Sabbatical: The Rest That Becomes Reward

This year my husband and I along with 10 other couples are on a one year sabbatical from work to be part of our Bible Leadership Institute training program before we get sent out to our next church plant location. It’s been a chance to take a break from the usual pacing of ministry to get training in various areas - from our mind and soul as we start the morning doing devotions, having Bible reading time with Pastor Ed and Kelly, then reading through and analyzing the logic flow of C.S.Lewis’ classic Mere Christianity, as well as Old Testament training with Pastor Manny; to having a chance to work on our Acts 2 Network wide needs like producing Acts 2 Kids videos, piloting mentorship programs, going on Evangelism Road Trips to check out college campuses and gauging spiritual interest, to having personal time to develop our life habits, help our kids with their character, and getting workshops from Susanna on how to grow in our prayer life or get more out of journaling.

But more than the training, what this time has been is a relational forging time to strengthen our bonds (Ecc 4:12) as we get to do everyday life here at the Acts 2 Training Center. It’s been neat being here because of the rich relational history I have here and in some ways it feels like time travel / dejavu (except that we all have a little more wrinkles and move a little slower trying to get to the volleyball haha). There’s Il Ju who was my college mentor that led me to Christ and taught me how to minister to the younger ones and is now in Elgin running our afterschool kids program for my 7yr old son. There’s Roy and Kaitlyn who I served with at our Taiwan church my second year out of college, Bryan and Sarah who ministered to my husband and I through the process of courtship and marriage, to Pastor Manny and Sunny who we served together with at our UCLA/USC ministry and who had higher vision for us to be ministers and helped us navigate first year of parenthood, to Angell and Judy who ministered to my brother at UCSD when he was a non-Christian college student. Many of the couples on the cohorts are people I have had over a decade of history with as well, from my friend Joy who was my college housemates and my co-conspirator as we rapped Big Bang songs (IYKYK) at the top of our lungs and who my husband and I served with at our Riverside ministry right before coming to Elgin, to Becky, Ester, Elisa who were my LA housemates and served at our UCLA ministry with, to Lindsey who I served in Irvine with and got to raise our first kids together as they were similar ages.

Though initially it was a step of faith signing up for Bible Leadership Institute program because it meant moving away from the familiar but I’m so glad I did as in many ways it’s been that year of rooting and anchoring myself in God, His word, and His people. Moses had 40yrs at Midian to prepare him for the big task God had in store for him - thankfully I get to do this in civilization and with my friends and mentors as we prepare for whatever big task God has for us next!

Jessie Ding is part of the Bible Leadership Institute in Elgin, IL