Your Pastor Reads Books Podcast

#33 (S5) The Foster Care Crisis & James C. Petersen's Why Don't We Listen Better?

After personal circumstances launched Pastor Hannah Horst into the world of foster care, she now shares her expertise in fostering and adoption with churches, pitching ways for them to help solve the foster care crisis by supporting families that step into fostering. Our conversation is inspired by her experiences along with relational wisdom from one of her favorite books—Why Don’t We Listen Better? Communicating and Connecting in Relationships by James C. Petersen. Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:**Why Don’t We Listen Better [https://amzn.to/4tQY2Eo] by James C. PetersenGet Started with Foster Care in Iowa [https://iowafosterandadoption.org/start-the-process/] *Hannah is a co-pastor/church planter of Emmaus Church [https://www.emmausdsm.com/staff-leaders] in Des Moines, IA. She also serves as the Director of Foster and Adoption Ministry for the Iowa Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God with a focus on mobilizing churches to reach the foster and adoptive families in their community. Get full access to Your Pastor Reads Books at yprb.substack.com/subscribe [https://yprb.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#32 (S5) Horizontal Leadership & Gary Hamel's The Future of Management

Ministry moves at the speed of relationships. Ten years into his church planting journey, Oscar Perez* talks with me about a leadership philosophy that is informed by the concept of “horizontal leadership,” the opposite of hierarchy. Our conversation is inspired by Gary Hamel’s The Future of Management [https://amzn.to/3IGsXA8], published by the Harvard Business Review. A lot of times, marketplace leadership books don’t transfer well to church leadership, but Oscar makes a compelling argument that horizontal and collaborative leadership can lead to healthier churches, ministry, and more flourishing in the Kingdom of God. Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:**The Future of Management [https://amzn.to/3IGsXA8] by Gary Hamel *Oscar is the lead pastor and church planter of VividLife [https://www.vividlifechurch.org/en] church in Plano, Texas. He also coaches pastors with Thriving in Ministry [https://www.thrivinginministry.com/]. Follow him on FB [https://www.facebook.com/oscarperez78] and IG [https://www.instagram.com/oscar_perez_vlc/]. Get full access to Your Pastor Reads Books at yprb.substack.com/subscribe [https://yprb.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#31 (S5) Microchurch, Family Crisis & Henri Nouwen’s Clowning in Rome

“My growing love for the clowns in Rome made me desire to clown around a little myself and to speak about such foolish things as being alone, treasuring emptiness, standing naked before God, and simply seeing things for what they are. I came to feel that in this full, imposing, venerable, and busy city there must be a very deep desire to live out the other side of our being, the side that wants to play, dance, smile, and do many other useless things." -Henri Nouwen On this episode, my guest Rebecca Johnston* talks about making the adjustment to pastoring solo during a crisis in her family. When trouble hits, we all need to remember what is most important and return to the grounding and sometimes “foolish” practices that help us stay anchored in the life of faith. Our discussion of Henri Nouwen’s book Clowning in Rome: Reflections on Solitude, Celibacy, Prayer and Contemplation provided a great frame for our conversation. 01:30 Planting Microchurches 12:30 What is “dinner church”? 17:20 Pastoring through a spouse’s mental health crisis 27:29 About Henri Nouwen and Clowning in Rome 31:45 Four “clown-like elements for the spiritual life. 33:00 What does celibacy as “embracing emptiness” mean for single and married folks? 34:45 How celibacy teaches the church about God’s nature. Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:**Clowning in Rome: Reflections on Solitude, Celibacy, Prayer and Contemplation [https://amzn.to/4kuH9KW] *Rebecca is an intentionally co-vocational church pastor, ordained minister, grad student, mom of two, and proud midwesterner. You can follow her house-church renovations on IG [https://www.instagram.com/830e38th/]. Get full access to Your Pastor Reads Books at yprb.substack.com/subscribe [https://yprb.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#30 (S5) Enchanted Ministry, Confessions for Pastors & John Hendrix's The Mythmakers

