Resources

Determining the right time for a renewal program requires discernment. Some past participants in the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs’ grants have shared their reflections on how they thought about the timing of their renewal programs:

Planning, communicating, managing expectations, and many other preparations may happen in the time leading up to the renewal leave, itself. Some past grant participants have discussed with us what their preparations and groundwork consisted in, how well those preparations did (or didn’t) work, and what advice they have for congregations that are preparing for their own renewal programs:

Possible renewal programs may include an uninterrupted period for reading and writing, directed research at a theological school, a study trip to religious sites or travel for other purposes in the United States or elsewhere in the world, quiet time for rest and prayer, and special visits with family and friends. They may also include time to “lean in” to an issue in ministry about which the pastor and the congregation are passionate. The possibilities are many. Some past grant participants have shared with us what pastor and congregation did with their renewal time, why they structured their renewal in the way they did, and what advice they have for others who are planning renewal times:

Strengthening relationships, renewing a sense of call, meeting and serving the neighbor in a new way, finding joy and purpose in a simplified life, traveling to new lands and unfamiliar territories, creating opportunities where members of the congregation can exercise their gifts for ministry— life-giving experiences like these are common aspects of renewal times. Profound discoveries that pastors and their congregations describe as
“life-changing events” occur as they participate in this program. Past grant participants have spoken with us about how they returned from the renewal experiences, ways they carried forward their learnings and practices, and how they’ve come to recognize the gifts that came from the renewal time:

Here you can explore all videos related to the Clergy Renewal Program.