Have the Pastors convinced you that every Christian needs to have a missional identity? So what next? What does it actually mean to be missional? Join Pastors Clint and Michael as they explore these foundational questions and provide some suggestions for how every Christian (and congregation) can begin to make this missional identity part of their core spiritual DNA.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in rediscovering a missional Christian identity with us.

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Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

If Christians are going to take on a missional identity, we will inevitably wrestle with who we are called to serve. In a world with finite resources but infinite need, Christians must grapple with the tension between helping those near to us and those far away. In this conversation, Pastors Clint and Michael explore how both of these held together in Christian discipleship are necessary for shaping our individual and congregational identities.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in rediscovering a missional Christian identity with us.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

Living into Christ's mission has never been easy. In fact, it has always required careful attention and deliberate effort. Today, Pastors Clint and Michael explore some of the barriers that stand in the way of both our individual and communal efforts to become Christians defined by our mission. In particular, the Pastors discuss how Fear, Focus, Forgetfulness, and Faith can all serve as real barriers to our discipleship and missional identity.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in rediscovering a missional Christian identity with us.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

In this conversation, Pastors Clint and Michael turn the mission focus to you. Do you consider yourself a missionary or do you think that missionaries are only professionals trained and sent overseas? As the contemporary church surveys our quickly changing culture, we have been forced to return to some of the most fundamental questions of the faith such as "who is called to be a witness to the saving grace of Jesus Christ?" The short answer? You. Join us in a conversation that will surely encourage and convict you to live into your deeper Christian identity as a witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Read more about the Princeton Seminary study here: Darley and Batson: Good Samaritan Study (babson.edu)

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in rediscovering a missional Christian identity with us.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

On one hand, the mission of the church is simple, to be faithful to Jesus Christ. On the other hand, it requires commitment from both the individual and the community to be humble enough to be open for direction and courageous enough to follow where Jesus leads.

Today's conversation explores how Christians have historically understood their call to participate in God's mission through several ways:

While these provide a basic framework for understanding the Christian's call to mission, it is important that we remain open to the Spirit's leading as each of us is transformed into our new identity in Jesus Christ.

Did this conversation raise a question or do you have an idea for a future series? We would love to hear from you!

Be sure to subscribe and share with others so that they too can be part of the Pastor Talk series!

Learn more about the Pastor Talk Podcast, subscribe for email notifications, and browse our entire library at pastortalk.co.

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

Join us for a conversation about mission, about how it should shape your own identity, and how it binds us to a community in Jesus Christ.

In this episode, Pastors Clint and Michael introduce a new series called "Mission Musings." In this introductory conversation, they explore how Christians are mysteriously (and AMAZINGLY!) invited to participate in God's own mission in the world. This "misio dei" transforms the life of every individual Christian, regardless of their vocation or life stage, and gives them a new purpose to share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone they encounter. And yet, though we are called as individuals, we are also called as communities of faith to participate in this amazing calling.

Did this conversation raise a question or do you have an idea for a future series? We would love to hear from you!

Be sure to subscribe and share with others so that they too can be part of the Pastor Talk series!

Learn more about the Pastor Talk Podcast, subscribe for email notifications, and browse our entire library at pastortalk.co.

Pastor Talk is a ministry of First Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.

In this concluding episode, Pastors Clint and Michael survey the major themes of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book Life Together and explore how his understanding of the Christian community can shape our own Christian faith. Be sure to stay tuned for our next series about the mission of the church that will come out in the next few weeks. Until then, be sure to let us know what you have learned in this book study and if there is another book you would like for us to study on the podcast.

Feel free to purchase Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoefferto follow along in our podcast book study. (FYI, if you purchase the book through this link, First Presbyterian Church will receive a small commission from Amazon.)

Did this conversation raise a question or do you have an idea for a future series? We would love to hear from you!

Be sure to subscribe and share with others so that they too can be part of the Pastor Talk podcast!You can watch video of this and all episodes from this "Life Together" Pastor Talk Podcast series in our video library. 

Learn more about the Pastor Talk Podcast, subscribe for email notifications, and browse our entire library at fpcspiritlake.org/pastortalk.

The fifth and final chapter of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book Life Together "Confession & Communion" illustrates the central important that confession plays in the Christian life. Bonhoeffer explains that the deepest human temptation to sinfulness lies in our inner pride. He argues that in order to live fully in the life of Christ, Christians must be willing to give up that pride through confession in order to find life in the the cross of Christ. Only in this letting go of self will Christians then be able to fully participate in the blessing of Christian communion and the joyful celebration around the Lord's Table.

Feel free to purchase Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoefferto follow along in our podcast book study. (FYI, if you purchase the book through this link, First Presbyterian Church will receive a small commission from Amazon.)

Did this conversation raise a question or do you have an idea for a future series? We would love to hear from you!Be sure to subscribe and share with others so that they too can be part of the Pastor Talk podcast!You can watch video of this and all episodes from this "Life Together" Pastor Talk Podcast series in our video library. 

Learn more about the Pastor Talk Podcast, subscribe for email notifications, and browse our entire library at fpcspiritlake.org/pastortalk.

The fourth chapter of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book Life Together "Ministry" explores how every Christian is called to active ministry within their Christian community. Bonhoeffer explores how the practices of silence, humility, and scriptural correction provide ample opportunities for life-long discipleship and Christian formation. As Bonhoeffer conceives of it, ministry is ultimately the Christian task of humbling oneself before the brothers and sisters of Christ for the purpose of mutual encouragement so that they can fully realize the love and grace of Jesus Christ in their own life.

Feel free to purchase Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoefferto follow along in our podcast book study. (FYI, if you purchase the book through this link, First Presbyterian Church will receive a small commission from Amazon.)

Did this conversation raise a question or do you have an idea for a future series? We would love to hear from you!Be sure to subscribe and share with others so that they too can be part of the Pastor Talk podcast!You can watch video of this and all episodes from this "Life Together" Pastor Talk Podcast series in our video library. 

Learn more about the Pastor Talk Podcast, subscribe for email notifications, and browse our entire library at fpcspiritlake.org/pastortalk.

The third chapter of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's book Life Together gives Christians a glimpse into how the spiritual practices of meditation, intercession, and even silence can be invaluable tools for Christian discipleship and, ultimately, community. A surprising chapter for a book expressly about community, Bonhoeffer shows us how even our "individual" lives shape and form us for our communal life in Jesus Christ. This insight not only forms how we understand the significance of our personal spiritual growth but its implications for the life of the Christian community that we have been called into.

Feel free to purchase Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoefferto follow along in our podcast book study. (FYI, if you purchase the book through this link, First Presbyterian Church will receive a small commission from Amazon.)

Did this conversation raise a question or do you have an idea for a future series? We would love to hear from you!Be sure to subscribe and share with others so that they too can be part of the Pastor Talk podcast!You can watch video of this and all episodes from this "Life Together" Pastor Talk Podcast series in our video library. 

Learn more about the Pastor Talk Podcast, subscribe for email notifications, and browse our entire library at fpcspiritlake.org/pastortalk.