St. John's is an inner-city mission church where our second service of the day is on a vacant lot, serving the homeless community living near the church. St. John's is also fully engaged in our neighborhood through ministry to children, youth, and adults. It is an extremely demanding & fulfilling ministry at which I have served 14 years. I am blessed to do what I do and want to take this opportunity for renewal and refreshment so that I can continue well into the future.

We are part of the Ecclesia network of street ministries from across the country. My sabbatical will be spent visiting as many other street churches as possible in four areas of the country--northeast (Boston, NY City and upstate NY), west/northwest (WA, OR, and CA), Texas, and south (NC, GA, & FL). Trips to the northeast and west/northwest will last about 3 weeks each, with about 2 weeks in Texas and the south. I will gather the collective wisdom of the network, including liturgies, songs, prayers, varieties of social services offered, connections with others serving the homelesss, and thoughts on the challenges of serving the homeless. I will compile and share what I gather with all of the Ecclesia ministries in print at the completion of the journey, as well as take photos and write a blog as I travel. Since most street ministries take place on weekends, my weekdays will be spent resting and renewing my spirit. I plan to visit national parks in WA, OR, and CA, visit friends and family in OR, GA, TX, and FL, and simply rest on days that I am not visiting street ministries.