I want to journey deeper into my study and experience of Benedictine spirituality to chart a course for the next season of our church’s maturation. In a culture increasingly characterized by mobility and anonymity, I hope to learn ways to lead our church to a restored expression of social holiness in our particular place.

First, in order to deepen my understanding of the great work that has been done on Benedictine spirituality, specifically regarding the Benedictine vow of stability, I will spend four weeks reading books and discussing them with my spiritual director of 18 years, Fr. Thomas Brindley, and a local Benedictine oblate, Dr. Donald Richmond.

Second, in order to root my understanding in personal experiences with Benedictine practices that fuel local restorative efforts, I will spend three weeks living with the monks of The Monastery of St. Benedict in Norcia, Italy. This community is actively engaged in a restorative commitment to place and is rebuilding their monastery as well as local commerce in the village of Norcia following a devastating earthquake in 2016. I have been graciously invited to join them in August, 2018.

Third, in order to synthesize what I've learned with our local context, I will visit three Californian congregations and one Mid-Western congregation which have embraced, as core to their mission, a remarkable commitment to place.

Finally, I’ll spend three weeks writing a paper for our local Nazarene network comparing the ancient (6th Century) Benedictine vow of stability to the early (1895) Nazarene commitment to social holiness. Additionally, I'll create a series of sermons which I’ll preach in our local church community to inspire and inform our next season of restorative work in our city. I hope these resources, and our church community’s experiences with them, will offer a way forward for similar churches seeking an ancient, effective alternative the more common - but often less rooted - North American church model.