-
Continue reading →: Suicide and the Communion of SaintsTheological and practical resources to help individuals and communities deal with suicide and its aftermath. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call, chat or text 988, a national, 24-hour service. Rhonda Mawhood Lee’s life has been marked by suicide. Her mother…
-
Continue reading →: More Lessons in Community BuildingAfter leading our church team in last year’s Ride for Refuge fundraiser for Inner Hope Youth Ministries, I was eager for us to participate again this year. After all, what was not to like? As part of last year’s event: What a wonderful time of community building for us as…
-
Continue reading →: Exploring Change, Challenge, and New LifeIf you’re looking for continuing education for yourself or a study group, registration is still open for Canadian Mennonite University’s Xplore courses. Each course is just one hour a week for six weeks, either in person in Winnipeg, online, or hybrid. Options are available for individual registrations, small groups (2–4…
-
Continue reading →: Creating Communities of BelongingHave you ever thought of the church as a community of belonging? Belonging to God, belonging to one another? Have you thought of wherever you live—your neighbourhood, your city, your rural area—as a community of belonging? Loneliness has been described as an epidemic in our society. In The Loneliness Epidemic,…
-
Continue reading →: Every Breath, Every BlessingI’m pleased to recommend a beautiful new book for children and families and for your church library. Every Breath, Every Blessing: Finding Hope on Tough Days is written by Dorena Williamson and illustrated by Paran Kim (Zonderkidz, 2025). I love the way the book begins with acknowledging life as a…
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 