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Continue reading →: Radical Roots for TodayRadical Roots by Gareth Brandt celebrates the 500th anniversary of Anabaptist origins, but you don’t have to be Anabaptist or a history nerd to appreciate this collection of paintings, stories, and poems. Gareth is a gifted storyteller, preacher, painter, and poet—the only one I know who can put my…
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Continue reading →: Supporting Those Who GrieveMesothelioma is a type of cancer caused by asbestos exposure. The Mesothelioma Center is a patient advocate group that seeks to raise awareness and provides a symptom guide and other information here. They also provide a helpful grief guide available as a free download. I found their suggestions for supporting…
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Continue reading →: New Research on Canadian Churches and Mental HealthHow do churches in Canada talk about mental health and illness? Are they talking about mental health? How equipped are they to do so? Is there a stigma? A recent study by the Flourishing Congregations Institute at Ambrose University explores these questions, and the results are now available in a…
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Continue reading →: Eyes on Jesus: Through Mark’s GospelFaithLink for Writerly Folk is a monthly gathering and newsletter, with a focus on encouraging writers and learning from one another. Last month, we heard from Tim MacIntosh, a former pastor who now writes daily devotionals Monday through Friday, and has just published his third book in his Eyes on…
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Continue reading →: How to Build CommunityThe church where I now serve as resident author has supported Inner Hope Youth Ministries for years—with prayers and through the church budget—well before I arrived on the scene. Then two years ago, when I first met executive director Jenny Shantz and heard about Inner Hope’s Ride for Refuge fundraiser,…
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 