Tending to the Table: A Word to Our Pastors 📢

What does it look like to practice wise pacing in ministry?In this brief update, Chaz Robbins (producer of The Pastor’s Table) shares a word of gratitude, reflection, and clarity as the podcast enters a short season of pause. After three years and more than 150 episodes, this moment is about tending the table well by listening, discerning, and ensuring that what comes next continues to serve pastors with theological depth, honesty, and care.This isn’t a goodbye. It’s a reminder that faithful ministry requires rhythm, rest, and intentionality, especially after demanding seasons like Advent and Christmas.Thank you for being part of this community. We’ll gather again soon.

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 God’s grace that brings inner peace. Mindy, Mark, and Tara Beth give leaders practical examples and reasons to hope that they can experience God’s grace in their calling. Discussion Questions: 1. How do you see the role of a pastor in helping their congregation "stay alive to God"? What specific actions, practices, or approaches can pastors implement to better know their people and guide them on the journey of spiritual formation within the church community?2. Mindy emphasizes the idea that forming the life of God within the church starts with the formation of its leaders. What steps can pastors take to prioritize their own spiritual formation and growth as leaders? How might their personal transformation influence the spiritual life of the congregation?3. The podcast episode highlights the potential for everyone to experience God's grace and inner peace in their calling. In what ways can church leaders provide practical examples and reasons to inspire hope for their congregation? Have you personally witnessed or experienced God's grace and inner peace in your ministry, and how has it impacted your calling?

The people in your church are being formed by all sorts of sources. Cultural IdolsSocial 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 21 Days to Jumpstart Journaling at soulcare.com/resources. Discussion Questions: 1. In a world where people are being influenced by a multitude of sources, how can pastors and church leaders effectively guide their congregations toward a vision of a formed life after Jesus? What specific challenges do you see in addressing the impact of cultural idols, social media, news media, and work demands on spiritual formation within your church community?2. Mindy Caliguire emphasizes the importance of addressing the "poverty of imagination" in people's faith journeys. How can churches actively engage and equip individuals to develop a richer and more imaginative spiritual life in the context of today's distractions and influences? What practical strategies or tools can be implemented to facilitate this transformation?3. Considering the diverse array of influences mentioned, what steps can pastors take to foster an environment where spiritual formation becomes a central focus for their congregation? How do you see your church community addressing these challenges and helping members embark on the journey of formation that Jesus offers?

Pastor’s leadership is capped at our self-reflection.Pastors must 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 placed us. Get Soul Care’s 21 Days to Jumpstart Journaling at soulcare.com/resources. DiscussionQuestions:How does the concept of a "capped" leadership tied to self-reflection resonate with your understanding of effective pastoral leadership? In what ways can implementing the four practices of page, person, plan, and place, as outlined by Mindy Caliguire, help pastors overcome this limitation and enhance their leadership abilities?The four practices mentioned—page, person, plan, and place—each play a distinct role in tending to the souls of leaders. Which of these practices do you find most challenging to integrate into your own life as a pastor or church leader, and why? Conversely, which one resonates with you the most, and how do you envision it positively influencing your leadership style? Reflect on the significance of "honoring the location God has placed us" as one of the practices for tending to our souls as leaders. How can this practice be applied in your specific ministry context?What changes or adaptations might be needed to ensure that you are faithfully honoring your role and location as a pastor or leader in your church community?

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.  Make sure to come back for the other episodes with Mindy to learn more!   Discussion Questions: How does Mindy Caliguire's perspective on loss and the challenges within the church encourage us to reevaluate our approach to spiritual growth and transformation? What might be some of the obstacles that prevent congregants and pastors from engaging in this process effectively?In what ways can we build and nurture a church community that focuses on tending to souls amid the various pressures of ministry? What practical steps and principles did you draw from this discussion to help address the present challenges within your congregation?Reflecting on the idea that facing the pain of staying the same can be more challenging than the work of tending to a surrendered life of Christ, how can we cultivate a mindset and environment that embrace growth, change, and healing within our churches? What role can individual members and leaders play in making this transformation possible?

