Hello Community Grace family! Pastor Shawn here and as many of you know, I will be taking a sabbatical from April 21 to May 24. Pastor Reg and Matt gave the vision behind Community Grace’s and the Charis Fellowship’s support of sabbaticals when it was announced a few weeks ago, which you can see in this video. But I wanted to take a moment to explain why I felt the Lord calling me to pursue our specific Sabbatical plan and share what I and our family will be doing.

In addition to what Matt and Reg described, the big purpose behind this Sabbatical is for me to gain insights from churches on how they lead their family ministries. It is no secret that Community Grace is growing, and with that growth, we are seeing many new families. As a Youth and Family Pastor, I want to ensure I am well-equipped to lead and equip the families that call Community Grace home.

Our family will first travel to Columbus and Akron, Ohio, visiting two sister churches in the Charis Fellowship that are setting the pace in family ministry. I will be meeting with their leaders and children's pastors to gain insights on how best to reach and equip parents from infant through 6th grade.

Then, we will have the opportunity to travel to Phoenix, Arizona, where I will meet the Children's Pastor of Christ Church of the Valley. They are widely considered to have the country's best children's and family ministry, and I hope to gain some insights into how we can grow our family ministry at Community Grace.

This Sabbatical will be an excellent opportunity for me as your Youth and Family Pastor, not just to have some time to recharge with my family but also to give me opportunities to learn and grow in my giftings to be able to serve better and equip the families that call Community Grace home. I am excited about this opportunity, and many of you have been asking about helping support our sabbatical expenses financially. Again, you can watch this video which gives the vision and walks you through how to support us as we have this opportunity. Or, you can just click “Give Now,” and then select the “Pastoral Care” line and give there right now! Thank you for considering and praying for us, and supporting me as I seek to grow as your Youth and Family Pastor at Community Grace.