Transitions 1 – PA! Jun04

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Transitions 1 – PA!

Over the course of the last few months, I’ve had the occasional email or comment asking, essentially, “What’s going on?” This question has usually been in response to a comment I made about taking some risks or contemplating an adventure or something else of that nature.

After lots of thought, prayer, and conversation regarding a variety of opportunities that have presented themselves over the last year, my family and I have indeed decided to embark upon something of an adventure. “Something” in that it’s not that dramatic or perhaps even adventuresome :), but definitely represents a change for us: we’re moving to Pennsylvania.

We are doing this for several reasons. First, after 13 wonderful years in Minnesota, we are eager to be closer to our families. We have found a home in Kennett Square PA where we will be just about an hour from my parents and a little over two from three of my four siblings and all of my wife’s family. We can’t wait to be closer to siblings, parents, grandparents, and cousins, and to be more regularly a part of their lives.

Second, our parents aren’t getting any younger. (Neither are we, of course!) And we would like to be closer to them to offer the support we can and to afford our children a chance to develop closer relationships with their grandparents while there is time.

Third, this is a good time for our kids to move. They are currently going into 8th and 10th grades and as much as they love their current school and friends, they are eager for this adventure and we didn’t want to move them during their junior or senior years in high school.

Fourth, it’s now possible to work in a variety of capacities from a distance, and my wife and I will both be “taking our jobs with us.” Karin will continue in her work as the firm administrator of a wonderful IP law firm in Minneapolis, doing her work remotely and travelling to the office a few times a year. And I have signed a transition agreement with Luther Seminary by which I will continue teaching at Luther for several years. Next year I will commute to St. Paul during the fall semester, teach intensive residential courses in January and June, and an online course in the spring. The following year I will be on sabbatical. After sabbatical I will relinquish my tenure and move to a contract position and split my time between teaching and overseeing some of the grants and other programs I’ve administered for the next two years. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue some of the work that I’ve started at Luther and glad to afford the school time to plan for transitions in leadership and responsibility in some of the areas in which I’ve been involved.

Fifth, I’m eager to “mix things up” a bit and so will try to arrange my life in PA in a way that affords me more time to write as well as to explore some other possibilities for advancing a different vision of the life of faith and the church in a changed and changing world. (I’ll share a little more about that in a future blog post as things become clearer.)

We’re excited about this move, eager for the change and challenges ahead, can’t wait to be closer to our families, and extremely grateful for the support of our colleagues, friends, and employers. It’s been a challenging and exciting time these last several months as we’ve tried to discern and plan for what we hope and believe is God’s preferred future for us. Thank you for the inquiries and prayers during this time. And given that I suspect that both those words – challenging and exciting – will likely describe the next couple of months as well, I’d covet your continued prayers as we embark on this little adventure. Thanks so very much.

 

Post image: a picture of the Brandywine River that lends its name to the Brandywine River Valley in which Kennett Square sits.