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Press Release: First Baptist awarded national grant
First Baptist Church of Colorado Springs has received a grant of $50,000 to enable its minister, Rev. Dan Schumacher, to participate in the 2021 National Clergy Renewal Program. First Baptist Church is one of 156 congregations across the United States selected to participate in this competitive grant program, which is funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and administered by Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis. Established by the Endowment in 2000, the program’s grants allow Christian congregations to support their pastors with the gift of extended time away from their ministerial duties and responsibilities.
Ministers whose congregations are awarded the grants use their time away from the demands of daily ministry to engage in reflection and renewal. The approach respects the “Sabbath time” concept, offering ministers a carefully considered respite that may include travel, study, rest, prayer and immersive arts and cultural experiences.
Through the National Clergy Renewal Program, congregations apply for grants of up to $50,000 to support renewal programs for their pastors. Collaborative in nature and implementation, the program allows congregations to partner with their ministers in developing experiences that address their unique renewal needs and aspirations. Recognizing that ministers’ families are subject to the stress and demands placed on pastoral leaders, the program encourages pastors to involve their families in renewal activities. Congregational needs during the minister’s renewal experience also are considered. Up to $15,000 of the grant may be used to support interim pastoral leadership during the pastor’s retreat, as well as renewal activities within the congregation.
“It really is an incredible gift,” says Schumacher. “In Biblical parlance, the seventh year was a time when the field was allowed to go fallow, so that the soil could rest and be ready for the next growing season. Sabbaticals are intended to work the same way for pastors.” Schumacher, who has served as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church since February 2015, was due for sabbatical in 2021 but postponed it a year because of the Covid pandemic. He describes First Baptist Church as a congregation with a rich history and a diverse body. “Being an American Baptist Church, we value the historic principles of individual interpretation of scripture and the autonomy of the local congregation — which means we always have a wide range of viewpoints in our congregation. But we like that! We like being a church where you don’t have to agree on everything in order to feel like part of the family.”
In the summer of 2022, Schumacher will go on sabbatical for 14 weeks. He and a team from the congregation developed a schedule that will allow Schumacher, an avid fly fisherman, the chance of a lifetime. In a single summer, he will get to fish for trout in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska – with a special trip to Belize thrown into the mix, as well. Schumacher, who was raised in Wyoming before heading out east to attend seminary, sees it as a chance to “play and pray.”
“That First Baptist has given me a sabbatical and that the Lilly Endowment has made it financially possible for me to chase some of my natural curiosities and to reconnect with the most important people in my life is incredibly generous. I hope to come back renewed and ready to lean into our church’s next season of ministry as we seek to serve our Colorado Springs community.”
“Pastors play an important role in nourishing the spiritual lives of individuals and in guiding the work of the Christian congregations they serve,” said Christopher L. Coble, the Endowment’s vice president for religion. “Through these grants, we seek to honor pastors for their extraordinary service and enable them to engage in a brief period of rest and renewal. We have learned that such experiences invigorate the leadership of pastors and bring new vitality to their congregations as well.”
Dr. Robert Saler, research fellow and director of the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs, noted that the National Clergy Renewal Program integrates key attributes of healthy congregations, including a mutual respect for the renewal needs of both ministers and the congregations they serve.
“The program provides an opportunity for congregations to express appreciation for their ministers’ service and leadership,” Saler said. “At a time when leaders are often praised for their pace of innovation and productivity, the National Clergy Renewal Program pays homage to the timeless wisdom embedded in the practice of reflection and renewal.”
Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis directs the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program for Indiana Congregations and a second program for congregations across the United States.
Ministers whose congregations are awarded the grants use their time away from the demands of daily ministry to engage in reflection and renewal. The approach respects the “Sabbath time” concept, offering ministers a carefully considered respite that may include travel, study, rest, prayer and immersive arts and cultural experiences.
Through the National Clergy Renewal Program, congregations apply for grants of up to $50,000 to support renewal programs for their pastors. Collaborative in nature and implementation, the program allows congregations to partner with their ministers in developing experiences that address their unique renewal needs and aspirations. Recognizing that ministers’ families are subject to the stress and demands placed on pastoral leaders, the program encourages pastors to involve their families in renewal activities. Congregational needs during the minister’s renewal experience also are considered. Up to $15,000 of the grant may be used to support interim pastoral leadership during the pastor’s retreat, as well as renewal activities within the congregation.
“It really is an incredible gift,” says Schumacher. “In Biblical parlance, the seventh year was a time when the field was allowed to go fallow, so that the soil could rest and be ready for the next growing season. Sabbaticals are intended to work the same way for pastors.” Schumacher, who has served as the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church since February 2015, was due for sabbatical in 2021 but postponed it a year because of the Covid pandemic. He describes First Baptist Church as a congregation with a rich history and a diverse body. “Being an American Baptist Church, we value the historic principles of individual interpretation of scripture and the autonomy of the local congregation — which means we always have a wide range of viewpoints in our congregation. But we like that! We like being a church where you don’t have to agree on everything in order to feel like part of the family.”
In the summer of 2022, Schumacher will go on sabbatical for 14 weeks. He and a team from the congregation developed a schedule that will allow Schumacher, an avid fly fisherman, the chance of a lifetime. In a single summer, he will get to fish for trout in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska – with a special trip to Belize thrown into the mix, as well. Schumacher, who was raised in Wyoming before heading out east to attend seminary, sees it as a chance to “play and pray.”
“That First Baptist has given me a sabbatical and that the Lilly Endowment has made it financially possible for me to chase some of my natural curiosities and to reconnect with the most important people in my life is incredibly generous. I hope to come back renewed and ready to lean into our church’s next season of ministry as we seek to serve our Colorado Springs community.”
“Pastors play an important role in nourishing the spiritual lives of individuals and in guiding the work of the Christian congregations they serve,” said Christopher L. Coble, the Endowment’s vice president for religion. “Through these grants, we seek to honor pastors for their extraordinary service and enable them to engage in a brief period of rest and renewal. We have learned that such experiences invigorate the leadership of pastors and bring new vitality to their congregations as well.”
Dr. Robert Saler, research fellow and director of the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs, noted that the National Clergy Renewal Program integrates key attributes of healthy congregations, including a mutual respect for the renewal needs of both ministers and the congregations they serve.
“The program provides an opportunity for congregations to express appreciation for their ministers’ service and leadership,” Saler said. “At a time when leaders are often praised for their pace of innovation and productivity, the National Clergy Renewal Program pays homage to the timeless wisdom embedded in the practice of reflection and renewal.”
Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis directs the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program for Indiana Congregations and a second program for congregations across the United States.
