Update from the Board

As many of you may remember from this summer, Pastor Josh has been working with the church board on a planned sabbatical renewal in the summer of 2024. The Church of the Nazarene defines as a sabbatical as “an extended period of time granted to the minister to disengage from ministry responsibilities in order to have uncompromised space for rest, renewal, reflection, and re-visioning.” It is typically between two and three months in duration, often a total of 8-12 weeks. The sabbatical renewal is also a time for the church to prepare for revival and an increased commitment to follow in Jesus’s footsteps.

The Kleinfelds will be taking this board-approved sabbatical from June through August in 2024. During that time of God-given refreshment and renewal, we will use our staff ministers, as well as district-supplied preachers, on Sunday mornings and to lead our normal activities.

We had applied to the Eli Lilly Foundation for a grant to help fund this effort, but there were more applicants than available money and we were not selected. So, the church board has been working with the finance committee to help defray Pastor Josh’s anticipated travel expenses.

Stillmeadow’s official website includes a page on the planning for the sabbatical renewal, which will be updated periodically with the plans and activities.

Our church board encourages the congregation to be a prayer for:

1.      Pastor Josh and his family as they prepare their hearts and minds for this time of renewal

2.      Our people as well together and individually seek a deeper experience with Jesus. May we truly be able to say, “It is well with my soul.”

Scott Mingus, Sr.

Church Board Secretary