National Clergy Renewal Program
In 2001, Glade Church received a generous grant to enable our minister, The Rev. Kelly M. Sisson, to participate in the National Clergy Renewal Program funded by the Lilly Endowment Inc. We were one of 129 congregations in 38 states whose ministers were supported by this program, which awarded $3.2 million in its sophomore year.
The program allows pastors to step back from their daily obligations and, for the sake of their ongoing ministries, gain the fresh perspective and renewed energy that a carefully considered "sabbath time" of travel, study, rest, and prayer provides. To that end, the grant afforded our congregation and minister a period of "intentional reflection and renewal."
"The Endowment is concerned about the vitality and health of American congregations," noted Lilly Endowment Vice President for Religion Craig Dykstra. "We would like them to be places of vibrant worship, clear purpose, and hospitable care and welcome. For this to happen, we need good ministers.
"The issues of good ministry and healthy congregations intertwine and intersect. Both exist in a fast-changing world that is constantly challenging," Dykstra added. "We think this clergy renewal program both benefits and honors pastors and congregations who are doing this important work well.
"The congregations' affection for their pastors was quite evident in the applications, and they demonstrated considerable creativity in finding ways to handle ongoing responsibilities while their pastors are away," Dykstra said. "Likewise, the ministers were plainly thrilled at the notion of planning programs that would give them time 'to get away from it all' and then 'come back to it all' as better pastors."
Glade's Sabbatical/Renewal Program
Glade Church's proposal enabled our pastor, The Rev. Kelly M. Sisson, a professional potter, to spend six months pursuing visual arts as a means for creative renewal: working in her studio, attending clay workshops, and visiting galleries.
The sabbatical began on Pentecost Sunday, May 19, 2002. Sisson first serve as residential artist at the Festival of Homiletics in Chicago, followed by study at the Chicago Institute of Fine Arts. Other travels took her to the Anderson Art Ranch in Snowmass Village, Colo.; Scarritt-Bennett Center for Spirituality in Nashville, Tenn.; and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
"The Sabbatical Journey," a collaborative exhibition of art created by both the congregation and the pastor during the six-month sabbatical, was held during the 2003 Lenten season.
"I have the best of both worlds by serving a faith community that has a passion for the arts," said Sisson. "Creating art can tap a deep place in the soul that is often neglected by traditional methods of worship. Glade 'gets it' and I am grateful to be a part of their ministry."
The Lilly Endowment, an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation, seeks to strengthen Christian congregations by providing an opportunity for pastors to engage in a period of renewal and reflection. Renewal periods are not vacations, but times for intentional exploration and reflection, for drinking again from God's life-giving waters, and for regaining enthusiasm and creativity for ministry.
The Rev. Kelly M. Sisson
Glade's Fine Arts Gallery
