Editor’s Note: This is a repost of an article originally published here on February 27, 2019.

One question I am sometimes asked is how a person can know what their “calling” in life is. Some of the Protestant Reformers had a particular view on this topic which is helpful for us in how we think about “calling” in our lives.

The words “occupation,” “job,” and “vocation” are used more or less interchangeably by people today.

“Vocational training,” for example, refers to training specific to a particular line of work. However, for the Reformers, the word “vocation” had a distinct meaning.

The word vocation comes from the Latin word vocare, literally: “calling.”

For the Reformers, to speak of work as vocation reflected their view that “secular” work is actually a calling from God to do his work in the world and to love your neighbor by serving them in practical ways.

This was in contrast to the view which was held by the medieval Roman Catholic Church, which made a strong distinction between sacred and secular realms of life, the sacred realm being reserved for things directly related to religious or church work, and the secular realm being that of all non-church-related activity. This view, however, is still very common — and the language of “secular” vs “sacred” is still very prominent. Think about all the times you have heard people talk about “secular music” as opposed to “Christian music,” or have heard people talk about “secular jobs” as opposed to “ministry.”

To this, Luther wrote:

“What seem to be secular works are actually the praise of God and represent an obedience which is well-pleasing to him.’ Housework may have ‘no obvious appearance of holiness, yet those household chores are to be more valued than all the works of monks and nuns.’” (From Luther’s commentary on Genesis)

To the person struggling to find their calling, Luther might have responded, “Are you a husband or a wife? Are you a mother or a father, a child or an employee?” (See Colossians 3:17-24)

The Reformers would have pushed back against the concept of “finding your calling.” Your calling, they would have said, is not something mysterious or difficult to discern. It is the current circumstances of your life. If you are a mother, then your calling is to be a mother. If you are an office worker, then it is to be an office worker. There is a freedom to change what you do, but whatever you do, you are to view it as a calling from God to serve Him by serving your neighbor in that context. This is not to diminish the fact that God does call some people into “vocational ministry,” but rather to elevate the value of work done outside the church realm as genuine callings, which can be done as ministry: being God’s instrument to accomplish His work in the world.

Martin Luther used this example:

“Jesus instructed his disciples to pray: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ Consider how many people and jobs are involved in God answering that one prayer: there’s a farmer who plants and waters and harvests grain. There’s a miller, who grinds the grain into flour. There’s someone who produces oil. There’s someone who transports the materials. There’s a baker. There’s a grocer who sells the bread. All of these people, as they do their jobs, are contributing to the answering of this prayer: ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’”

He went on to point out that Psalm 147 says that God is the one who strengthens and protects a city, and yet this work is done through lawmakers and first responders.

What transforms a job into a calling is faith.

By faith, we see our daily activities as tasks given to us by God to be done for His glory and for the benefit of others.

By these criteria, we can also determine which jobs are not worth doing. If you do not believe that what you are doing is honoring God or contributing to the flourishing of other people, or if the way you make your money is actually detrimental to others, then the right thing to do might be to find another job.

This principle should not be taken to mean that you must not leave your job if, for example, the working climate or culture is unhealthy, or if you would simply like to pursue another career. It simply means that you ought to view whatever you do as a way to glorify God and do His work in the world by serving others.

The CGN Podcast is Back with a New Name and New Episodes!

The CGN Podcast is the official podcast of the Calvary Global Network.

Formerly known as Mission & Methods, this season on the CGN Podcast hosts Nick Cady and Brian Brodersen are talking about what’s new at CGN, from Brian Brodersen’s changing role to ministry-related discussions about difficult pastoral transitions, evangelistic strategies, training resources, and more.

Episodes are released biweekly on Wednesdays, so subscribe today on your favorite podcast app, or listen on cgnmedia.org.

Here are this season’s episodes so far:

• Episode 1: What’s New at CGN: Brian Brodersen’s Changing Roles, Calvary Chapel Identity, & a New Initiative
• Episode 2: Navigating the Aftermath of a Pastor’s Moral Failure, & Partnering to Pastor a City – with Doug Sauder
• Episode 3: Why Being Grounded in God’s Word is More Needed than Ever – with Dan Kimball

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on June 1, 2022.