What happens when the very institution that shaped your ministry turns around and wounds you?Can God take that loss and birth something new?In this deeply personal anniversary episode, Mark and Tara Beth look back on three years of The Pastor’s Table and the untold story of how it all began. From Mark’s unexpected firing, to the disorientation that followed, to the Spirit-led formation of this podcast, they revisit the moments of pain, clarity, calling, and redemption that shaped their ministry.This episode is raw, honest, and full of hope for any pastor navigating disappointment, transition, or questions of identity and vocation.🎙️ In This Episode:The firing that blindsided Mark — and the prayer he kept repeatingHow a season of painful disorientation birthed the Center for Theological IntegrityThe unexpected way God redeemed loss (“I already have… wait and see.”)Why theological integrity—not vanity metrics—remains the heartbeat of the podcastHow the Holy Spirit compelled Tara Beth into a pastorate she never planned to takeWild Sunday-morning stories (fainting, wheelchairs, choking… all in one sermon!)What’s next for the relaunch of The Pastor’s Table⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Why this anniversary episode matters02:00 – Mark remembers the early podcast days03:00 – “My services were no longer needed”: the firing05:45 – Transparency, leadership, and the cost of truth-telling07:30 – Praying through disorientation: “Lord, how will you redeem this?”10:00 – “I already have”: the surprising answer that kept repeating11:30 – The birth of the Center for Theological Integrity12:45 – How Northern Seminary became home for the vision17:20 – How suffering shaped the podcast’s heartbeat21:00 – Tara Beth’s reluctant call to Good Shepherd24:00 – “They needed a mom”: the Spirit’s inner leap27:00 – When everything goes wrong mid-sermon33:00 – Returning to theological integrity36:00 – Daily Scripture reading and resisting vanity metrics38:00 – What’s next for the podcastGod never wastes suffering.Your hardest losses may become the very soil where new ministry, clarity, and courage begin to grow.

What does ministry look like when your people are afraid to leave their homes? In this heartfelt conversation, Pastor Hector Alfaro joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share what Hispanic churches in Chicago are experiencing as ICE activity intensifies. From families torn apart to churches emptied in a matter of weeks, Pastor Hector offers a raw, front-line perspective on shepherding undocumented and mixed-status communities living under daily threat — and the hope the Church must offer in this moment.🎙️ In This Episode:Hector’s journey from Guatemala to Chicago at age 17The explosive growth of Hispanic churches — and why everything changedHow immigrants encountered Jesus on the journey northWhat ICE presence has done to church attendance, jobs, and daily lifeHow pastors are caring for families living in fearWhy the wider Church must step in with courage, compassion, and resources⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Pastor Hector 01:00 – Leaving Guatemala and adapting to American culture04:00 – His father’s call to plant Spanish-speaking churches06:00 – Multinational, multiethnic Hispanic congregations08:00 – The unique challenges of pastoring undocumented families10:00 – Immigrants meeting Jesus on the journey north12:00 – Discipling new believers from Venezuela & Central America15:00 – ICE presence and fear reshaping entire neighborhoods17:00 – Families choosing deportation over living in fear20:00 – Churches providing food, visits, and emergency support23:00 – Pastors carrying passports — and heavy pastoral burdens26:00 – Navigating work, danger, and survival30:00 – How it changes the way a pastor preaches and shepherds31:30 – A call for the wider Church to step inPastor Hector reminds us that the Body of Christ is not whole unless we carry one another’s burdens. When some churches worship in fear, the whole Church is called to respond with prayer, presence, and sacrificial love.

