Sabbatical Grant Program Suspended for FY2010 - Please Click Here for Additional Information

Sabbatical Grants for Church Worker and Congregation Renewal

Purpose: To provide financial assistance to congregations who are supporting and encouraging the health and wellness of church leaders by providing sabbatical experiences for pastors and other full-time professional church workers in the congregation.  This grant program is currently being implemented as a pilot project of Wheat Ridge Ministries. 

Eligibility: Any Lutheran congregation developing a sabbatical plan for a pastor or other church worker within the guidelines listed below may apply.

Grant Amount: The maximum grant is $7,500 per congregation.  During the pilot phase of this grant, a limited number of grants will be available annually and no more than one grant will be provided to a congregation. 

Grants Awarded: Proposals for sabbatical grants will be accepted between January 1 and January 29 of each year. Proposals received after this date will be returned to applicants.  Since this is a pilot program and limited funds are available, proposals will be reviewed on a "first-come first-served" basis.  All applicants will be informed of sabbatical grant decisions by March 1st. Please follow the guidelines below to submit a proposal. 

• Review application procedures

Key Components and Related Criteria

New – Priority in the sabbatical assistance grant will be given to congregations and pastors (other church workers) who have not had prior experience with sabbatical experiences.  Applications received from congregations with previous sabbatical experience will be given secondary priority.

Feasibility - The sabbatical is based on a sound plan as evidenced in the proposal document, including appropriate congregation policies, realistic goals, timetable, budget and appropriate action plans.

Supervision - The project must have the approval of the congregation's governing body and be developed under the auspices of the appropriate congregation board or committee. 

Congregation match - The amount awarded through the sabbatical resource grant must be matched dollar-for-dollar by the sponsoring congregation.

Sharing and Learning – A plan for communication between Wheat Ridge Ministries, the church worker and congregation leaders during the process of the sabbatical will be developed and agreed upon.  At the conclusion of the sabbatical experience, a final report will be submitted by the congregation leadership and the church worker detailing what has been accomplished and learned through the sabbatical experience.

Appropriate Use of the Sabbatical Resource Grant

The grant is to be used specifically for sabbatical experiences for professional church workers.  Within these guidelines, funds may be invested in the following ways:

• Salary and benefits for additional staff during the sabbatical period;
• Costs related to assistance provided by a sabbatical interim worker;
• Travel expenses related to the sabbatical experience;
• Education expenses related to the sabbatical experience.

The grant may not be used for:

• General congregation operating expenses.
• Purchase of equipment.