Sabbatical Grant Program Suspended for FY2010

Wheat Ridge Ministries is now in the fifth year of its five-year sabbatical pilot program. Our goal during the pilot program was to: a) seed the sabbatical concept in congregations where none of its church workers had ever had the opportunity to take a sabbatical and b) discover ways to make the sabbatical process one that is rich, renewing and rewarding for both the recipient and the congregation. Our goal was not to establish an ongoing grant program.

During the five-year pilot program, over $275,000 was given by four donors who care deeply about the health of church professionals and their congregations. Thirty three grants were made during this time. We give thanks and praise to God and special thanks to those donors who made this pilot project possible.

At this time funding is not available for a fifth year of sabbatical grants. Should it become available, we will issue a press release to make this known with ample lead time for the application process.

We encourage anyone considering a sabbatical to explore our web pages as they are an excellent resource for any congregation in planning a sabbatical.

Wheat Ridge Ministries believes that sabbatical leave for rest and renewal is a primary way that congregations can support church worker health and hope.  Ministry Sabbaticals can help workers stay healthy in the midst of the pressures and complexities of ministry.  One way we hope to do this is to provide resources for sabbatical rest and renewal to those in professional ministry.

A sabbatical is defined as: "A period of time (usually 3 months) when professional church workers set aside their normal responsibilities at their congregation for the purpose of renewal and sustained excellence in ministry."

Introduction to Sabbaticals

Planning a Sabbatical

Sabbatical Grants

Sabbatical Resources

Sabbatical Interim Network