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What does it look like to practice wise pacing in ministry? In this brief update, Chaz Robbins (producer of The Pastor’s Table) shares a word of gratitude, reflection, and clarity as the podcast enters a short season of pause. After three years and more than 150 episodes, this moment is about tending the table well by listening, discerning, and ensuring that what comes next continues to serve pastors with theological depth, honesty, and care. This isn’t a goodbye. It’s a reminder that faithful ministry requires rhythm, rest, and intentionality, especially after demanding seasons like Advent and Christmas. Thank you for being part of this community. We’ll gather again soon.

Pastors have a tremendous blessing and opportunity to help their congregations stay alive to God. If this opportunity is to be fully realized, it requires pastors to know their people. God has invited pastors to be the guides on a journey of where God is taking the community. Forming the life of God in your church starts with the leaders to be formed. Everyone has the opportunity to experience God’s grace that brings inner peace. Mindy, Mark, and Tara Beth give leaders practical examples and reasons to hope that they can experience God’s grace in their calling. Discussion Questions: 1. How do you see the role of a pastor in helping their congregation "stay alive to God"? What specific actions, practices, or approaches can pastors implement to better know their people and guide them on the journey of spiritual formation within the church community? 2. Mindy emphasizes the idea that forming the life of God within the church starts with the formation of its leaders. What steps can pastors take to prioritize their own spiritual formation and growth as leaders? How might their personal transformation influence the spiritual life of the congregation? 3. The podcast episode highlights the potential for everyone to experience God's grace and inner peace in their calling. In what ways can church leaders provide practical examples and reasons to inspire hope for their congregation? Have you personally witnessed or experienced God's grace and inner peace in your ministry, and how has it impacted your calling?

The people in your church are being formed by all sorts of sources. Cultural Idols Social Media News Media Work Demands and the list could go on … Mindy Caliguire gives clarity on how pastors can enhance the vision of a formed life after Jesus. The people who are suffering from a poverty of imagination can be given guidance and tools on the journey of formation Jesus offers. Get Soul Care’s 21 Days to Jumpstart Journaling at soulcare.com/resources. Discussion Questions: 1. In a world where people are being influenced by a multitude of sources, how can pastors and church leaders effectively guide their congregations toward a vision of a formed life after Jesus? What specific challenges do you see in addressing the impact of cultural idols, social media, news media, and work demands on spiritual formation within your church community? 2. Mindy Caliguire emphasizes the importance of addressing the "poverty of imagination" in people's faith journeys. How can churches actively engage and equip individuals to develop a richer and more imaginative spiritual life in the context of today's distractions and influences? What practical strategies or tools can be implemented to facilitate this transformation? 3. Considering the diverse array of influences mentioned, what steps can pastors take to foster an environment where spiritual formation becomes a central focus for their congregation? How do you see your church community addressing these challenges and helping members embark on the journey of formation that Jesus offers?

Pastor’s leadership is capped at our self-reflection. Pastors must tend to our own souls. Mindy Caliguire provides 4 different practices of page, person, plan & place to tend well to our souls as leaders. Page is the invitation to reflection. Person to be ruthlessly honest. Plan is a rule of life to create intentional space for growth. Place is honoring the location God has placed us. Get Soul Care’s 21 Days to Jumpstart Journaling at soulcare.com/resources. Discussion Questions: How does the concept of a "capped" leadership tied to self-reflection resonate with your understanding of effective pastoral leadership? In what ways can implementing the four practices of page, person, plan, and place, as outlined by Mindy Caliguire, help pastors overcome this limitation and enhance their leadership abilities?The four practices mentioned—page, person, plan, and place—each play a distinct role in tending to the souls of leaders. Which of these practices do you find most challenging to integrate into your own life as a pastor or church leader, and why? Conversely, which one resonates with you the most, and how do you envision it positively influencing your leadership style? Reflect on the significance of "honoring the location God has placed us" as one of the practices for tending to our souls as leaders. How can this practice be applied in your specific ministry context?What changes or adaptations might be needed to ensure that you are faithfully honoring your role and location as a pastor or leader in your church community?

