorite hobbies was reading about African nations in our family encyclopedias—yes, the giant books that took up an entire shelf and smelled like ambition. Somewhere between those encyclopedias and the Bible stories about packing up and going wherever God called, the seed of becoming a missionary was planted. I used to tell my parents, very confidently, “My kids will grow up far from North Carolina.” Turns out, I was right. Minnesota came first, and then nearly ten years serving as a missionary in Madagascar—both very far from home.

The church has been my life’s work since I was 24. I’ve lived on three continents, learned multiple languages, helped translate the Bible into an indigenous dialect, prayed in hospital rooms, buried the dead, had many conversations on why it matters that kids are in worship, baptized the faithful, and walked with over 1,000 students as they affirmed their faith. And honestly? I’ve loved every minute of it.

At 30 years of ministry, my current congregation, Bethlehem, has offered me a sabbatical, and I am excited to take it. I will be gone right after the First Communion class on Sunday, March 22, and I will return in time to help set up and play at VBS on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Study, rest, teaching, and writing are part of my sabbatical journey.

Here is how I will spend it:

Rest both begins and ends this sabbatical. The grief of losing my son, Jake, at Christmas in 2024 has been heavy, and honestly, it should be. Love does that. During this time, I plan to visit his grave, bring him flowers, sit quietly, and pray—for this broken world, for my tender heart, and for the strength we all need to keep going.

Writing is one way I manage my emotions, fears, and thoughts, so I will be blogging one word a day starting on Monday, March 23. Words may include: laughter, visits, silence, nostalgia, distraction, silliness, delight, duty, serendipity, mercy, reality, react, connection, creativity, community, wanderlust, ephemeral, petrichor, shenanigans, bubbles, compassion, curiosity, dream, act, dare, passion, content, healing, kindness, love, thoughtfulness, refocus, reflection, graditude, breathe, solitude, play, restoration, wisdom, patience, process, peace, destination, listen, see, touch, taste, smell, joy, faith, ability, activism, beginning, calm, desire, yeild, zen, youth, truth, understanding, novice, manage, energy, optimism, plight, quiet, lifeline, known, juggling, justice, introspection, humble, float, twinkle, exclaim, happiness, imagination, wonder, meaningful, playfulness, rest, caregiving, zest, moxie, frolic, call, restlessness, complete, confidence, authenticity, rejuvenate, freedom, chaos, stability, divine, vow, transfigured, consent, perspective, tender, intention, care, pause, resilence, formed, release, rediscover, no, stop, radiant, practice, renew, polyvalent, math, and sacred. (Thanks to everyone who gave me a word!) If you want to follow me on my daily word challenge, please subscribe for my blog.

After Easter, I’ll hit the road with my new book, Wiggles, Giggles, and Pokes: Kids in Worship—A Church Leader’s Edition. I’ll be teaching in Indiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Phoenix, Arizona. Buckle up. Then, in early May, thanks to the Bethlehem Foundation Scholarship Grant, Scott and I will travel to Portland Seminary in Oregon for the Doctor of Ministry graduation. The hooding ceremony is May 7, and after that, I will officially be the Rev. Dr. Heather Roth Johnson. As someone who once lived in remedial English, this still makes me laugh out loud.

For the rest of May into early June, I’ll be home: hanging out with my dogs, biking with my family, soaking up the sun, and dreaming about all the ways my church and I will grow together this summer and fall as I return to Bethlehem as their Pastor of Faith Formation.