But he (Shammah) took his stand in the midst of the plot and defended it
and struck down the Philistines, and the Lord worked a great victory.
II Samuel 23:12 (ESV)
As promised in the postscript of our June 2020 Newsletter, we know more about the pending sense of transition and we are sharing it with you. It’s a needed sabbatical ♥
our 44th wedding anniversary
Three months ago, we celebrated Wayne’s 16 years of private counseling practice. Added to the 4-year prelude prior to launching out on his own, two decades have flowed like water under a bridge. These past twenty years represent being present to thousands of individuals who have come through our doors and passed through our lives – some for an extensive time of years and others more briefly. We need a rest.
Wayne has been the heart, head, and soul behind the formation of Shammahs Field LLC / Shammah Ministries. When I (Nancy) joined him nearly nine years ago, I stepped into the ‘field’ he and the Lord had established and been growing the previous eight years. To say that we have been kept and blessed solely by the Lord’s continual flow of our livelihood through the counseling practice would be an understatement. I have never drawn a salary; my earnings have gone back into the business. As has the majority of Wayne’s earnings – the double-edged sword of owning one’s own business. We have been and still are sustained by Christ Supply.
We do not lightly engage our choices and decisions surrounding life and ministry, including the contemplation and necessary considerations a sabbatical entails.
The fourth quarter of 2020 will involve preparation, alongside our client work, for the God-inspired season of rest and re-focus the sabbatical will provide.
At the end of the year, another newsletter will be released with more detail, including length of the sabbatical, start and end dates, etc. To honor our client-counselor relationships, personal notification will be given to each one before the details are publicly released. We are operating even now in the realm of ample notice.
We both continue to see clients, ie. ‘business as usual’ with the exception of taking on new long-term clients in the deep trauma field in which Wayne has specialized. There remains time and availability for those who desire counseling, until such time that we share otherwise with new or revived inquiries for services.
The sabbatical will mean a time of fully stepping away from the counseling and coaching that have comprised our work and ministry. Our collective hearts have been bubbling for a long while. Jesus and caffeine have kept us percolating for many years, but this bubbling is making its own demands ~ in needful and eagerly anticipated ways. We look forward to unpacking more of Abba’s good gifts He has reserved for us in the season of sabbatical. It will also be a time of determining what post-sabbatical will look like. Certainly, the focus and pace of the past will undergo needed change.
We welcome your prayers for wisdom and light hearts as we work through the myriad details ahead. We’re reminded of the saying that sometimes you have to go back to work to get rested after your vacation! In this case, we need a second wind to get life and work in order so we can go on sabbatical! We appreciate your prayers.
On the Shammah Ministries side, the scripture-based study of the seven redemptive gifts of Romans 12:6-8 continues. One by one, the seven facets of our human spirit are being overviewed to unveil in fuller measure our God-given unique design, through which Christ lives His life.
In addition to the first two overviews of Prophet and Servant, several articles are posted in the Mercy overview, which is still in process.
You’re invited to explore the website which focuses on the seven redemptive gifts, along with articles on the Person of the Holy Spirit, Proverbs’ Wisdom, blessings for your spirit, blog posts, and archived yet accessible coaching posts from the former website content. These days, we need more than ever to engage life-giving material.
Subscribing on either website ensures your receipt of new content when posted. While looking toward the sabbatical, my hope is that writing will continue to flow. In its own subset beyond work with individuals, there is much more to unpack – which provides ministry and insights through the avenue of the written word.
For the present time, you may still inquire and find information on our websites:
shammahsfield.com and nancybentz.com
Gearing up in the joy of the Lord aka His strength,
Wayne & Nancy Bentz
P.S. We’ll be back about the time the Christmas decos are down and packed away!
P.P.S. Feel free to share this transition update with those you refer or who know us.
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