Loss is plaguing the church.   Congregants are leaving. Pastors are burning out. Loss of all kinds is painfully present in the church.   Many times people feel tending to a surrendered life of Christ is hard. Mindy Caliguire suggests that what is really hard is facing the pain of staying the same. There are so many pressures facing the church, but a community that tends to souls is possible.   Make sure to come back for the other episodes with Mindy to learn more!    Discussion Questions:  How does Mindy Caliguire's perspective on loss and the challenges within the church encourage us to reevaluate our approach to spiritual growth and transformation? What might be some of the obstacles that prevent congregants and pastors from engaging in this process effectively?In what ways can we build and nurture a church community that focuses on tending to souls amid the various pressures of ministry? What practical steps and principles did you draw from this discussion to help address the present challenges within your congregation?Reflecting on the idea that facing the pain of staying the same can be more challenging than the work of tending to a surrendered life of Christ, how can we cultivate a mindset and environment that embrace growth, change, and healing within our churches? What role can individual members and leaders play in making this transformation possible?

What happens when the very institution that shaped your ministry turns around and wounds you? Can God take that loss and birth something new? In this deeply personal anniversary episode, Mark and Tara Beth look back on three years of The Pastor’s Table and the untold story of how it all began. From Mark’s unexpected firing, to the disorientation that followed, to the Spirit-led formation of this podcast, they revisit the moments of pain, clarity, calling, and redemption that shaped their ministry. This episode is raw, honest, and full of hope for any pastor navigating disappointment, transition, or questions of identity and vocation. 🎙️ In This Episode: The firing that blindsided Mark — and the prayer he kept repeatingHow a season of painful disorientation birthed the Center for Theological IntegrityThe unexpected way God redeemed loss (“I already have… wait and see.”)Why theological integrity—not vanity metrics—remains the heartbeat of the podcastHow the Holy Spirit compelled Tara Beth into a pastorate she never planned to takeWild Sunday-morning stories (fainting, wheelchairs, choking… all in one sermon!)What’s next for the relaunch of The Pastor’s Table ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Why this anniversary episode matters 02:00 – Mark remembers the early podcast days 03:00 – “My services were no longer needed”: the firing 05:45 – Transparency, leadership, and the cost of truth-telling 07:30 – Praying through disorientation: “Lord, how will you redeem this?” 10:00 – “I already have”: the surprising answer that kept repeating 11:30 – The birth of the Center for Theological Integrity 12:45 – How Northern Seminary became home for the vision 17:20 – How suffering shaped the podcast’s heartbeat 21:00 – Tara Beth’s reluctant call to Good Shepherd 24:00 – “They needed a mom”: the Spirit’s inner leap 27:00 – When everything goes wrong mid-sermon 33:00 – Returning to theological integrity 36:00 – Daily Scripture reading and resisting vanity metrics 38:00 – What’s next for the podcast God never wastes suffering. Your hardest losses may become the very soil where new ministry, clarity, and courage begin to grow.

What does ministry look like when your people are afraid to leave their homes? In this heartfelt conversation, Pastor Hector Alfaro joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share what Hispanic churches in Chicago are experiencing as ICE activity intensifies. From families torn apart to churches emptied in a matter of weeks, Pastor Hector offers a raw, front-line perspective on shepherding undocumented and mixed-status communities living under daily threat — and the hope the Church must offer in this moment. 🎙️ In This Episode: Hector’s journey from Guatemala to Chicago at age 17The explosive growth of Hispanic churches — and why everything changedHow immigrants encountered Jesus on the journey northWhat ICE presence has done to church attendance, jobs, and daily lifeHow pastors are caring for families living in fearWhy the wider Church must step in with courage, compassion, and resources ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Pastor Hector 01:00 – Leaving Guatemala and adapting to American culture 04:00 – His father’s call to plant Spanish-speaking churches 06:00 – Multinational, multiethnic Hispanic congregations 08:00 – The unique challenges of pastoring undocumented families 10:00 – Immigrants meeting Jesus on the journey north 12:00 – Discipling new believers from Venezuela & Central America 15:00 – ICE presence and fear reshaping entire neighborhoods 17:00 – Families choosing deportation over living in fear 20:00 – Churches providing food, visits, and emergency support 23:00 – Pastors carrying passports — and heavy pastoral burdens 26:00 – Navigating work, danger, and survival 30:00 – How it changes the way a pastor preaches and shepherds 31:30 – A call for the wider Church to step in Pastor Hector reminds us that the Body of Christ is not whole unless we carry one another’s burdens. When some churches worship in fear, the whole Church is called to respond with prayer, presence, and sacrificial love.