"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." -C.S. Lewis Sometimes ministry seems absolutely impossible. And it is, when we rely on our own strength and skillsets. What does it look like to keep coming back to the transcendent Source at work in our lives—God who wants to bring resurrection and new life to the world? I explore this question with my guest, Mandy Smith, a pastor and award-winning author and speaker. Our conversation is inspired by two books. First, Mandy’s own Confessions of an Amateur Saint: The Christian Leader’s Journey from Self-Sufficiency to Reliance on God [https://amzn.to/3QutqWA] and John Hendrix’s graphic novel, The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship between C.S. Lewis and JRR Tolkien. [https://amzn.to/41oxcHg] Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:**Confessions of an Amateur Saint: The Christian Leader’s Journey from Self-Sufficiency to Reliance on God [https://amzn.to/3QutqWA] by Mandy SmithThe Vulnerable Pastor: How Human Limitations Empower Our Ministry [https://amzn.to/3EKg4D0] by Mandy SmithUnfettered: Imagining a Childlike Faith beyond the Baggage of Western Culture [https://amzn.to/43oPE4j] by Mandy SmithThe Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien (A Graphic Novel) [https://amzn.to/41oxcHg] by John HendrixThe Faithful Spy [https://amzn.to/419b5mX]: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler by John HendrixThe Chronicles of Narnia [https://amzn.to/4i2rMbb] by C.S. LewisTolkien On Fairy-Stories [https://amzn.to/4hLwfOZ] by J.R.R. TolkienThe Lord of the Rings Trilogy [https://amzn.to/3QrtiXR] by J.R.R. TolkienHow (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor [https://amzn.to/4gWXDZg] by James K.A. Smith [https://amzn.to/4gWXDZg]A Secular Age [https://amzn.to/3D9MGFO] by Charles Taylor [https://amzn.to/3D9MGFO]Re-Enchanting the Text by [https://amzn.to/417FCl1]Cheryl Bridges Johns [https://amzn.to/417FCl1] *Follow Mandy on IG [http://mandysmithhopes] and learn more about her ministry at https://thewayistheway.org [https://thewayistheway.org/]. . Get full access to Your Pastor Reads Books at yprb.substack.com/subscribe [https://yprb.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

#29 (S4) Glass Ceilings, Gendered Socialization & Susan Harris Howell's Buried Talents

The stereotype of gender differences in natural ability in math and science persists despite evidence to the contrary. Boys are often told in subtle ways that success in these areas reflects their essence and will continue; girls, that theirs is due to effort and is, therefore, less certain. Girls often receive less attention and instruction even though their success equals that of boys. Since girls’ self-confidence is buoyed by feedback, the relative absence of it diminishes their self-perception as talented in these “masculine” subjects and decreases the likelihood they will continue in them. Textbooks confirm that women rarely rank among the achievers. -Susan Harris Howell, Buried Talents My conversation with Crystal Martin is inspired by Susan Harris Howell’s Buried Talents: Overcoming Gendered Socialization to Answer God’s Call. Crystal, who led a national network for women in ministry, helps unpack Howell’s assessment of how we arrived at a gender “gap” between men and women in church leadership roles and responsibilities. Crystal also helps us consider the kind of flourishing that could be achieved for both women and men if only the church can overcome the limiting effects of gendered socialization. 01:49 State of women in ministry in the church15:55 on Crystal’s reading life18:41 Buried Talents conversation Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:**Buried Talents: Overcoming Gendered Socialization to Answer God’s Call [https://amzn.to/3VazcQf] by Susan Harris HowellUp Home [https://amzn.to/48PUHv3] by Ruth J. SimmonsYour Vocational Credo [https://amzn.to/4fGmXme] by Deborah Koehn LoydNorthern Seminary [https://www.seminary.edu/] *Follow Crystal on IG [https://www.instagram.com/crystalxanwm/]. Get full access to Your Pastor Reads Books at yprb.substack.com/subscribe [https://yprb.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]