Mighty Men of Valor

Dear Friend,

I will be going on a three month sabbatical from May to August 2012.  I submitted a grant proposal in May of last year to the Lily Foundation, which we did not get.  But I know God as my Provider!  I am trusting Him to do what only He can do.  Having gone through the process helped to clarify and solidify and prepare my heart and mind for the realization of my need for a time of rest and refreshing.  I started DaySpring Ministries 20 years ago.  Prior to that I served in full-time ministry at our church in Philly for 12 years.  Doing church in the current environment and the way we do it at DSM adds a whole new dimension to the load.  Our mission statement is "Bringing People To Healing And Wholeness", and I take that very seriously.  I have an “in the trenches” ministry.  2011 was the 14th Mighty Men of Valor conference.  My what a work God Has done!

I will be celebrating our 20th church anniversary Saturday, April 28th with a banquet and the works.  It will be an exciting and a high time in the Lord.  On Sunday, April 29th there will be a send off service before I leave for sabbatical Monday, May1st.  I will return Saturday, August 3rd.  I will spend a casual day with the membership at our annual church picnic.  There will be an official re-entry service celebration the next day, Sunday, August 5th.  It didn't dawn on me until I started making preparation that it will take from now until May to make preparation for the anniversary and get the church educated regarding what a pastoral sabbatical is and how it will affect them and prepare them for their pastor to be gone for 3 months and feel good about it as well as just putting things in place for the health and well-being of the church while I am gone.   I will need to have a detailed, in-depth, written plan of how everything and everyone will function including speakers for those three months.  All of that being said I realized that if I am really going to be able to step away from ministry for 3 months I wouldn't be able to free my mind and schedule and still prepare for the MVM conference.  As you know, it takes a year of planning and preparation.  I have just made the very difficult decision not to have the conference in 2012.

The fellowship has been rich, the teaching has been incredible, the worship has been glorious, and the life changes, just miraculous.  I know we are all hungry for more!  Let the CDs and the DVDs from the past conferences help fill the void.  I hope you will make the most of this sabbatical year as you make plans for the future.

I ask you to join me on this sabbatical by praying me through.  It has been an incredible journey.  I look forward to returning full of vision, refreshed, and excited about what God is going to do.  I look forward to seeing you all again!

It would be awesome and a great encouragement to see some of you at our 20th church anniversary banquet, April 28, 2012.  For more information and tickets for banquet, call Doris Garnett

 717-939-9500.

Expecting greater things in the future.  

Godspeed for the length of your journey.  

Cliff Ashe