How does a pastor guide a community facing real threats, real fear, and real need? In this powerful continuation, Pastor Paco Amador joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how his congregation in Chicago’s Little Village is responding to the immigration crisis with courage, compassion, and prophetic witness. From offering tamales and prayer outside a migrant shelter to confronting the fear of deportation in his pews, Paco embodies the gospel as both resistance and hope. 🎙️ In This Episode: The harrowing journey of migrants through the Darién GapHow the church in Chicago became a sanctuary of love and welcomeThe rise of fear and persecution amid ICE detentionsHow Paco’s preaching has changed to meet a scattered and suffering flockThe unbreakable hope of a church that refuses despair ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – What it means to be a Hispanic pastor in Chicago today 04:00 – The migrant journey through the Darién Gap 07:00 – Prayers, tamales, and the birth of a street-side church 13:00 – Organizing mercy: how the church met the need 17:00 – Stories of separation and injustice 21:00 – Fear, invisibility, and the immigrant experience 28:00 – The church as prophetic resistance 34:00 – Preaching for a scattered people 38:00 – Seeds of the gospel in persecution In a city divided by politics and fear, Pastor Paco Amador reminds us that the Church’s truest power is love. When systems fail and families are torn apart, the gospel still takes root on sidewalks, in shelters, and through the songs of a people who refuse to lose hope.

What happens when the story of migration becomes the story of calling? In this episode, Pastor Paco Amador joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share his journey from Mexico to North Carolina to Chicago’s Little Village. With honesty and humor, Paco reflects on his encounter with Jesus as a teenager, the grief and beauty of leaving home, and the long road toward discovering where he truly belongs. 🎙️ In This Episode: Leaving home at fourteen and encountering Jesus on a North Carolina benchHow immigration shapes faith, identity, and dependence on GodThe unlikely path from Mexico to Moody Bible InstitutePlanting a church in college that became his lifelong ministryBuilding a multicultural congregation in Chicago’s Little Village ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Introducing Pastor Paco Amador 04:00 – Leaving Mexico at 14 and learning to start over 08:00 – An unmistakable encounter with Jesus 11:00 – A teacher’s nudge, a missionary’s challenge, and the call to Moody 15:00 – Starting a church in college and learning by failing forward 20:00 – Two years in Spain and an unexpected love story 24:00 – Planting roots in Little Village, Chicago 28:00 – Preaching in Spanish, English, and Mayan 31:00 – God’s quiet work in a vibrant immigrant community The call of God often begins in disorientation. Paco’s story reminds us that in every language, every journey, and every act of leaving, God is already at work turning exile into belonging.

