Taking time off

Good Shepherd pastor awarded grant, sabbatical

The Rev. Jeff Lilley has waited 13 years — his entire career in ministry — to take a sabbatical from the daily rigors of leading a congregation.

It was worth the wait.

Lilley is one of 135 pastors across the United States who have been selected to participate, along with their congregations, in this year’s National Clergy Renewal Program, funded by the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc.

Pastors like Lilley, who has led Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2211 Inverness Drive, since 1995, will find new ways to foster their own spiritual growth and to instill a clear sense of purpose and mission in their congregations.

Most of the spiritual leaders will be away from their pulpits for about three months, and their congregations have made plans to take up the slack.

For the churches, the program involves accepting some new responsibilities and learning more about relying on their own resources. It also provides the opportunity for congregational renewal.

Lilley, 41, was thrilled to receive word last November that he and Good Shepherd had been chosen to participate in the program.

“I was really surprised. I’ve never talked to anyone who’s gotten a grant (from the Lilly Endowment). I’ve talked to people who’ve applied and not gotten it — at least four of my colleagues,” Lilley said.

“I was very happy for the congregation. They wanted me to do a sabbatical, but they couldn’t afford for me to do it. The grant’s going to cover all their costs, for the pastors who’re going to come in during my absence and training for the lay leadership team.”

Lilley’s participation in this program sets an important precedent. In the 40 years of Good Shepherd’s history, no sabbatical has ever been requested or granted.

Lilley’s sabbatical will last from May 11 to August 10.

The Rev. Jeff Lilley, right, greets congregation member Scott White, left, and his son Isaac, 9 months, after the morning service at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 2211 Inverness Drive. Lilley has received a 4,538 grant to participate in the National Clergy Renewal Program.

Highly competitive process

The National Clergy Renewal Program, now in its third year, awards congregations grants of up to $30,000 each to plan a well-conceived, intentional program of renewal for their pastors and themselves.

Collectively, the grants for this year’s programs total $3.5 million. The congregations may use up to $10,000 of that amount to pay for pastoral services in their pastor’s absence and for expenses related to a congregation’s own renewal.

In the program’s initial year, 118 grants were awarded. Last year, the program’s second, 129 grants were awarded.

This year’s congregations represent 35 states and 15 major Christian denominations and other church traditions.

Lilley is one of only two pastors from Kansas to receive a grant in this year’s program. He and Good Shepherd have been awarded a grant of $24,538.

The other Kansas congregation to participate in the program is First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) of Pittsburg, led by Ruth Ann Moran and Geoffrey Moran.

In 2002, the Lilly Endowment paid out $563 million; of that amount, $237 million went to fund projects in religion around the United States.

The National Clergy Renewal Program is highly competitive. The Lilly Endowment received about 350 applications for the grants that were awarded this year. Lilley, his wife, Jean, and members of the Good Shepherd congregation, started work on the grant application back in January 2002. The application was due in July of that year.

“It’s a long process. It’s very thorough, but it’s got to be. They give away a lot of money every year,” Lilley said.

Program mixes fact finding, fun

The sabbatical plan that Lilley and Good Shepherd have conceived builds on the church’s historical interest in reaching out to others, as well as the pastor’s long-standing interest in Hispanic culture.

At the center of his sabbatical is four weeks of intensive Spanish-language training at the Spanish Institute in Puebla, Mexico.

Lilley will live with a Mexican family, participate 30 hours per week in the classroom and spend each afternoon exploring cultural sites. Then he will spend two weeks doing research, partly in the city of Guadalajara, into developing a “home-building” outreach ministry similar to those of other American congregations.

Such programs bring church members to Mexico to help in building or completing homes for the nation’s poorest people.

But there will be a major difference in his approach.

“I’m going to look at what kind of mission relationships exist now, but I’m going to do it from the Mexican side. I think the (existing) relationships are too one way. These communities have a tremendous amount to offer us,” Lilley said.

“Home-building trips usually fail to develop long-term relationships between people of different cultures who share the same God. That’s when the mission work gets really exciting.”

The last part of Lilley’s sabbatical will focus on pure fun and family renewal.

Jeff and Jean Lilley, along with their children — Meghann, 16, a sophomore at Lawrence High School; and Seth, 11, a sixth-grader at Centennial School — will spend two weeks taking an American Sailing Assn. certification course in San Diego.

Sailing has been the Lilley family’s hobby for about three years, and they keep a boat at the Perry Yacht Club.

“We’re trying to advance our sailing skills, because this is what we plan to do (together) for the rest of our lives. It’s part of our Sabbath, how we get reconnected and re-energized,” Lilley said. “It’s family time, it’s challenging and it’s very relaxing.”

Lilley’s wife and children are looking forward to getting to spend a couple of weeks with him away from his busy routine as pastor.

“I think it’s just going to be satisfying to me to see him revitalize his ministry and himself, to take some time to really get excited about some new things and give Jeff kind of a new vision for his future,” Jean said.