The Reverend Peter Ilgenfritz, interim pastor of the Congregational Church of Boothbay Harbor, is pleased to announce that he has written a book about his adventures in learning to sail.

The book, "Testing the Wind," is due to be published on April 14.

In describing the book, according to Rev. Ilgenfritz, "There are journeys in life we would never choose to take, but we do so anyway, because we know that our lives depend on our taking them. In a tippy little boat, on a tiny lake in downtown Seattle, I learned to sail. I discovered a practice that helped me let go of the life I had and discover a new life I’d never imagined. Along the way, I crashed into waves of grief and despair but did not drown. I was tossed by anxiety but did not die. Instead, I discovered parts of myself I’d never dared to embrace. Eventually, I learned what was on the other side of letting go."

"Testing The Wind" is the story of one man’s journey through transitions, lesson by lesson, one discovery at a time. In stepping off the dock of his familiar life, Peter Ilgenfritz learns how to trust in the unfolding, opening of life itself, to let go and use the wind to take him out onto the next tide of his life. With humor and humility, the author's personal path to self-understanding and self acceptance encourages us all to lean into the call to grow and change. It invites us to look at the larger meaning in our own small stories so that we might write a bigger story of the fuller, more complex and content people we can become.

For 33 years, Ilgenfritz has served as a pastor in the United Church of Christ. A native of Massachusetts, he served for 25 years as pastor at University Congregational Church in Seattle before following a call to walk with others through times of change and transition. Peter is a member of Cho Bo Ji, a Rinzai Zen community in Seattle and a graduate for Colgate University and Yale Divinity School. Peter loves running, biking, conversations and writing. His book of poetry, Setting Sail, is available through Lulu Press.

For more information on his ministry of coaching, spiritual accompaniment and retreat leadership contact him at Peter@navigatingthroughchange.com or through the websites, NavigatingThroughChange.com, or PeterIlgenfritz.com

The book is being published by Coffeetown Press.