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Continue reading →: Multiplicity and Healthy MinistryBefore I entered pastoral ministry, I was a political science major, an office worker, a grad student in theology, a lay church leader and worship committee member, a published writer, a journal keeper, a poet, a proof reader for an engineering firm, a college instructor, the wife of a law…
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Continue reading →: How to Prevent Burnout“It may be legal, but the ethics stink!” I winced at my friend’s comment about a Christian organization’s poor employment practices, but I knew he was right. That’s why I read and blogged about Richard Kyte’s Ethical Business–because ethical decision-making doesn’t happen automatically even for those who claim to be Christian.
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Continue reading →: Good Ethics Require More than a Good FeelingIn The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, I list a number of difficult employer/employee situations in church and Christian organizations and ask, “Why do churches and other Christian organizations seem to handle employee relationships so poorly? Or is it that Christian employees have unreasonable expectations of their employers? Why do…
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Continue reading →: The Best Articles on Self-Care in the ChurchSeveral months ago I asked, Is Self-Care Part of Your Paid Employment, and Should It Be? Of readers who responded to the interactive poll, 50% said yes, 25% said no, 25% it depends. Since then, I’ve done more reading on self-care as it relates to church employment, and today I share…
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Continue reading →: Life in the Fishbowl and Why Your Pastor LeftWhen I started ministry as an interim pastor, the church’s associate pastor for youth was already planning to leave for medical school. He had served the church well for three years, the youth group was strong with excellent youth and adult leaders, and the church gave him a wonderful and…
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 