What does it look like to live a life formed by grace and resistant to the pressures of the world? In this second conversation, Pastor Nathan Hoff returns to unpack the theology and practice behind The Rule of Life at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro. He joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to explore how intentional rhythms of prayer, reconciliation, and presence can shape both pastors and congregations for a non-anxious, deeply human way of life. 🎙️ In This Episode: The rhythms of prayer that anchor Nathan’s community—morning and eveningWhy reconciliation is harder (and holier) than routineHow “formation as resistance” counters cultural conformityWhat technology, resources, and even our bodies reveal about our formationThe invitation to stay rooted in a transient world ⏱️ Timestamps: 04:30 – The challenge and beauty of reconciliation 09:45 – The gift of rootedness through the Rule of Life 15:00 – Formation as resistance to conformity 19:00 – Practicing grace in technology, money, and relationships 24:30 – A pastoral reflection on the hard work of community 🔗 Resources & Links: Learn more about Trinity Lutheran Church → trinitysanpedro.orgExplore The Rule of Life → trinitysanpedro.org/ruleoflifeListen to Low in the Water from the Eugene Peterson Center → petersoncenter.org/low-in-the-water-podcastFollow Nathan Hoff’s writing → nathanhoff.substack.comExplore reflections on pastoral life → practicingbenediction.substack.com Spiritual formation isn’t about escaping the world; it’s about being reshaped within it. Pastor Nathan Hoff reminds us that resisting conformity begins with prayer, reconciliation, and the courage to stay rooted in community.

What if the cure for modern ministry restlessness is staying put? In this episode, Pastor Nathan Hoff joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share his story of 20 years at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, California. From a childhood marked by constant moves to forming a residential community in an unrooted city, Nathan reflects on the beauty of long obedience, shared rhythms, and a “rule of life” shaped by prayer and presence. 🎙️ In This Episode: Growing up in a pastor’s family that moved 15 times before he turned 30The call to ministry at age eight—and how grace reshaped his vocationHow generational faith shaped Nathan’s theology of rootednessCreating a parish community with shared rhythms of prayer and lifeWhy stability is countercultural—and deeply spiritual—in urban ministry ⏱️ Timestamps: 04:00 – From constant moving to a life of rooted ministry 07:00 – A childhood call to ministry and early formation 10:00 – Discovering Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro 13:00 – The influence of charismatic and sacramental renewal movements 17:00 – Generational faith and the grace that carries through families 20:00 – “On the block”: creating a shared residential community 24:00 – Rule of life, rhythms of prayer, and the call to rootedness 🔗 Resources & Links: Learn more about Trinity Lutheran Church → trinitysanpedro.orgExplore The Rule of Life and the Common Way → trinitysanpedro.org/ruleoflifeListen to Low in the Water (from the Eugene Peterson Center) → petersoncenter.org/low-in-the-water-podcastFollow Nathan Hoff’s writing → nathanhoff.substack.comExplore reflections on pastoral life → practicingbenediction.substack.com In a world that prizes movement and novelty, Pastor Nathan Hoff reminds us that faithfulness often looks like staying put—rooting deeply in a place, a people, and the daily rhythms of grace.

What happens when grace rewrites your story from the inside out? In this second conversation, Pastor Katie Langston joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how the gospel of grace led her from Mormonism to the waters of baptism and into the freedom of ministry. Katie opens up about her conversion, her calling as a Lutheran pastor, and why she now preaches grace as the Church’s most radical gift in an anxious world. 🎙️ In This Episode: How Katie’s baptism became a moment of real deliveranceWhy law and gospel must be preached together—but not confusedThe tangible grace of communion for weary believersThe temptation to prove worthiness—even in ministryHow pastors can rest in being “sealed” by Christ’s finished work ⏱️ Timestamps: 03:00 – Discovering grace as a lived reality, not a doctrine 08:00 – Luther Seminary and finding home in the Lutheran story 11:00 – Baptism as exorcism and renewal 15:00 – Learning to preach grace in a law-driven world 18:00 – Pastoral care and the non-anxious presence of the gospel 20:00 – Communion as Christ given “for you” 24:00 – Why every culture worships worthiness 26:00 – “You are sealed to Christ forever.” Grace doesn’t ask for your worthiness; it gives it. Katie’s story reminds pastors and believers alike that baptism marks us with the promise of a God who will never, ever let us go.

