Hello everyone! Anne here. With my due date quickly approaching, I wanted to put in writing some details about my upcoming maternity leave.

Since ministry is much more than a job, I knew it would be a challenge to navigate how to go about this. I connected with several other women in student ministry and asked them how they approached maternity leave + ministry + adjusting to family life. They all gave different advice, but with a very similar theme: this is a time for you to bond with your new child, treat it as such! 

So, here are a few responses to some frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, please feel free to ask!

How long will you be gone?
Starting this Sunday, I will be taking a 12-week leave. Unless Baby Boy Wilson comes before then, this Sunday will be my last for a little while! My (tentative) first day back will be Tuesday, April 16th. 

Will you be around on Sunday mornings? 
Short answer: not really. Long(er) answer: I’ve asked several other women in student ministry, and have heard the same thing in different words . . . find ways to stay connected to your church community outside of Sunday mornings. So I’m going with the advice of those who have been there, done that! We will be around sporadically, but as far as the entirety of Sunday mornings and evenings, we will not. We’ll be taking it one step at a time, and ask for your grace in the process! This is new territory not just for us as a family, but also for me as a woman in ministry.

How can I get a hold of you? 
If there’s something you need that relates to student ministry during that time, Nick and Donna are available. Nick’s email address is nwilkes@chapelrock.org, and Donna’s is dcaruso@chapelrock.org, or you can call the church office during the week (317.247.9739). If it’s something they need my help with, they know they can call or email me.

If it’s not related to student ministry, call Kyle or me (although I make no promises)! He will be my “phone-answerer/text-message-responder/email-backer” (and many other things, of course). His # is 513.708.5614.

Can we visit? 
Of course! We definitely want visitors. We just ask that you give us a few days to figure it out, and that you call one of us before visiting.

And of course . . . continue to pray for Kyle, myself, and this little baby. We are down to single-digits here (9 days away)! Pray for us in the labor and delivery, and also as we adjust to life with this new little guy. Thank you for all your encouragement and support; we cannot say enough how thankful we are for our church family.