Seminary is Not for Everyone

I have known many good pastors who did not go to seminary. My pastor, Tom Stipe, used to tell me that one of the geniuses of Chuck Smith and the Calvary Chapel movement was that Chuck was willing to take chances on and empower people who, like the apostles, were “unschooled, ordinary men” who “had been with Jesus” (see Acts 4:13). I experienced this myself: I was trained, ordained, and sent out to plant a church within the Calvary Chapel ecosystem without any formal education. I am so thankful that the leaders in my life encouraged me and affirmed my calling rather than telling me to curb my enthusiasm and go to school first.

However, since that time, I have chosen to go to school. I now hold a BA in Theology from the University of Gloucestershire (UK) and an MA in Integrative Theology from the London School of Theology.

Over the past few years, Calvary Global Network has developed a partnership with Western Seminary, and many Calvary leaders have enrolled in institutes of higher education. For some, this may feel like a change in culture, and the question may arise as to whether this is a move away from dependence on the Holy Spirit.

While I have benefited from attending seminary, I do not believe it is for everyone. In addition, I think it is imperative that Calvary Chapel continues to believe in the work of the Holy Spirit through called people, regardless of their level of, or lack of, formal education.

Here is why I chose to go to seminary and what I would say to those who ask if education makes you less dependent on the Holy Spirit.

My Crisis of Faith

I am not sure exactly how it started, but at some point, I began to struggle — then it reached a point that felt like a crisis.

I was living in Hungary at the time. Rosemary and I had just had our first child; he was about six months old at the time. I was pastoring a church, and things were going well. People were coming and growing in their faith. Others were coming to faith for the first time and being baptized.

I was teaching the Bible twice a week, on Sundays and Wednesdays, yet I found myself struggling with feelings of doubt. I began to question whether the things I was saying about the Bible were actually true! I started having doubts about whether God even exists!

Until that point, I had never struggled to believe, yet suddenly, my mind was plagued with doubts. Regarding the things I was teaching, was I just parroting what I had heard from other people? Was I just taking their word that the things they said about God and the Bible were true? I had not researched and studied those things for myself… What if they were wrong?

My Journey to Formal Education

This crisis of faith led me on a journey that involved enrolling in university and studying Christianity, the Bible, and other religions at the university level. And as a result of that journey, having learned these things for myself, I am at a place today where I am more confident than ever that the Bible is trustworthy and the gospel message of Jesus Christ is true.

What the Bible has to Say about Pursuing Education

Here is what Paul said to Timothy, a young pastor:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Here is what Peter wrote in his “general epistle” (to all Christians):

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence …

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:3; 5-8).

Why Can’t You Just Be Self-Taught?

I have heard people push back against formal education and insist that you can get just as good of an education on your own by reading books. My response is that you probably can — but there are some big benefits to studying at an institute of higher education.

One of the greatest benefits is that you will be forced to read things you disagree with, and you will be required to critically engage with the material and with intelligent people who hold positions other than your own. This will make you sharper and force you to examine the foundations of what you believe. If you navigate this well, it will lead to a stronger faith.

Furthermore, if you are like me, the rigor and deadlines of a school program will help you actually do your work and think hard since you know your work will be examined and critiqued by people who will not let you get away with sloppy or lazy conclusions.

Does Education Make You Less Dependent on the Holy Spirit?

Having spent years in seminary, let me tell you that I have never met anyone who thinks that they no longer need the Holy Spirit now that they have learned more things. In fact, gaining education affects a person by making them more aware of how much they do not know.

The Dunning-Kruger Effect is the phenomenon that those less competent tend to be more self-confident because they do not realize how much they do not know. In contrast, more competent people tend to be more aware of just how much they do not know.

This is not always the case, I am sure. Some people probably become proud because they think they know more than others once they receive some education.

“Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies” (1 Corinthians 8:1).

I absolutely agree! However, I have also met people who are proud of their lack of education and look down on those who have pursued formal theological education, as if their choice not to go to seminary is more spiritual.

The key is to keep love (for God and for others, in response to God’s love for us) as the motivating factor rather than pursuing knowledge just for the sake of knowledge. We should certainly never seek knowledge in an attempt to assert superiority over others; instead, we should view it as something to be used to help and serve others.

May the Calvary family continue to be one where we prioritize dependence on the empowering and leading of the Holy Spirit, along with the diligent study of God’s Word.

