-
Continue reading →: New Editor for Rejoice!MennoMedia press release September 16, 2022 April Yamasaki named editor of Rejoice! Harrisonburg, VA — MennoMedia has named April Yamasaki as the new editor of the quarterly devotional magazine Rejoice! Yamasaki replaces Leslie Hawthorne Klingler, who was the editor since 2013. Yamasaki is well known in both Mennonite Church Canada…
-
Continue reading →: Pandemic Lessons: The Church and TechnologyIn early 2020, my church had no plans to livestream our Sunday worship, no plans to meet online. Today on Sunday mornings, we meet both in person and on Zoom. I most often co-host our Zoom worship, and try to greet people as they log on. In person, the opening…
-
Continue reading →: For Weary and Wounded LeadersIf you haven’t yet heard Dan White Jr. and the Great Pastor Resignation, I highly recommend his first-person story featured by The New York Times. In this interview, he shares some of his experiences as a pastor, and how one day while on vacation with his wife, his hands started…
-
Continue reading →: Books for Summer ReadingSummer can be a great time to catch up on reading, and this summer I’m catching up with the following books and here’s why. First Nations Version: An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament by Terry M. Wildman, First Nations Version Translation Council (IVP Books, 2021). I’ve already started reading this…
-
Continue reading →: The Only Sermon, Workshop, and Sunday School Class Outline You’ll Ever NeedWhenever I have trouble getting started on a sermon, workshop, Sunday school class, or any other presentation or piece of writing, I turn to Shook-Hook-Book-Took. I learned this four-part framework long ago at a workshop on how to lead a workshop. How I wish I had kept proper notes so…
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 