As of midnight I am officially on sabbatical. Due to a generous Clergy Renewal Grant from the Lilly Foundation I will be off from ministry at Calvary Church until September 27. The sabbatical will be a combination of time travelling and study/ refreshment here at home. My intent is to focus on revival history (through a trip to the UK), reading & seminar on the missional church, and personally seeking God’s direction for my next phase of ministry at Calvary Church.

We had a wonderful celebration at Calvary today to mark the beginning of sabbatical (and the 30th anniversary of my ordination) complete with anointed worship, a great meal, a generous and beautiful gift, blessings from many people and even a bagpiper. This is a great congregation, and I feel privileged to serve here.

This is an exciting journey for both myself, Melissa and the congregation of Calvary which is involved in a discernment process during this time. I plan to make regular posts during this time away from pastoral ministry – check in from time to time to see what’s up.