The Pastor's Table

Pastoring can be a pure gift and extremely challenging at the same time.   Dr. Mark Quanstrom has been the Sr. Pastor for just over 10 years. There have been a tremendous number of really good things that have happened but despite all the good, Mark shares how he also has never mourned as much over the challenges of pastoring in 2023.   Discussion Questions:  Mark shares how the best of times and...

Is it possible for a honeymoon season never to end?   Mark & Tara Beth continue to discuss all the ups and downs of ministry. There has been no hiding the tumultuous season that Northern Seminary has navigated. In this episode shares about the leadership transitions, systemic challenges, and a commitment to redemption still present at Northern. Sin has a destructive and pervasive presence in t...

The honeymoon season at Tara Beth’s church ended with having to navigate leaving a denomination with her congregation.   This necessary change was hard for everyone but honesty and transparency helped guide them all into making it go as well as possible. In this episode, Tara Beth shares her experience and the internal challenges she faced during this transition. Mark and Tara Beth emphasize the i...

📝 Take the listener survey at thepastorstable.com   Is it theologically faithful for a church to ever leave a denomination?  Tara Beth and Mark talk through the arduous process of Good Shepherd leaving their previous denomination. This monumental decision was fueled by denominational hierarchy and cultural differences, unfolded over a decade, with the climax occurring under Tara Beth’s young tenu...

Take the Pastor’s Table survey today.  Your voice matters to us and we want to make sure you have a seat at the table!  Take the Survey 👇 https://forms.gle/JxRuJFsCkL5V6CQf7   Ministry is a gift. So many pastors are faithfully living out a call to follow Jesus in ministry.  In the final episode of 2023, Tara Beth, Mark, and Chaz reflect on the conversations that we were able to have that were des...

God’s faithfulness and goodness are abundant in the call of ministry.  This whole year on the Pastor’s table has been inviting those in ministry to embrace the fullness of the call. Vanity metrics and comparison traps have robbed so many pastors the joy and blessings of ministry.  This year has been such a blessing getting to be with you on this journey!  Thank you for joining us at the table!   D...

With 36 years of experience as a lead pastor, Michael shares the highs and lows of his journey, including periods of growth, decline, and important decision-making for the community.  Through their conversation, they explore the significance of staying faithful to a congregation, even in the face of challenges and transitions. Mike's story serves as a powerful testament to the value of fostering d...

It doesn’t take long serving in ministry to realize that there will be ups and downs in ministry.  Michael Burchfield takes Tara Beth & Mark through his journey, starting from his call to mission work in the Philippines to his struggles serving in an upper-middle-class community church in Silicon Valley. Against the backdrop of church growth, loss of members, personal burnout, and challenging...

Flawed systems of ministry wreak havoc on everyone involved.  Any system involving people will always be filled with imperfections. That doesn’t mean it’s okay for systemic problems to be allowed to persist. Josh, Melissa, Tara Beth, and Mark discuss how these flawed systems that lack theological integrity contribute to burnout and fuel the pressure to perform.   Despite these challenges, Josh &am...

Serving in ministry is always filled with ups and downs.   Josh & Melissa share the many tumultuous times they faced in their short stint in ministry. Trying to faithfully serve the church has been filled with all sorts of challenges and difficult situations they weren’t ready to face. Josh & Melissa bravely share how these difficult moments provided a certain kind of grace for them to dea...

Pastors have a tremendous blessing and opportunity to help their congregations stay alive to God.   If this opportunity is to be fully realized it requires pastors to know their people. God has invited pastors to be the guides on a journey of where God is taking the community. Forming the life of God in your church starts with the leaders to be formed.   Everyone has the opportunity to experience...

The people in your church are being formed by all sorts of sources.  Cultural Idols Social Media  News Media  Work Demands and the list could go on …  Mindy Caliguire gives clarity on how pastors can enhance the vision of a formed life after Jesus. The people who are suffering from a poverty of imagination can be given guidance and tools on the journey of formation Jesus offers.   Get Soul Care’s...