Whether you pursue formal education or are self-taught, may the Lord keep us all from becoming puffed up or condescending toward others, and may Calvary be a network in which we sharpen and encourage each other as we work together to build God’s Kingdom and carry out His mission.

Please note: Eligible CGN leaders currently receive a significant grant to enroll in various programs at Western Seminary! Are you a member of CGN? Click here to join

Last year, at the CGN International Conference, my friend and colleague Nick Cady and I had the privilege of collaborating to create something we believe to be extremely needed in this cultural moment: a workshop for pastors and leaders, aimed at understanding doubt and deconstruction and ministering to those who struggle.

Our workshop delved into understanding the issue from its core and exploring potential solutions. The response was overwhelmingly positive, and it inspired us to go a step further. We’re now transforming this content into practical resources for pastors, leaders, and anyone in ministry eager to help, as Jude says, “having mercy on those who doubt; saving others by snatching them out of the fire” (Jude 1:22-25).

As many of you might be aware, the deconstruction movement has become quite prevalent. It’s not just a phase for the young; it affects people across all ages within the church, leading to doubts and often a departure from faith. This isn’t always simply about rebellion or a desire to ‘sin’ – the situation is far more complex than that.

Take Nick’s experience, for instance. He went through his own period of doubt and deconstruction while serving as a young pastor… an experience that shook him to his core and propelled him deeper into his faith as he studied to find answers.

I, too, have faced my share of doubts, and seen young people in my ministry, and peers from my Christian community, go through similar struggles. There are myriad reasons behind these journeys, and understanding them is crucial.

Video Series

Here are parts 1-3 of the series, covering the problem and roots of Christian Deconstruction. We hope to have another set of videos out early 2024, discussing solutions. Stay tuned for that. And if these videos bless you, please share them with your ministry teams, or anyone struggling through this issue.

If this content is helpful to you, or if you have feedback, we’d love to know. You can email AaronSalvato@Calvarychapel.com

In our series, we dive into the roots of the modern deconstruction movement. We examine influences like postmodern philosophy and how they shape our cultural moment. We also distinguish between personal struggles with doubt and the broader ‘#deconstruction’ movement that’s gaining momentum on social media.

Our exploration includes various causes of deconstruction, ranging from rejection of the religion one was raised in, to personal traumas such as abuse, hypocrisy, and corrupted theology. The goal of these resources is to equip pastors and leaders with knowledge, compassion, and Christ-centered approaches to support those grappling with these challenges.

This epidemic is one that requires insight and sensitivity. We want to help foster within CGN an approach that is informed, compassionate, and deeply rooted in Christ’s truth and love.

Further Resources:

• CGN Doubt & Deconstruction Resources for Pastors and Leaders
  • This is a massive list we put together filled with books, podcasts, videos, and more on this issue.
• My conversation with Evan Wickham on Hope for Doubters & Deconstructors
  • Evan has spent years working with people struggling through these issues. As a pastor who was stationed in Portland, Oregon, he has a ton of great insight.
• The Full Audio Workshop Nick Cady & I did at the 2023 CGN Conference.
  • If you want to hear the full workshop audio, here’s a recording. The video series goes through the content much more slowly and in depth, but the audio workshop had some good Q&A at the end as well.
• My follow-up conversation with a local pastor asking some clarifying questions.
  • My friend Johnny Zacchio, Jr. had some great follow-up questions around this topic, so I answered them in this podcast.

When I was 18 years old, I boarded a plane bound for Hungary. Despite the fact that I had only been following Jesus for two years, my pastor, the late Tom Stipe, sent me out as a missionary. Three years later, when I was 21, Tom ordained me as I was going out to plant a church.

At the time, these actions didn’t strike me as abnormal or unusual, yet now, years later, I look back on them with a sense of surprise. Why was Tom willing to take a chance on me, as young as I was? Why did he trust that I could serve the Lord in those ways without any formal training?

Later on, I came to realize that the reason was because that is what Chuck Smith had done for him when Tom was a young man: In 1976, Pastor Chuck sent Tom to Colorado to start a Calvary Chapel church here. In the movie, “Jesus Revolution,” millions of people saw the portrayal of how Chuck Smith empowered the young Greg Laurie to plant a church in Riverside, California. Still, the even more incredible reality is that Pastor Chuck did similar things with many young people over the years. Tom was doing for me what Chuck had modeled for him.

