If the last 33 years have taught me anything, it is that God's plans are often very different from our own—and infinitely better. He redeems failures. He restores what is broken. He uses even our hardest seasons to form us into the people He intends us to become.

I’ve had so many people ask me what I’ll be doing on my sabbatical. Thank you for the interest! For those who are curious, I thought I would write it down here. I will also conclude with a note about ways you can practice forms of sabbatical, even if you aren’t afforded the opportunity for a full-fledged one through your employer…

This Memorial Day Weekend, our students joined West Side Presbyterian Church and YoungLife for MDR 2026 at Lakeside Bible Camp on Whidbey Island. For more than 50 years, West Side has faithfully created this space for students across Seattle to get away together, have fun, and encounter Jesus in a meaningful way.

And it really was a beautiful weekend.

Trinity, I hope this gives you a sense as to what my journey of sabbatical might look like, and I covet your prayers as I prepare to embark, but also all along the way.

“He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights.” — Psalm 18:33

Jayson Curry’s Reflections on the Lead Pastor Residency at Trinity West Seattle from 2024 through 2026.

24,624 meals packed!

Wisdom from scripture and author Andy Crouch.

The reflections of Whitney Curry at the end of her husband’s Lead Pastor Residency.

Taking my final step in the Lead Pastor Residency at Trinity West Seattle and my first step into something new.

I am incredibly grateful to be a part of a church that cares for my soul enough to give me the gift of sabbatical. I’m grateful for a God who has designed creation with both work and rest in mind.

Catechism is a method of teaching biblical truth through questions and answers. The word comes from the Greek katecheo, meaning “to instruct” or “to teach orally.” Throughout church history, many Christian traditions have used catechisms to help people learn and remember the core truths of Scripture—the gospel, doctrine, and the story of God.