Pastor Scott Moore returns for a vulnerable, soul-level conversation on what happened after his breaking point.

From a life-changing fishing trip with strangers to a tearful reconnection with his family and church, Scott reflects on the slow work of reintegration. With honesty about the setbacks and sacred practices that help him stay tethered, this episode is a call to resist isolation, embrace confession, and fight the subtle seduction of success metrics.

🎙️ In This Episode:

Healing through honesty and sacred vulnerability

Creating relational spaces where confession is normal

Letting go of success metrics as identity markers

How to stay rooted when performance whispers loudest

⏱️ Timestamps:

💡 Takeaway:

What happens when ministry feels less like a calling and more like survival?

In this raw and courageous conversation, Scott Moore shares his story of stepping into a conflicted congregation, facing impossible expectations, and slowly losing himself in the isolation of unacknowledged burnout.

🎙️ In This Episode:

How Scott moved from a thriving ministry to a pastor-killing church

The early warning signs of burnout he didn’t recognize

Why loyalty to "toughing it out" can deepen the isolation

What it feels like to lose hope quietly—while still preaching every Sunday

⏱️ Timestamps:

Why do pastors feel so disoriented the day after Easter?

In this honest, unscripted conversation, Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom reflect on the emotional and spiritual aftermath of Holy Week. From packed services and buffet lunches to depression dips and pastoral guilt, they name what many church leaders feel—but rarely say out loud.

🎙️ In This Episode:

⏱️ Timestamps:

02:30 — 16 services in 7 days: Tara Beth’s Holy Week marathon

07:00 — Mark on pastoring in a college town at Easter

10:00 — Why we gorge on buffets and sleep for 12 hours

14:00 — Preacher crowds and the privilege of one-hour ministry

19:00 — Reading Scripture aloud during Lent—even when no one shows up

26:00 — Tazé worship, confirmation joy, and why repetition matters

29:00 — Permission to rest: “Christ is risen… so I don’t have to run the world today.”

💡 Takeaway:

If you feel tired, numb, or unsure after Easter—it doesn’t mean you did anything wrong. Jesus is still risen. Your worth isn’t tied to a service. Rest is sacred, and grace holds you, even when your brain is foggy.

What does it mean to lead with conviction—without copying someone else’s model?

In Part 2 of their candid host recap, Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom reflect on the pressures pastors face to mimic big-box ministry models or speak out on every cultural issue. From franchise churches to the idolization of family and politics, they unpack the theological convictions that keep them grounded—and pastoral.

🎙️ In This Episode:

⏱️ Timestamps:

04:30 — The Disney analogy for contextualized ministry

10:00 — How tradition and personality shape different worship styles

13:00 — Mark’s Willow Creek detour and rediscovering pastoral identity

20:00 — Church, not politics or family, as God’s redemptive plan

27:00 — Should pastors name “Tesla” in the pulpit?

31:00 — Creating space for political difference in the Church

Why do pastors keep showing up when ministry gets hard?

In this honest and vulnerable host recap, Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom revisit the origins of The Pastor’s Table and unpack the convictions that continue to drive the show. From painful memories to surprising grace, this episode explores why the Church is still worth loving—and leading.

🎙️ In This Episode:

⏱️ Timestamps:

03:00 — How this podcast started (and why)

06:00 — Working out theology with real people

11:00 — When your memory gets redeemed

18:00 — Forgiveness as the path to healing

23:00 — Finding hope after being hurt by the Church

29:00 — The surprising grace in the painful places

💡 Takeaway:

Ministry will wound you—but it will also surprise you.

Through story, theology, and the slow work of grace, The Pastor’s Table is a place to remember why we’re still here, and why the Church is still worth it.

Is the Church more than a symbol?

In Part 2, Jason Micheli returns to explore what it means to preach the gospel when life itself feels fragile. He shares how cancer reshaped his theology, why the Church must reclaim its sacramental identity, and how sermons should declare—not just instruct.

🎙️ In This Episode:

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:07 — Influences: Barth, Hauerwas & Jensen

07:00 — Preaching as promise, not performance

12:00 — Why suffering belongs in the gospel

15:00 — The Church as the literal body of Christ

17:30 — Preaching that leads to the Table

22:00 — Intimacy with God in suffering

27:00 — Books: Sermon on the Mount, I Like Big Buts, 104 Skins

29:00 — How to pray for Jason

🔗 Resources & Guest Info:

Jason Micheli writes at The Tamed Cynic

Books: I Like Big Buts, The Sermon on the Mount (forthcoming)

What happens when the preacher becomes the patient?

In this vulnerable and deeply pastoral episode, Rev. Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom welcome Jason Micheli, United Methodist pastor, author, and writer of The Tamed Cynic. Jason shares his unexpected call to ministry, his battle with mantle cell lymphoma, and how cancer has shaped both his preaching and his relationship with his congregation.

🎙️ In This Episode:

📌 Highlights:

💡 Takeaway:

Pastors are often expected to carry everyone else’s burdens—but what happens when they’re the ones who need care? Jason’s story reminds us that vulnerability is not weakness—it’s leadership, and that God is often most present in the dark and hidden places we’d rather avoid.

Read more on Jason's Blog Tamed Cynic: https://jasonmicheli.substack.com

📖 Next Week:

In Part 2, Jason opens up about the theological convictions that shape his ministry—expect a deep dive into the theology of the cross, suffering, and the beauty of telling the truth.

What does it mean to pastor with presence in a world that prioritizes efficiency, technology, and disconnection?

In this episode, Rev. Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom continue their conversation with Ryan & Danny Quanstrom, digging into the theological convictions that shape their ministries.

From embodying the gospel in a rural town to creating third spaces for belonging, this episode explores how place matters in pastoring—and why the church must resist the forces that isolate and fragment communities.

🎙️ In This Episode:

📌 Highlights:

💡 Takeaway:

Pastoring is about embodied presence in a particular place, among particular people. In a world designed to make us bypass relationships, the church is called to build spaces where people linger, belong, and transform.

What’s it like growing up in a pastor’s home—and then becoming a pastor yourself?

In this special family edition of The Pastor’s Table, Rev. Tara Beth Leach takes the lead, sitting down with Ryan & Danny Quanstrom, both senior pastors in Michigan and the sons of co-host Dr. Mark Quanstrom.

This conversation explores how faith is formed in the home, the unexpected twists in their calls to ministry, and what shaped their theological vision for pastoring today. It’s an inside look at the joys, struggles, and surprises of answering the call—especially when you grew up in the church.

🎙️ In This Episode:

📌 Highlights:

💡 Takeaway:

Ministry isn’t always a straight path, and pastors don’t all come from the same mold—even in the same family. Whether you grew up in the church or came to ministry later in life, God’s call often weaves through unexpected places.

📖 Next Week:

What theological convictions shape Ryan & Danny’s pastoral leadership today? Join us for Part 2, where we dig into the theological frameworks that guide their ministry.

What makes a church healthy—not just successful? 

In this episode, Rev. Tara Beth Leach and Dr. Mark Quanstrom continue their conversation with Randy Frazee, exploring how culture—not just strategy—determines a church’s future.

Randy shares how his leadership philosophy has shifted over the years—from top-down leadership models to team-based collaboration, from focusing on numbers to prioritizing engagement. His wisdom is a must-hear for pastors wrestling with staff culture, leadership expectations, and burnout.

🎙️ In This Episode:

📌 Highlights:



💡 Takeaway:

Pastors don’t have to be everything to everyone. True leadership comes from embracing your strengths, surrounding yourself with the right people, and fostering a culture where others thrive.