In this insightful and grounded conversation, our podcast host, Gary Underwood, sits down with Pastor Ross Miller from Evermore Church in Hartville, Ohio—a steady, thoughtful shepherd with a deep heart for spiritual formation and community. Together they unpack what ministry looks like in a rapidly changing world, the emotional and spiritual weight pastors carry, and the importance of leading with authenticity rather than performance.

Ross shares stories from his journey at Evermore, what it means to slow down and pay attention to God’s work in ordinary places, and why rootedness in community matters more than ever. Gary and Ross also dive into the realities of pastoral life: the grind, the joys, the hidden pressures, and the moments God uses to remind us that we’re not alone in the work.

The conversation is warm, honest, and encouraging—two friends talking ministry in the heart of Northeast Ohio, shining a light on God’s faithfulness in the everyday.

• Leading with presence, not pressure

• The beauty of slow, faithful ministry

• Life and leadership in Hartville

• How community shapes a pastor’s soul

• Staying rooted when the world is unstable

• Encouragement for pastors who feel tired, hidden, or stretched

• “Sometimes the holiest thing we can do as leaders is slow down enough to notice the people God put right in front of us.”

• “Hartville might be a small town, but God does big things in small places.”

• “Pastoring isn’t about producing; it’s about shepherding.”