Pastor’s leadership is capped at our self-reflection.  It is imperative for pastors to tend to our own souls. Mindy Caliguire provides 4 different practices of page, person, plan & place to tend well to our souls as leaders. Page is the invitation to reflection. Person to be ruthlessly honest. Plan is a rule of life to create intentional space for growth. Place is honoring the location God has...

Loss is plaguing the church.   Congregants are leaving. Pastors are burning out. Loss of all kinds is painfully present in the church.   Many times people feel tending to a surrendered life of Christ is hard. Mindy Caliguire suggests that what is really hard is facing the pain of staying the same. There are so many pressures facing the church, but a community that tends to souls is possible.   Mak...

Pastors can easily be drawn to new opportunities.  Making a change and going with that opportunity might be full of wisdom or it could be a shortcut we take from a more faithful path serving in God’s Kingdom. No matter the decisions we make there is always a redemptive journey that God has for us.  God invites us to be good and faithful, not always successful in our pursuit of him. Discussion Ques...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Chris DeMott, a devoted pastor who has dedicated two decades of his life to a small rural church in the heart of Michigan. Through "Incremental Steps of Obedience," Chris shares the remarkable journey of his ministry, unveiling the profound impact that patient, persistent obedience can have on a faith community. Discover the powerful insights and invaluab...

What does salvation mean for those outside a cultural power structure? The New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church has been a community of salvation and liberation for decades. The Rev. Dr. Marshall Hatch discusses the theological convictions that have driven how transformation and liberation happen in the midst of their community. The transformation the New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Ch...

Rev. Dr. Marshall Hatch says he refuses to let the world turn him into a “marketer” and rejects the responsibility to get people to come to church. They dive deeper into a conversation that explores how dangerous it is for pastors to make themselves too central to the church. If you have to believe what people say about you, you’re in trouble. There is a way to experience the waves of ministry tha...

“Take up your cross and follow me.” - Jesus (Matthew 16:24) Ministry would be a lot easier if it wasn’t for this invitation by Jesus. If this invitation does anything, it shows that Jesus was only interested in followers who were all in.   Those who minister in the Western world live in a culture that urges people to believe that our comfort is God’s primary concern. Our churches are often formed...

Ministry is more than a job. Ministry is a calling.   Mark goes through the many Biblical examples of calling throughout the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures. The call often comes with great cost. Reluctancy is a common and understandable response to the many people called in the Bible. Even Jesus had reluctancy to do what He was called by the Father to do.   In this episode, Mark claims...

Pastoral ministry is a difficult, demanding, and overwhelming vocation. Attrition rates for pastors are at an all-time high, and the cultural and interpersonal strain is only increasing. At the same time, the moral failings and hypocrisy of high profile Christian leaders cause many pastors to question their callings.  Can anything be done to alleviate the pressures of pastoral ministry? This episo...

A common thread found in our series exploring women in ministry is how easy it is to disqualify themselves from ministry opportunities. Many times this is because of cultural pressures.    Tara Beth & Mark, explore many cultural pressures that impact women in ministry. Processing the experience of women in ministry is a powerful and important practice to live out our calling to the full.  Wome...

The representation of women in ministry is important to have a fully fledge imagination of what God wants to do through his people.   Explore the concept of incarnation ministry, where one's context and location play a vital role in fulfilling their calling. Discover the beauty of collaboration between men and women, reflecting the essence of Christ's vision for the church. Throughout the discussi...

Melissa Pillman broke new ground as a pastor within a complementarian church that turned egalitarian. In a world where traditional gender roles have often been emphasized, Melissa shares her experience of reshaping perceptions and expanding opportunities.  By embracing their calling and pioneering a path, they're not only demonstrating the richness of women's leadership but also cultivating a more...

‘How do you handle being a mom and being in ministry?’  This is one of the most common questions for women with kids who are serving in ministry.  Maria was called into serving as a pastor while she had little children at home.  Not only is it possible to merge motherhood with ministry.  Motherhood can be an asset for your ministry.   Leading in any sort of capacity will have praise and criticism....