sustain:if:able kiwi

sabbatical

The Taylor family leave this Friday (August 22) for a period of study leave in Adelaide. We will be guests of Parkin Wesley College and the Uniting Church of South Australia. I will return on 1 November, while the Taylor girls will return October 14.

Study leave is a block of time to equip for more effective ministry. As I work 3 days per week for Opawa (and 2 days per week for Bible College of New Zealand), my study leave goals for Opawa are to:
– invest in good family time
– do some creative writing projects
– walk and reflect and process and pray. Opawa is a very different church now – more staff, more people, more congregations, more community and mission ministry – compared to the church I came to in 2004. I am seeking clarity for our next season.
– edit some of my sermons into internet resources for a US publishing company

My study leave goals for BCNZ are to:
– teach a course on Missional Church leadership plus do some leadership coaching for the Uniting denomination
– turn that course into a book for a US publishing company
– continue to work on a number of writing projects

The kids will not being going to school, and instead working on a range of learning projects. Lynne will be working on some parts of our Angel Wings business.

In order to pay for the families flight, and for the fun activities, I am also doing a 1 day leadership seminar with the Churches of Christ denomination plus teaching a 5 day block course at Tabor College, on using the Bible today.

Not sure what I will do about the blog. Probably it will also enter a “sabbatical phase” in which I will simply post personal travel adventures, plus perhaps some best of the … old posts!