Pastor Writer: Conversations on Reading, Writing, and the Christian Life

Curtis Sergeant is an MK (missionary kid) from Asia who served with the Southern Baptist International Mission Board as a missionary among unreached people groups in China and as a global trainer in missions. He has also served as a VP (for Global Strategy) with the IMB before leaving to help start the P.E.A.C.E. Plan at Saddleback Church where he directed their church planting efforts for five years. He served as a VP with e3 Partners Ministry for three years before moving to Alabama. He continues to serve with them as a consultant along with a number of other organizations for which he conducts training.He recently released a new book entitled, <em>The Only One: Living Fully In, By, and For God</em>, which is available for free at theonlyonebook.com.Curtis joins me to talk about his work in global church planting, discipleship movements, and what we can learn from them.

Nathan Foster is the Director of Community Life at Renovaré as well as a licensed clinical social worker and certified addictions counselor. Prior to Renovaré he was an associate professor and Andrews Chair in Spiritual Formation at Spring Arbor University.Nathan hosts Renovaré's Ordinary Life with God podcast which airs each Monday.Nathan is the author of The Making of An Ordinary Saint: My Journey from Frustration to Joy with the Spiritual Disciplines (2014) and Wisdom Chaser: Finding My Father at 14,000 Feet (2010).He joins me to talk about his relationship with his father's work and how it led him to a season of living out the spiritual disciplines.

Matt Carter serves as the Pastor of Preaching & Vision of The Austin Stone Community Church.In addition to pastoring at The Austin Stone, Matt is a cancer survivor, author, and speaker for camps and conferences nationwide. He holds an MDiv from Southwestern Seminary. His writing has ranged from a commentary on the Gospel of John to a historical fiction book exploring the relationship of Charles Spurgeon and his unlikely friendship with the former slave and missionary Thomas Johnson.He joins me to talk about his recently released book The Long Walk Home: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of the Father.

Combining their interest in history and passion for ministry, Joel & Troy have set out to revive long-forgotten sermons. From Augustine to Whitfield, the two are recording long-forgotten sermons form some of history's greatest preachers and sharing them through their podcast, Riving Thoughts.They join me to talk about the show, preaching, and how these historical thoughts can rescue us from the feedback loop of our modern times. Check out their show: Reviving Thoughts Podcast

Harold Senkbeil was born and raised on a Minnesota farm and his rural background has shaped his approach to work and people.He was a parish pastor for 31 years prior to accepting a position as Associate Professor of Ministry and Mission at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana.Since 2008 he has served as Executive Director for Spiritual Care for DOXOLOGY: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel and spends his time teaching and encouraging pastors to hone their skills in the ancient art of the cure of souls.This summer, he released a new book, The Care of Souls: Cultivating A Pastor's Heart. He joined me to talk about the book and how the church has confused its model of pastoral ministry.I can't recommend Harold's book more and I found this conversation to be deeply impactful. I think it's one of the most important conversations I've had on the podcast.

The past years have seen a massive spike in debates, articles, and books on the topic of masculinity, most centered around a call to redefine what masculinity means. What does it mean to be a man?We call for it constantly. Be a man. Act like a man. Man up. Real men don’t…But it’s worth asking yourself, do you have a good definition for it? How would you define what it means to be a man?Prefer to read the blog: A Good (Definition of) Man Is Hard to Find

Dr. Kevin Vanhoozer joins me to talk about his newest book, Hearers & Doers. The book aims to help pastors better form disciples through theology and doctrine. It provides a great combination of theological reflection, scripture, and cultural awareness. Dr. Vanhoozer's writing draws from a deep appreciation for the arts. In our conversation, we talk about what it means to "do theology" and how pastor's are being pulled away from their true vocation. I think pastors and any thoughtful believer will find the conversation both challenging and fascinating.

I do realize that for two years I've been talking about writing, publishing, and my own book on Samson. For two years you've listened to me give ask and talk about proposals, agents, and publishers. The obvious question is, am I ever going to publish anything? I wanted to take a pause from our interviews to give you an update and offer some of the lessons I've been learning along the way, the primary lesson being: writing is waiting.

Chad Allen is a full-time writer, editor, speaker, and writing coach. His background is in the traditional publishing industry, where he spent over 20 years as an editor, acquisitions editor, and the last seven as editorial director for Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group.He is also the creator of Book Proposal Academy and BookCamp.Chad joins me to talk about the components of a strong book project. Particularly, we talk about a book's concept—its hook. The concept is a critical part of the book and can always be stronger.