To My Younger Pastor Self

Dear 28-year-old Libby, As you assume pastoral leadership of a holy, beautiful, complex, and complicated local Christian church, I share a few ideas intended to serve as guideposts for the journey. I remember so clearly how much energy and confidence you have. But I want to make sure you don’t rely on your own gifts…

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Moondust and Ministry

Derek Nelson April 6, 2022 What does it take to keep a good early career pastoral leadership program thriving? Some provocative answers emerged from a seemingly unlikely place last year: the hit Netflix series The Crown, a behind-the-scenes dramatization of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth’s faith was strong, but the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip,…

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Exactly Where I Need To Be

by Aaron Stamper Pastor of Youth and Family Ministry, Cross of Grace Lutheran Church, New Palestine, Indiana Questions started to bubble up in the back of my mind not long into my new career as a parish pastor. The questions were typically variations of “What does ‘success’ look like in my congregation?” and “How will…

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A Calling Beyond Borders

by Whitney Rice Associate Rector, St. Francis-in-the-Fields Episcopal Church, Zionsville, Indiana I had no idea how inwardly focused my ministry was until I had the opportunity to participate in the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program.  There is very clear dividing line in my ministry: pre-Wabash versus post-Wabash.  And before, I didn’t realize how small of a…

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Conversations of a Lifetime

by Tracy Paschke-Johannes Pastor, Epiphany Lutheran Church, Centerville, OH, and chaplain in a non-profit hospice in Cincinnati, OH Over the past three years, I have had the opportunity to live out my call serving part time in a congregation and part time as a hospice chaplain. It is a sacred opportunity to build long term,…

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Community & Calling Intertwined

by Rev. Stacee Fischer Gehring Pastor, High Street UMCMuncie, Indiana “I have a pulpit every Sunday morning, and I plan to use it.” The words came out of my mouth before I realized just how threatening they sounded.  The audience and the moderator laughed, but the truth is, I was serious.  When it comes to speaking…

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Alignment: Personal and Public

by Christopher Cox Associate Director, Seventh Generation Interfaith Coalition for Responsible Investment A member of cohort one (2009-2010), I loved the experience of being a part of the Wabash Pastoral Leadership Program. The only Catholic in the group, I welcomed the theological diversity, pulling me into dialogue with theologians and thinkers afield from the bibliographies…

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Sanctuary

by Amanda Wagoner Meade Pastor, First Christian Church, Jeffersonville, Indiana At the lowest moment of my ministry, I was standing in the back of my own worship space trying to figure out where to sit.  It was a prayer service for my senior pastor who had been arrested and then committed suicide and I needed…

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Building Community Outside Our Walls, Starting Inside Our Walls

By Matthew Stultz  Pastor, Acton United Methodist Church, Indianapolis, Indiana In our church building, we have scouts, parent groups, AA, and a preschool.  During the Advent season this year, I got busy and wrote a different letter for each group using our building, first stating because of their commitment to help others in this community…

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