Sabbaticals for ministries like ours are supposed to happen every seven years. We’ve had two, 3 month sabbaticals, in 33 years of full time urban mission and felt it was time to take up this practice again.
The sense I had, with Spiritual Directors, was that I needed:
– Renewal (physically, spiritually and mentally)
– Reconnections with family and friends in Oz
– Re-boot to help prepare for the next season of ministry based in Winson Green
– Write my new book ‘No Wastelands: How you can grow Seedbeds of Shalom in your neighbourhood’
To do this I will leave Birmingham on Saturday 3 December 2022 and return on Saturday 4 March 2023. I will spend most of my time in Australia and will finish with a two week Camino Portuguese pilgrimage.
I am shocked that this Christmas in Melbourne will be my first there with family in 20 years and that after this next sabbatical I will only have one more left before my retirement age!
I am grateful for Seedbeds, Newbigin House and our Church teams who are picking up extra responsibilities to make this possible. I’m also thankful for a grant from The United Reformed Church’s Global & Intercultural Ministries (Mission) to help toward funding my airfares.
Some key upcoming dates to reconnect in Australia include:
- Sunday 11 December 2022, Speaking at Discovery Church, 10:00am & 5:00pm services.
- Sunday 18 December 2022, Speaking at Radiant Church and Auburn Life Baptist Church, 10:15am service.
- Sunday 8 January 2023, Speaking at NewHope Baptist Church, Melbourne, 10:00am & 5:00pm services.
- Sunday 15 January, Speaking at Christ Church Dingley, 8.30am and 10.30am services.
- Wednesday 18 January 2023, Empowered Faith Communities, Rosebud, 12:00 till 8:00pm.
- Sunday 29 January 2023, Speaking at Duncan Brown’s Church, Brisbane, 4:00pm service.
- Saturday 11 February 2023, Myanmar Fundraiser at Burmese House, Melbourne, 6:30pm-9:30pm.
- Sunday 12 February 2023, Speaking at Winepress AOG, 10:00am service.
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