Submitted!
Last week, on March 15, we turned in our Renewal Grant Application to the Lilly Endowment National Clergy Renewal Program! So now we wait to hear back on whether or not we have been given the grant. They said we should learn the results by August.
Below is a quick snapshot of the Sabbatical proposal (pending the grant). The plan is a two month span in 2024 and a one month span in 2025. Please note that the grant requires that the pastor remains in service to their church for a year after the Sabbatical. In other words: this cannot be used as a time to explore a career beyond Stillmeadow. The purpose is to provide space for renewal for both the pastor and the church.
2024
In 2024, we would prepare for the Sabbatical time with a month long series on Sabbath rest, including a gathering meal to celebrate our rest and partnership. While I am away, the church will also share a “Devotional” like the ones we do for Advent and Lent.
The Sabbatical would be a mix of journey and sojourn, of travel and rest. The first month would be spent journeying across Europe by train from London to Romania. Aubrey and I have dreamed of taking our kids to Europe before they graduate from high school and this would be a perfect time. It would also be a great milestone in our lives as a family. It would be a milestone for me, marking 20 years in ministry, and provide time to reflect on the past and look ahead to the journey that lies ahead.
The second month would be spent here in York County, close enough to home for the girls to engage in youth group activities, but far enough for us to still have a sense of “being away.” We’ll reunite with Simba and enjoy the slowness of staying, also using the time to prepare for return.
Through the time we would use this blog page (www.stillnaz.com/sabbatical) to stay in touch with weekly updates on our travel and rest.
When we return, we would have a return party, complete with a meal and story time from us and from the congregation on what we learned over the summer. We would also have a fall series on life milestones and centering on Christ through the different seasons of life.
2025
In 2025, we would prepare for the remaining portion of the sabbatical with a month long series on family relationships. Our 2025 plans would include two weeks to the northeast and two weeks back in York County. This would be a meaningful milestone for our family to celebrate the graduation of our eldest and to prepare for the senior year of our middlest.
Please pray
This entire plan is a desire for “preventative maintenance,” a way to renew our passion for Christ and renew our relationships within our family and within our church family. God has been faithful to Stillmeadow. We are grateful for the nearly 20 years we’ve been a part of the story of Stillmeadow. And we are hopeful for the years that lie ahead in our partnership.
Please share
If you haven’t had a chance to share your thoughts, I’d love to hear your perspective on where you see Stillmeadow in this stage of existence. You can go to www.stillnaz.com/sabbatical/seasons or just click on the previous blog post.