Your Pastor Reads Books Podcast with Heather Weber

"It is an all too familiar story....A church leader starts out with a deep sense of trust and dependence upon God. They are surrendered....But, as the ministry flourishes and numbers grow, as is inevitable under God's power, organizing ministry becomes strained. The struggle to make decisions efficiently takes over. The pastor who once lived "under" God's power begins exercising increasing control and 'power over' under the pretext of getting things done for God." -David Fitch, Reckoning with Power
In evangelical ministry spaces, there’s often an emphasis on defining ministry wins by numbers—attendance, bank balances, baptisms, salvations, buildings, and campuses. There’s nothing wrong with big numbers. Or small ones. But what happens if our big numbers entice us to exercise power in worldly ways, rather than in godly submission to one another?
My conversation with pastor Seth Major* is inspired by his ministry in a historically neglected neighborhood in Peoria, IL, and by David Fitch’s Reckoning with Power: Why the Church Fails When It’s on the Wrong Side of Power. Seth breaks down for us how Fitch distinguishes between two main postures Christians often take toward power: the use of worldly power over others to compel what we believe is on God’s agenda or submission to one another under Christ’s Lordship as a group discerns the will of God together.
01:10 Ministry in Historically Neglected Neighborhoods18:50 Reckoning with Power Discussion
Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:**
Reckoning with Power: How the Church Fails When It’s on the Wrong Side of Power by David Fitch
Pursuing God’s Will Together: A Discernment Practice for Leadership Groups by Ruth Haley Barton
*Follow Seth on IG or Reachway Church
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YPRB host Heather Weber is a book-obsessed pastor, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. She is the author of Dear Boy,: An Epistolary Memoir. Find out more about her coaching, pastoral direction, and creative projects at www.heatherweber.org. And, subscribe to her Dear Exiles newsletter at heatherweber.substack.com.


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"There’s no undoing the secular; there’s just the task of learning how (not) to live—and perhaps even believe—in a secular age. -James K.A. Smith, How (Not) to Be Secular
Christians might try hard not to “be secular,” but there’s almost no escaping the impact of secularism on the way we think about ourselves and the ways in which we find (or make) meaning out of our lives. My conversation with pastor Andrew Meher* is inspired by James K.A. Smith’s How (Not) to Be Secular. Andrew breaks down for us, in simple terms, the ways in which practices of the Church can help us resist our tendency toward an individualized and secular worldview.
Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:
A Secular Age by Charles TaylorHow (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor by James K.A. Smith
*Follow Andrew on IG or at The Plant Church.


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“Every book has a soul, the soul of the person who wrote it and the soul of those who read it and dream about it.” ― Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Angel's Game
We catch glimpses of the life of the Apostle Paul within the pages of the New Testament—his letters and the book of Acts. My conversation with pastor Tom Jacobs is inspired by N.T. Wright’s book, Paul: A Biography. Tom does a deep dive on Wright’s book, illuminating Paul’s conversion on the Damascus road and the extent of his torture and suffering for the sake of the gospel. Wrapped up in that conversation is more about the ministry rejection every pastor faces and the process of “reconstructing” after we’ve deconstructed faith.
Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:*
Ever Ancient, Ever New: The Allure of Liturgy for a New Generation by Winfield Bevins
Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders
The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
The Complete Grimms Fairy TalesPaul: A Biography by N.T. Wrigh
tDes Moines Anglican



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Have you ever wondered how to teach theology to toddlers? Or, why some pastors are able to engage in ministry with so much gratitude despite its inherent challenges and sorrows? I hope you enjoy this conversation with church planters Austin and Amy Gannett* from Greenville, South Carolina. It’s inspired by C.S. Lewis’ book, The Horse and His Boy, a classic novel for all ages that offers us glimpses of the beauty and truth of the Christian faith.
Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:*
Tiny Theologians and Tiny Theologians Podcast
ABCs of TheologyBible Study Schoolhouse
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. LewisT
he Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
Becoming C.S. Lewis (3-Volume Set) by Harry Lee Poe
Malcom Guite StoreThis Day: Collected and New Sabbath Poems by Wendell Berry
*Follow Austin and Amy’s ministry at Trinity Church Greenville, or follow Amy on IG. Links to her Tiny Theologians and Bible Study Schoolhouse are above.


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Insofar as we live as though God were not present, moment-by-moment, and as though this wasn’t the most important aspect of any present moment, we are living in the flesh.
-Gregory A. Boyd, Present Perfect
What life-changing moments do we miss when we’re focused on the next big thing? Are we aware of God in the moment with us? And, at what point should pastors refer congregants to professional mental health practitioners? These questions and this conversation with licensed mental health counselor and ordained minister Troy Renter* are inspired by Gregory A. Boyd’s Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now.
Resources Mentioned & Affiliate Links:
Present Perfect: Finding God in the Now
*Follow Troy’s ministry at Harvest of Hope Church in Harlan, IA.


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Your local church is uniquely gifted, situated, and qualified to perform kingdom mission in your particular community.As a pastor, I want to think about what that means for our local church. -Laura Tarro
Churches look all kinds of ways these days, and that’s okay. But churches exist to fit into the mission of the Kingdom of God, so how do you know if your church has embraced God’s Kingdom mission to the world? In this episode, pastor Laura Tarro,* talks about Scot McKnight’s book Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church. She shares some of McKnight’s markers for a church that embodies and lives out the kingdom mission of God in its local setting while also celebrating the unique differences and gifts of each person in the church. 
Resources Mentioned:Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church by Scot McKnight*Follow Laura’s ministry at Bethany Covenant Church at Bethanycov.org, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube.
YPRB host Heather Weber is a book-obsessed pastor, author, and holistic life and leadership coach. She is the author of Dear Boy,: An Epistolary Memoir. Find out more about her coaching, pastoral direction, and creative projects at www.heatherweber.org. And, subscribe to her Dear Exiles newsletter at heatherweber.substack.com.


Get full access to Your Pastor Reads Books at yprb.substack.com/subscribe