The Flourishing Pastor

How to Equip People for the Work They're Called to Do

Episode Summary

For most of us, the word "work" mainly equates to compensation. But fundamentally, according to pastor Tom Nelson, work is far more: It's a vital part of being an image bearer of God, and it's not primarily about whether or not it earns monetary compensation. It's about contribution to God's world, contributions that can take paid and unpaid forms. In this episode of The Flourishing Pastor Podcast, Nelson explains how this integral view of work transformed the way he pastors, including a significant pivot in what it looks like to equip people for the work of ministry. It all started with a pastoral confession. As the conversation unfolds, Nelson talks about the nature and shape of the faith and work movement. He also describes five consequences of perpetuating a Sunday to Monday gap.

Episode Notes

For most of us, the word "work" mainly equates to compensation. But fundamentally, according to pastor Tom Nelson, work is far more: It's a vital part of being an image bearer of God, and it's not primarily about whether or not it earns monetary compensation. It's about contribution to God's world, contributions that can take paid and unpaid forms. In this episode of The Flourishing Pastor Podcast, Nelson explains how this integral view of work transformed the way he pastors, including a significant pivot in what it looks like to equip people for the work of ministry. It all started with a pastoral confession. 

As the conversation unfolds, Nelson talks about the nature and shape of the faith and work movement. 

He also describes five consequences of perpetuating a Sunday to Monday gap.

Tom Nelson is the senior pastor of Christ Community Church in Kansas City, Kansas, and he's the president of Made to Flourish, a national nonprofit that works with churches and their leaders in the area of faith and work. You can learn more about Tom's work at www.madetoflourish.org, and you can find his new book, The Flourishing Pastor: Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership — which is the springboard for this podcast — wherever you buy books. 

 

***Get Free Books*** Christians often report that their churches don’t prepare them for the pressures, opportunities, or challenges of their daily work. At Made to Flourish, we call this the Sunday to Monday gap, an unhealthy divide that can blur our understanding of God’s work in the world — work we’re meant to join. To help close that gap, we want to mail you a collection of practical, theological books — completely free of charge. In this free box, you’ll also get the latest issue of the award-winning Common Good magazine, and for a limited time, Tom Nelson’s book, The Flourishing Pastor: Recovering the Lost Art of Shepherd Leadership. So whether you’re a pastor or layperson, claim your free books at madetoflourish.org/box.