I remember sitting with Tom and listening to him tell stories of the early days of Calvary Chapel. One thing that Tom told me was that, in his opinion, the true genius of Chuck Smith was not his verse-by-verse teaching, as many people assume, and as masterful as that was. The true genius of Chuck Smith, Tom said, was that Chuck was willing, and even eager, to empower young people to serve the Lord in meaningful ways because he genuinely believed in the work of the Holy Spirit in and through people who were willing to make themselves available to God.

I finally got to meet Pastor Chuck in Austria, at the conference center that he had acquired for Calvary Chapel as a launching point for ministry in Eastern Europe. He asked about our ministry in Hungary and gave encouragement and affirmation. As I look back on that, I’m full of appreciation for him as a person who was more than just a good Bible teacher but an example of foresight and faith. Not only did Pastor Chuck want the Gospel to go forth into the whole world, but he understood that God wanted to use many other people to do that work. He was willing to support missionaries and church planters, including some of us who maybe wouldn’t have been empowered to do those things by anyone else who didn’t have the measure of faith he did!

Now, ten years after Pastor Chuck’s heavenly homecoming, I’m more inspired than ever to carry on his legacy of Bible teaching, evangelism, missions, and empowering people, especially young people, to serve the Lord.

Originally published on Nick’s blog on April 11, 2019.

At age 19, Augustine Aurelius—later to be known as Augustine of Hippo—read a dialogue by the Roman philosopher Cicero in which Cicero stated that every person sets out to be happy, but the majority are thoroughly wretched. Truly, no one dreams as a child of one day growing up to be miserable, and yet many people’s lives are characterized by conflict, frustration and unfulfilled longings.

Augustine set out to discover why it is that most people are so discontent in life. His conclusion was that for most of us, our lives are “out of order”; we have disordered loves.

Augustine was convinced that what defines a person more than anything is what they love. He said that when we ask if someone is a “good” person, what we are asking is not what they believe or what they hope for, but rather what they love. He stated that what we consider human virtues, e.g. courage, honesty, etc. are essentially forms of love. Courage is loving your neighbor’s well-being more than your own safety. Honesty is loving someone enough to tell them the truth even if it may put you at a disadvantage.

Sin, Augustine said, is ultimately a lack of love, either for God or for your neighbor. He famously stated that “The essence of sin is disordered love.”

Disordered loves means that we often love less-important things more, and more-important things less than we ought to, and this wrong prioritization leads to unhappiness and disorder in our lives.

This is essentially what James says in his epistle:

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. (James 4:1-3)

James is saying that what makes people miserable is not their circumstances, but that they are chasing after the wrong things, for the wrong reasons. The things they love are out of order.

Many times we view people as a means to an end, using them rather than loving them. Oftentimes we seek God primarily because we find him useful, rather than seeking him because we find him beautiful. We relate to him as useful to us, to help us achieve our selfish goals, rather than seeking his agenda for our lives.

Originally published on Nick’s blog December 8, 2020.

Unbelievable News

Through the prophet Habakkuk, God spoke to the people of Judah, telling them this:

“Look among the nations, and see;
wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days
that you would not believe if told.”
Habakkuk 1:5

But what exactly would this thing be that God was going to do, which was so incredible that people wouldn’t have believed it even if they were told? The very next verse reveals the answer:

“For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
that bitter and hasty nation,
who march through the breadth of the earth,
to seize dwellings not their own.”
Habakkuk 1:6

The Chaldeans are also known as the Babylonians. What God was telling the people through Habakkuk was that He was going to raise up the Babylonian Empire to bring judgment on both the Assyrians … and upon Jerusalem!

The result of the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem would be that the Temple would be destroyed, and the people of Judah would be carried off into exile for an entire generation.

The idea that God would allow a wicked nation like Babylon to attack and destroy Jerusalem was inconceivable to the people of Judah; it was the kind of news that was so incredible that they wouldn’t have believed even if someone told them!

After all, they were the people of God! Didn’t God love them? Then why would He let this wicked nation to attack them, defeat them, destroy the Temple, and carry them off into exile, making them slaves and subjects who lived as minorities under pagan rulers?

