On Sunday, February 23 the Renewal Team made an announcement to the congregation regarding the application for the 2026 Lilly Clergy Renewal Program.
The program provides a grant that is designed to strengthen Christian congregations by providing opportunities for their pastors to step away briefly from the demands of daily parish life and engage in a period of renewal and reflection. In February 2024, the Governance Board approved Pastor Matt’s request to form a team and begin the application process. The goal of this team has been to create a clear and cohesive application for both Pastor Matt and the congregation during his absence in the summer of 2026. Our proposal is called “Catching Joy!”
Why now?
By early summer of 2026, Pastor Matt will have been in full-time pastoral ministry for sixteen years. While he has taken day-long or multi-day retreats, he has never taken an extended period away for rest and renewal. During his tenure as a pastor, he has moved four times to serve four different congregations in Indiana. In 2026, he will be wrapping up his fourth year at Castleton. Our church is in a healthy and stable position following several years of pastoral transitions. Our ministry staff has had the most stability it has had in years and the congregation has seen growth, renewed energy and passion for ministry.
What do we hope to gain?
The Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program provides us with the opportunity to nurture the spiritual and personal growth of both our pastor and our congregation. What do we hope to gain? A renewed pastor and a rejuvenated congregation!
For our pastor, this program offers a much-needed period to step away from the daily responsibilities of ministry, allowing time for rest, reflection, and renewal. For the congregation, the program provides an equally valuable opportunity. During the pastor’s time away, we anticipate strengthening our bonds as a church community as we explore new ways to collaborate, lead, and support one another through “Catching Joy!”
The application is due March 13 and the recipients will be announced on August 30, 2025.
I know you are thinking…how can I help? What can I do?
We invite you to add words of support for our application by writing a brief sentence of support
and sending them to Amy Leonhard at amyl@castletonumc.org Some of your comments will be
included in our application.