The Lord revealed to me that a new chapter was coming through His Word months ago. As I was reminded by my senior pastor, “Retirement is not in the Bible nor is it in the Global Methodist Church Book of Discipline.” So, with prayer and intention, I created a transition plan nearly 90 days ahead of May 15 and shared it with our leadership so that surely goodness and mercy would follow me all the days of my life.

In our family, we’ve always said we won’t retire from something unless we’re retiring to something. So here’s what’s next:

1. I will throw more energy into being a missionary to public school students, during the school day, off school property, through Lifewise Academy in Cherokee County. If you serve in leadership at a local church and want to really serve the families in your local schools, call me. Have I got a plan for you! Lifewise began in Ohio in 2018 and now serves 1,000 schools in more than 30 states. Right now Lifewise Academy is in 16 schools in the state of Georgia with the goal of 100 schools over the next three years. I began serving on a team last fall sharing Bible education with 1st-3rd graders at a local elementary school, during the school day, off school property, and I’m committed to making the 100 Georgia schools a reality even before the three years are up.
2. I’ll be serving on the Global Methodist Church’s Emerging Generations Team in North Georgia, supporting churches through Lifewise Academy and R3 Gatherings (North Georgia friends—stay tuned for an August date!).
3. Mr. Bob and I are looking forward to finding a church home closer to where we live so we can worship and serve side by side. He’s been patient, faithful, and supportive for decades—it’s time.

But first, Baby Girl and I are heading to Florida to visit my mother and sink our toes into the sand.

We’re also making room to be present where our grandchildren are—cheering them on in all the ways that matter to them. With ages ranging from 6 to 14, there’s a lot to celebrate and many memories to be made.

I’ll be sorting through books and resources that have shaped me over the past 30+ years—sharing many and passing others along to McKay’s Used Bookstore in Tennessee, trusting they’ll bless someone else while making room for new reads.

I’ve also stepped aside from my role as an at-large delegate for our North Georgia Global Methodist Church Annual Conference. That one tugs at my heart—I do love starting things. I’m deeply grateful to have played a small part in what has become the Global Methodist Church in my corner of the globe, even before it had a name. Through Zoom calls, prayer gatherings, and holy moments, God brought people together to begin a sacred movement—one He continues to bless as we make disciples and spread scriptural holiness around the world. In a long season that sometimes felt like I was standing quietly during the transition process, I was honored to help several colleagues around the country take faithful next steps into new ministry spaces.

In mid-April, the incredible church families I’ve served for nearly a decade gathered to celebrate me into this next chapter for Team Reilly. It was a beautiful, joy-filled celebration—family, friends, ministry partners, prayer warriors, and beloved children of every age and stage, all in one room. There was a popcorn bar, purple and gold colors, McIntyre’s cookies and petit fours, yellow roses and daisies, and more stories than we could count. I laughed until I lost my voice—and I’m still writing thank-you notes.

Last Sunday, these amazing disciples commissioned me into ministry and mission closer to home. Through choked-up prayers and great laughter, I’m saying again, “Show me Your glory, Lord.” With a brand new calendar of blank spaces, we boldly and joyfully step into what’s next.

“Our lives are lived in chapters and nothing is wrong when a chapter is done and a new one begins.” Mrs. Pattmore, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale