by LEAD’s Executive Director Peggy Hahn
Why am I hiking the Inca Trail… again?!
While it is certainly a time of personal pilgrimage, funded by my family, a time for prayer and discernment, it also is a way for me to reconnect with the original inspiration for LEAD.
Yes, the vision for LEAD was birthed in the Sacred Valley!
It is with great anticipation that I return to that valley as LEAD launches a new commitment to accompany leaders and congregations who are currently serving in the most vulnerable of contexts:
- Congregations serving children, youth, and families living in poverty
- Leaders recovering from natural disasters
- BIPOC leaders exhausted from racism in the church
As I hike the Inca Trail in the geographic Sacred Valley, I intend to pray for these courageous leaders as we discern how LEAD might partner with them more effectively. They are asking for support and we are ready to build that plan together.
Can you help us build the Sacred Valley Scholarship Fund? We have a $14,000 initial goal. That’s one dollar for every foot of the 14,000′ peak I’ll ascend before descending into Machu Picchu.
We are asking every reader, every client, every congregation to give to this fund. Any amount. Please participate today!
Just like our lives now, the valley presents huge obstacles to overcome. The physical challenge mirrors the challenges in the daily lives of courageous leaders. We are leading through the valley right now, having left the past behind, yet unable to truly see the future. The valley is real.
Please follow my Sacred Valley updates which will be shared on LEAD’s Facebook page and Instagram. And please, keep our group of five women in your prayers!
Here are two ways we plan to say thank you for giving to the Sacred Valley Scholarship Fund:
- A gift of any amount will welcome you to our digital after party, as I share with you some of the experiences from the hike. When I step away from my busy life for a time of prayer, God reveals new visions. We want you to be the first to know what is being discerned.
- If you can give more than $100, we will send you a digital version of The Sacred Valley, describing LEAD’s approach to leadership.
As a small organization, LEAD is constantly being asked to partner with communities that are unable to fund the strategic work that would help them succeed. 100% of your gift to the Sacred Valley Scholarship Fund will be dedicated to working with and learning from these incredible leaders. You will be part of helping the church reinvent what it means to be followers of Jesus.
Hi Peggy,
I miss seeing you—that’s for sure!
How exciting that there would be seed money for scholarships! Don’t forget that if that same money was invested in an endowment with us (ELCA or LFSW) it would return a distribution AND grow the fund for the future so that scholarships would be SUSTAINABLE from year to year. EVERY YEAR there would be funding for scholarships! I think that’s significant because I would always rather contribute to a project that will be sustainable than possibly a limited run. SUSTAINABILITY is what ministry needs to create so that later, time can be spent on ministry rather than fundraising. Just saying… If one congregation can set up an endowment to always have money for LEAD participation, surely a broader platform would work too?
Thank you again for your work among us!
Liz Johnson
Thank you, Liz! Peggy is in Peru right now, so we’ll make sure she sees your note upon her return.