CHAT with Tim Morey
Author of
Planting A Church Without Losing Your Soul
Nine Questions for the Spiritually Formed Pastor
- Tim, the title makes it clear you are writing with church planters in mind, but the Table of Contents looks like a workshop outline that could fit any leader....
TIM MOREY>>> I hope that’s true! I am hearing from pastors, lay leaders, academic leaders, and even small business owners that the book is hitting them where they live. I think for any of us seeking to lead in a Christlike way, the need for good spiritual self-care is paramount if we want to make it for the long haul.
- Each chapter explores a single topic, ranging from the expected ("Growth" and "Conflict") to the uncommon ("Obscurity" and "Pace") ... how did you compose this list?
TIM MOREY>>> The list is part autobiography, and part years of working with planters. While all the maladies addressed are common to leaders, some seem to come up especially often in church plants: the temptation and opportunity to misuse power, the capacity to keep going in unrelenting suffering, resilience in the face of setbacks and defeat, obscurity and the challenge of ministering when no one but God notices, etc.
- Each chapter heading includes a question ("Do Others Experience Me As A Safe Person?") ... How does a question change the way the reader experiences your content?
TIM MOREY>>> My hope is that the book will give the reader lenses to take a deep look inside, and I think that is reflected even in the invitation posed by those inquisitive chapter headings. I’ve tried to set the stage by being pretty vulnerable in the stories I tell about myself in the book, and each chapter has a sidebar from a church planter too, sharing how they have wrestled with that particular topic. The net effect, I hope, is to steer the reader toward transformation, not just information.
- You may not have intended this, but I think you have written a spiritual formation primer any Christ-follower could read and grow from...
TIM MOREY>>>
I hope that is true too! Whether it is with my congregation or pastors I’m journeying with, I feel like helping others be formed spiritually is at the core of my calling. Paul’s words to the church in Galatia have always served as a succinct job description for me: “My dear children, for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you…” (Gal. 4:19). I think this book reflects that mission of helping all of us be better formed in Christ’s likeness.
- How will a reading of this book equip a Christ-servant to reimagine ministry as a Spirit-led, Scripture-fed journey of choices and changes?
TIM MOREY>>> I think this book helps the leader see not only the behaviors that are undermining their ministry effectiveness, but also the underlying motivations, scripts, and agendas that drive those behaviors. And beyond that, the book helps us to develop the spiritual competencies we need to not only survive the rigors of ministry, but to flourish, ministering in ways that are life-giving to us, our loved ones, and those we serve.
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Chapter Bonus Tracks:
- Reflection questions for each topic
- Deeper dive reading suggestions
- Personal experience testimonials by a diversity of leaders
Tim's prayer that can become our prayer:
"God use this book to make me a healthier, more vibrant , and more fulfilled church )leader)...so that... my work might be a joy -to me, my family , those I lead/ May the fruit of my work echo into eternity."
{special thanks to IVPress}
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On Tuesday, we've invited Greg Nettle, the President of Stadia, to come and share what they are learning as they work with church planters all across North America. We will focus on is the ways church planting has changed for good because of the last few years. But we’ll also explore how these changes will touch every aspect of church life.