How does a pastor guide a community facing real threats, real fear, and real need?In this powerful continuation, Pastor Paco Amador joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how his congregation in Chicago’s Little Village is responding to the immigration crisis with courage, compassion, and prophetic witness. From offering tamales and prayer outside a migrant shelter to confronting the fear of deportation in his pews, Paco embodies the gospel as both resistance and hope.🎙️ In This Episode:The harrowing journey of migrants through the Darién GapHow the church in Chicago became a sanctuary of love and welcomeThe rise of fear and persecution amid ICE detentionsHow Paco’s preaching has changed to meet a scattered and suffering flockThe unbreakable hope of a church that refuses despair⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – What it means to be a Hispanic pastor in Chicago today04:00 – The migrant journey through the Darién Gap07:00 – Prayers, tamales, and the birth of a street-side church13:00 – Organizing mercy: how the church met the need17:00 – Stories of separation and injustice21:00 – Fear, invisibility, and the immigrant experience28:00 – The church as prophetic resistance34:00 – Preaching for a scattered people38:00 – Seeds of the gospel in persecutionIn a city divided by politics and fear, Pastor Paco Amador reminds us that the Church’s truest power is love. When systems fail and families are torn apart, the gospel still takes root on sidewalks, in shelters, and through the songs of a people who refuse to lose hope.

What happens when the story of migration becomes the story of calling? In this episode, Pastor Paco Amador joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share his journey from Mexico to North Carolina to Chicago’s Little Village. With honesty and humor, Paco reflects on his encounter with Jesus as a teenager, the grief and beauty of leaving home, and the long road toward discovering where he truly belongs.🎙️ In This Episode:Leaving home at fourteen and encountering Jesus on a North Carolina benchHow immigration shapes faith, identity, and dependence on GodThe unlikely path from Mexico to Moody Bible InstitutePlanting a church in college that became his lifelong ministryBuilding a multicultural congregation in Chicago’s Little Village⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Introducing Pastor Paco Amador04:00 – Leaving Mexico at 14 and learning to start over08:00 – An unmistakable encounter with Jesus11:00 – A teacher’s nudge, a missionary’s challenge, and the call to Moody15:00 – Starting a church in college and learning by failing forward20:00 – Two years in Spain and an unexpected love story24:00 – Planting roots in Little Village, Chicago28:00 – Preaching in Spanish, English, and Mayan31:00 – God’s quiet work in a vibrant immigrant communityThe call of God often begins in disorientation. Paco’s story reminds us that in every language, every journey, and every act of leaving, God is already at work turning exile into belonging.

What does it look like to live a life formed by grace and resistant to the pressures of the world? In this second conversation, Pastor Nathan Hoff returns to unpack the theology and practice behind The Rule of Life at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro. He joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to explore how intentional rhythms of prayer, reconciliation, and presence can shape both pastors and congregations for a non-anxious, deeply human way of life.🎙️ In This Episode:The rhythms of prayer that anchor Nathan’s community—morning and eveningWhy reconciliation is harder (and holier) than routineHow “formation as resistance” counters cultural conformityWhat technology, resources, and even our bodies reveal about our formationThe invitation to stay rooted in a transient world⏱️ Timestamps:04:30 – The challenge and beauty of reconciliation09:45 – The gift of rootedness through the Rule of Life15:00 – Formation as resistance to conformity19:00 – Practicing grace in technology, money, and relationships24:30 – A pastoral reflection on the hard work of community🔗 Resources & Links:Learn more about Trinity Lutheran Church → trinitysanpedro.orgExplore The Rule of Life → trinitysanpedro.org/ruleoflifeListen to Low in the Water from the Eugene Peterson Center → petersoncenter.org/low-in-the-water-podcastFollow Nathan Hoff’s writing → nathanhoff.substack.comExplore reflections on pastoral life → practicingbenediction.substack.comSpiritual formation isn’t about escaping the world; it’s about being reshaped within it. Pastor Nathan Hoff reminds us that resisting conformity begins with prayer, reconciliation, and the courage to stay rooted in community.