What if the cure for modern ministry restlessness is staying put?

In this episode, Pastor Nathan Hoff joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share his story of 20 years at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, California. From a childhood marked by constant moves to forming a residential community in an unrooted city, Nathan reflects on the beauty of long obedience, shared rhythms, and a “rule of life” shaped by prayer and presence.

🎙️ In This Episode:

• Growing up in a pastor’s family that moved 15 times before he turned 30
• The call to ministry at age eight—and how grace reshaped his vocation
• How generational faith shaped Nathan’s theology of rootedness
• Creating a parish community with shared rhythms of prayer and life
• Why stability is countercultural—and deeply spiritual—in urban ministry

⏱️ Timestamps:

04:00 – From constant moving to a life of rooted ministry

07:00 – A childhood call to ministry and early formation

10:00 – Discovering Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro

13:00 – The influence of charismatic and sacramental renewal movements

17:00 – Generational faith and the grace that carries through families

20:00 – “On the block”: creating a shared residential community

24:00 – Rule of life, rhythms of prayer, and the call to rootedness

🔗 Resources & Links:

• Learn more about Trinity Lutheran Church → trinitysanpedro.org
• Explore The Rule of Life and the Common Way → trinitysanpedro.org/ruleoflife
• Listen to Low in the Water (from the Eugene Peterson Center) → petersoncenter.org/low-in-the-water-podcast
• Follow Nathan Hoff’s writing → nathanhoff.substack.com
• Explore reflections on pastoral life → practicingbenediction.substack.com

In a world that prizes movement and novelty, Pastor Nathan Hoff reminds us that faithfulness often looks like staying put—rooting deeply in a place, a people, and the daily rhythms of grace.