The Unexpected Blessings of the Exile

But perhaps even more difficult to believe would have been the fact that in many ways, though the exile was painful, it would end up being one of the best things that ever happened to the people of Israel.

The destruction of the Temple and exile in Babylon were their greatest fears, and what God was telling them was that their greatest fears were going to become reality. The people of Israel assumed that because they were God’s chosen people, God would never let anything like that happen to them, and yet He did.

It begs the question: if God loved them, why would He let this happen to them?

The answer is: God intended to use this to accomplish good things in their lives that wouldn’t happen any other way.

In Hebrews 12, God tells us that as a loving father, He disciplines His children. He does this not in spite of His love for us, but because of His love for us!

Some of the Blessings That Israel Experienced in Exile:

• The divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah were reunited (because Babylon conquered Assyria), and they would come out of the exile as a united nation once again.
• Many of the people turned back to God and forsook the worship of idols, which had long plagued them as a people.
• A new form of worship was born: because they were cut off from the Temple, the Jewish people began gathering together in Synagogues, where they would study the Scriptures and pray.

Synagogues developed during the exile, and the Jewish people brought them back home with them and continued them after the exile and after the rebuilding of the Temple. Prior to the exile, the people of Israel had a relatively weak relationship with the Scriptures. Consider the fact that when King Josiah found a copy of the Scriptures in the Temple during the renovation, it was the only known copy, and no one had seen it in many years!

Because of the exile, and fueled by the lack of a Temple, the people began regularly studying the Word of God in Babylon, and as they became familiar with it, their hearts were being prepared for the coming of Jesus in the years to come.

The exile was the people’s greatest fear. It was a form of chastisement from God, but ultimately, it was one of the best things that ever happened to the people of Israel.

More Than Conquerors

The idea of being in exile was considered by the early Christians to be a good picture of what it means to be a Christian: we are a minority group living in a place that’s not our home, and in this place we experience hardships.

As Paul wrote to the Philippians: to be a Christian is to live on Earth but to have your primary citizenship and identity rooted in Heaven. And yet, as foreigners and sojourners in this world, we understand that God has us here for a purpose.

Just as the exile and the destruction of Jerusalem were the greatest fears of the people of Judah, we might have things in our lives that we consider to be our greatest fears—whether on a social or a personal level. Yet what we learn from Israel’s exile and the realization of their greatest fears is that God uses even terrible and painful things to accomplish beautiful things in and through our lives.

This is what it means in Romans 8:37 when Paul says that in Christ we are “more than conquerors”:

it means that because of what Jesus did for us to redeem us and make us children of God, the worst things that could ever happen to us in this life are also the best things that can ever happen to us! And if that’s the case, then you have absolutely nothing to fear!

Trials and difficulties will be used by God for your good and for His purposes. Hardships will draw you closer to Him. Death will literally bring you to Him. All the worst things that can possibly happen to you, in Christ, are also the best things that can ever happen to you—because of God’s love for you and commitment to you. In Him, you’re bulletproof! You’re more than a conqueror through Him who loved you!

 Originally published on Nick’s blog on May 9, 2023.

Nick Cady will be imparting two workshops and in our Q&A Panel at this year’s CGN International Conference!

Don’t miss it and register today!

One of my favorite quotes about preaching comes from Richard Baxter, the 17th century English Puritan pastor and writer. He described his mode of preaching like this:

“I preached as if never to preach again; as a dying man to dying men.”

That quote conveys the sense of weight and urgency that a Christian sermon must have. This sense of weight and urgency can be seen in the preaching of the prophets, of Jesus himself, and in the preaching of the Apostles, recorded in the Book of Acts.

“Knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others”

In 2 Corinthians 5, the Apostle Paul is writing about the incredible hope that we have because of the gospel. It is a hope that enables us to live free from the fear of death, because we know that eternal life awaits us as a result of what Jesus accomplished for us.

And then, in 2 Corinthians 5:11, Paul declares: “Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.”

To persuade means to convince someone to accept or adopt a certain point of view, belief, opinion, or course of action. It involves presenting arguments, evidence, or appeals that are designed to change someone’s mind or motivate them to take a particular action.

What is it then, that we are called to persuade people to do? In 2 Corinthians 5:20, Paul says that it is as if God is appealing to people through us: “We implore you, on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God!”