What happens when religion becomes a system for proving your worth? In this powerful conversation, Pastor Katie Langston shares her journey from growing up Mormon to discovering the freeing power of grace. With honesty and humor, she describes life in a worthiness-based system, her battle with scrupulosity, and the moment she first heard the gospel of grace through a Wheaton professor’s words: “I know enough of my deficiencies to be devastated.” 🎙️ In This Episode: Growing up in a loving but rule-bound Mormon homeThe weight of worthiness interviews and religious anxietyBattling scrupulosity and finding a name for her struggleHearing the gospel for the first time—and believing itWhy grace and Mormon theology can’t coexist ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Introducing Pastor Katie Langston 02:00 – Growing up in a faithful Mormon home 05:00 – Worthiness interviews and the burden of perfection 09:00 – Temple rituals, baptism for the dead, and Mormon theology 13:00 – Missionary life in Bulgaria and early cracks in the system 18:00 – Marriage, motherhood, and the onset of despair 21:00 – OCD, scrupulosity, and the search for help 23:00 – Hearing Jerry Root’s message on grace 24:00 – “What if Christ has made me worthy?” 26:00 – Ten years of wrestling between Mormonism and grace Grace is not another rule to keep; it’s the end of the "worthiness" game. Katie’s story invites weary pastors and believers alike to rest in the gospel that declares: you are already enough in Christ.

What if you didn’t get to choose where you served, but trusted the Spirit and the Church to send you? In Part 2 of this conversation, Pastor Benji Van Fleet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to unpack the Methodist system of itinerancy and what it teaches us about obedience, humility, and trust. From matchmaker bishops to Methodist “March Madness,” Benji shares a vision of ministry rooted in submission rather than self-promotion, and a faith that follows wherever God leads. 🎙️ In This Episode: What the Methodist itinerant system teaches about calling and surrenderHow being sent shapes a pastor’s humility and courageThe dangers of “pastor as CEO” and the freedom of not owning your churchHow diversity flourishes through a Spirit-led appointment processWhy obedience to the Church’s discernment can deepen faith ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – The theology behind being sent rather than hired 03:00 – Contextualizing mission: unity without uniformity 07:00 – The “matchmaker” role of bishops and discernment in appointments 11:00 – Fresh eyes and prophetic courage in short tenures 15:00 – Undermining the “pastor as CEO” model 20:00 – Methodist March Madness and the beauty of discernment 24:00 – Diversity and the Kingdom of God in appointment systems 32:00 – A phone call on Holy Week that changed everything 36:00 – Saying yes when it could’ve only been six months 38:00 – Submission, humility, and the Spirit’s surprising work Ministry is not a career we climb; it’s a call we receive. Benji’s story reminds us that when we live as sent ones rather than stationed ones, we find the freedom to trust God’s wisdom over our own plans.

What happens when your theology of calling collides with your understanding of ownership in the church? In this episode, Pastor Benji Van Fleet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom from Abilene, Texas, to talk about his journey from architecture student to Methodist pastor, how cancer and heartbreak became catalysts for his call, and why he describes himself not as a shepherd—but a sheepdog. 🎙️ In This Episode: How a broken engagement and a tumor redirected Benji’s life toward ministryThe moment God spoke when everything else fell apartWhat it means to be a “sent” pastor in the Methodist itinerant systemWhy Benji refuses to call St. Paul “his” church—and what that means for pastoral health ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – The world of Abilene and Texas-sized hospitality 04:00 – The story of St. Paul UMC and its 100-year legacy 07:00 – Benji’s faith upbringing and the “zebra” of denominations 10:00 – Losing everything—and hearing God’s voice for the first time 13:00 – “Exactly. Now we can start again.” A calling moment 15:00 – Sharing the gospel in Russia and being called as God’s diplomat 20:00 – Seminary, marriage, and the Methodist call system 23:00 – Going where you’re sent: the theology of itinerancy 26:00 – Why Benji says, “I’m not the shepherd—I’m the sheepdog.” 29:00 – The cult of personality and pointing people to Jesus Pastors are not owners of the church; they’re guides pointing the flock toward the Good Shepherd. Benji’s story reminds us that calling often begins in surrender, and ministry flourishes when we lead with open hands.