In the Episcopal Church, parish priests are granted periods of sabbatical leave after a number of years of service. Calvary’s Rector, the Reverend Allison English, will be taking her leave from April 8 to July 8, 2024.
Calvary is the fortunate recipient of a Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant. This grant provides both the funding for the parish and the rector’s activities during the leave. Below is an outline of what to expect in the months of the leave.
Purpose:
The Lilly Endowment National Clergy Renewal Program at Christian Theological Seminary (CTS) seeks to strengthen Christian congregations by providing opportunities for pastors to step away briefly from the persistent obligations of daily parish life and to engage in a period of renewal and reflection.
The annual programs are designed for those congregations and pastors who have a strong relationship with one another, a high degree of mutual trust and support, and are eager to see their relationship strengthened, renewed, and continued.
Expectations:
Receipt of this grant mandates a “no-contact” expectation for both the pastor and the congregation for the duration of the sabbatical. This includes phone calls, visitations, text messages, and direct social media contact.
Who is in charge?: The Senior Warden is responsible for the business life of the parish, leading Vestry meetings and tending to office matters as needed. The Parish Administrator will continue to assist in the daily office operations.
The Associate Rector will lead the worship and pastoral life of the parish in the Rector’s absence. All pastoral concerns should be directed to the Rev. Olivia Hamilton.
Program:
The people of the church continue to participate in the worship and community life of the parish. Part of this grant is the expectation that members of the church identify and claim their spiritual gifts and exercise those both in the church and in their day-to-day life. An opportunity to take a spiritual gifts inventory was provided during Lent under the leadership of our Ministry Study Intern, Kyle Schenkewitz and will continue in our ongoing efforts to bolster lay ministry.
During the Sabbatical, Matthew Petersen, Calvary member and Lutheran Deacon, will lead the Calvary Community Hour in a series called “Just Eating?” This is an exploration of our relationship to food. All people eat to live — now how is God calling us to eat?
The parish and rector will be exploring “The Journey of Vocation.” How is God calling us as individuals and the church?