“I have written these things so that you may believe”

At the end of the Gospel of John, the Apostle John lays his cards on the table and says,

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
John 20:30-31

In other words, John was trying to do something more than just convey true information. He was seeking to convey true information in a way that would compel and persuade people to believe.

Persuasion Versus Manipulation

There’s a difference between persuasion and manipulation.

Paul the Apostle, in 1 Corinthians 1-2, says that when he came to Corinth, he did not seek to manipulate the Corinthians in any way by use of rhetorical techniques. Rather, he preached Christ, and Him crucified, and he did so with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power.

So, while we do seek to persuade, we must never be manipulative. How does that work out practically?

The Power of Expository Preaching

John Scott explains the power of expository preaching in this way:

“The skillful expositor allows the text to open itself up before our eyes, like a rose unfolding to the morning sun and displaying its previously hidden beauty.”
John Scott, Between Two Worlds

So, the job of a faithful Bible teacher is to help people to see what the Bible is saying in a way that is clear, and in a way that helps them see that it is not only true, but why it matters for them.

It is not our job to make the Bible “seem” compelling, rather it is our job to help people understand why it is compelling, by helping them understand and even feel the importance and urgency of what the text is saying and how it pertains to their lives.

Our goal is to help people understand the badness of sin, the hopelessness of the curse—and the greatness of Jesus, and the goodness of the gospel, in a way that compels them to believe and to act.

Augustine’s Preaching Manual

Augustine of Hippo, the famed church father, wrote a manual, to instruct other preachers how to preach.

In that manual, Augustine said that the duty of a preacher is not only to instruct and teach, but also to “rivet and delight”—and to “stir and move people to action.”

The goal of preaching, therefore, is not only to pass on true information about the Bible, but to affect the beliefs, actions, and even emotions of those who are listening.

Ultimately, we want to be used by God to reshape the foundations of our listeners’ hearts; to change what they most fundamentally love, desire, hope in, and trust in—so that by seeing what God’s Word says they are compelled to love, desire, hope, and trust in Him, rather than in idols of this world.

Compelling Preaching is Born Out of Two Loves

Compelling preaching is born out of two loves: love for God, and love for people.

Because we want to honor God by rightly dividing His Word, and because we care about the fate and destiny of people, we do not just want our sermons to be informative lectures, but we desire to bring the “words of life,” the Holy Scriptures, to bear on people’s lives in such a way that they are compelled to respond by trusting in and worshiping Jesus.

Bill is the pastor of Calvary Chapel in Inglewood, California — a community that is rapidly changing, and in this episode, Bill shares about some ways they are addressing those changes, reaching out, and discipling the people God is bringing their way.

Bill is also the father of a child with a disability, and he shares how his son’s disability has shaped him and his family, and how it has changed the way he approaches ministry and leads his church to love people who have unique challenges.

As a member of the CGN Executive Team, Bill also talks about what he is excited about in regard to Calvary Global Network in regard to “gospel unity” and the ability to do more for God’s Kingdom together than we can separately.

We’d love to hear feedback from you on these episodes. Contact us at CGN@44.229.177.13

On this season of Mission & Methods, hosts Nick Cady and Brian Brodersen are interviewing some of the members of the CGN Executive Team, so that you can get to know who they are and what they are passionate about.

Nate Holdridge is the Pastor of Calvary Monterey, in Monterey, California. He is the author of several books, including his recent book: Whole-Hearted Work, which you can find on his website: nateholdridge.com. Nate is a pastor’s kid, and in this episode, Nate talks about what it was like growing up in a church planting family, and what he learned through that about how Pastors can help their children to grow up in a way that helps them love the church and follow Jesus.

Nate is also a member of the Pastoral Care and Coaching Team for CGN, and so we talk about the importance of pastoral care and sabbaticals, and how to access those resources through Calvary Global Network.

We’d love to hear your feedback on these episodes. Email us at cgn@44.229.177.13

Benjamin Morrison is a missionary in Ukraine and the pastor of Calvary Chapel Svitlovodsk in Central Ukraine.

Ben is also a leader with City to City in Europe and Ukraine.

To support Ben and the ministry he is doing, visit bit.ly/give2ukraine

Visit the Theology for the People blog at nickcady.org to read articles, suggest topics, or ask questions.