A New Book and Online Virtual Retreats!
“Reclaiming the Joy of Ministry” and
The Grace Place Wellness Community
2020 has been a year of radical transformation for us at Grace Place Wellness Ministries.
In December 2019, Darrell Zimmerman assumed the responsibilities of President/CEO in addition to his Program Director duties. Since the March shutdown, no live retreats, conferences, or congregational workshops have been held; all of Darrell’s work with church workers has been through online conferences and consultations. Since the departure of Office Manager Kathy Greffet in July, Darrell and Beth McAnallen have carried the load while completely transforming the way we reach and serve church workers.
Three factors have caused us to restructure our delivery systems in order to continue our mission to “
nurture vitality and joy in ministry by inspiring and equipping church workers to lead healthy lives”
- The COVID pandemic. Live gatherings of church work couples are and will be rare for some time.
- Large grants and District funding for live retreats are increasingly hard to find.
- The widespread use and popularity of online training platforms has opened a new door.
Beginning in January 2021, Grace Place Wellness Ministries will roll out a new model for ministry that will enable us to reach vast numbers of professional church workers and their families with the wellness message through a two part strategy.
The publication of high impact print resources for church worker wellness, beginning with our new book, “Reclaiming the Joy of Ministry: The Grace Place Way to Church Worker Wellness.” “Reclaiming the Joy” will challenge church workers to take their own wellbeing seriously before striving to care for others and will offer practical guidance for developing and implementing a personalized spiritual, relational, vocational, physical and financial wellness plan for themselves and their families.- The “Grace Place Wellness Community,” an online, virtual gathering of church workers, will enable our staff to offer training, encouragement, counsel and support week after week, all through the year, to subscribers all across the country, and even beyond!
It’s been a trying year of downsizing, innovation and creativity for us. Thank you for the generous support that has made this new adventure of ministry possible, as we continue to serve those who serve us every week.
Our desire for them was expressed so beautifully centuries ago by the Apostle John: “
Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well” (3 John 2).
Health and Joy!
Rev. Dr. Darrell W. Zimmerman,
Executive Director
