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Continue reading →: Learning, Listening, Loving Our Neighbour, Leaning on GodLast November I received an endorsement request for Stuck Together: The Hope of Christian Witness in a Polarized World by J. Nelson Kraybill (Herald Press, 2023). I was immediately intrigued since the request came from Herald Press, the publisher for my Sacred Pauses and Four Gifts. Plus author J. Nelson Kraybill…
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Continue reading →: You Are My Hiding PlaceIf we think of the church year as a whole, there are four Sundays to prepare for Christmas—the first Sunday of Advent, the second Sunday of Advent, and so on. There are six Sundays to prepare for Easter, yet they’re not the first Sunday of Lent or the second Sunday…
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Continue reading →: Quiet Quitting and the ChurchWhat do you think about “quiet quitting“? Is it: I suppose quiet quitting can take any of these forms depending on the person and situation. And although the term may be relatively new, the experience of quiet quitting isn’t—including in the church. Like the church member once active in ministry…
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Continue reading →: Trauma, Resilience, and Reimagining MinistryIt was a privilege for me to take part in the Pastors and Leaders Conference hosted by Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. I appreciated the sessions on trauma and resilience by professor and author Joni Sancken based on her most recent book, All Our Griefs to Bear: Responding…
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Continue reading →: Are Pastors and Churches Doing Enough About Self-Care?Last month I received an email from a high school student in Texas who asked if I might be willing to do an interview with him over zoom as part of his junior year research project. His research into Christian thought surrounding self-care had led him to my book, Four…
When You Work for the Church
Hello,
I’m April Yamasaki
Welcome to When You Work for the Church. I’ve been a church volunteer and a full-time pastor. I’ve led small groups and served on denominational committees. When I resigned from pastoral ministry to focus on my writing, I knew that I wanted to be—needed to be—grounded in a local congregation. I love the church!
But I also know that churches and church organizations have not always lived up to their calling, have brought harm instead of healing. So I started this website to share resources for doing ministry better, and pray that together we might serve more faithfully and effectively.
For a healthy rhythm of work and rest, I’d love to send you my ebook.
When You Work for the Church 