Sharpening Our Saw

This is my 30th year serving with The Navigators.  We are encouraged to take a sabbatical every 7 years.  Renee and I have never taken one, and this time of transition to a new International President is a good time for us to do so. 
 
We are not burned out.  And I do plan to continue serving with the International Executive Team.  But next year I turn 60, and we want to enter this next season of serving stronger and more focused on the contribution that God has prepared for us to make.  So we will be taking a sabbatical from January 1 – March 31. 
 
No, sabbatical is not vacation!  It is a structured and supervised time to intentionally replenish and regroup for future ministry.  Have you ever tried to cut wood with a dull saw?  Sometimes we need to sharpen our saw to make our best contribution.  The US Army often sends it’s best officers to War College to refresh them and to prepare them for their next assignment. With that in mind, we are looking at this as a time to prepare for what may be our best years of serving.   
 
Please pray for God to bless those who will stand in for me while I am away.  And please pray that God will strengthen and sharpen Renee and I while we are on sabbatical.  As you also pray for our transition to a new International President, you may enjoy watching this 3 minute video where our team shares our heart about the future: https://vimeo.com/114047549.