Topical Series

How long has Christmas been celebrated like what we think of as Christmas? In today's episode, we learn that, surprisingly, it hasn't been very long. Join Pastors Clint and Michael as they explore the nuanced history, culture, and impact that our changing Christmas celebrations have had on Christians' celebrations of the birth of Christ for thousands of years. Starting with the fundamental awareness that Christmas can't be simply boiled down to one basic practice will become the backbone of all our Christmas conversations in the following weeks.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in exploring the deeper meaning of Christmas with us during this Advent season.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

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

The Pastor Talk weekly podcast will be taking a couple weeks off for the Thanksgiving break but we will be back on December 2nd for a 4 week Advent series we are calling “Too Much Christmas?” This series will be a light-hearted look at Christmas through the lenses of Scripture, culture, tradition, and nostalgia. We hope you will join us as Pastor Michael (a self-described Christmas fanatic) and Pastor Clint (often called Grinch by his family) square off to consider the merits and pitfalls of this beloved holiday season and the Holy day that occasioned it.

Be sure to share this with anyone who you think might be interested in exploring the deeper meaning of Christmas with us during this Advent season.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

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

In this series conclusion, Pastors Clint and Michael explore the many questions left behind by the missional conversation, especially how these conversations become practical in the life and practice within a church. Be sure to stay tuned to the end for when the Pastors make predictions as to what challenges and strategies that future generations of the Church might engage in their efforts to be faithful to the Gospel. Though this series raises far more questions than it answers, we sincerely hope that it sparks a generative conversation about the nature of the church and our own identities as followers of Jesus Christ.

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.

Today Pastors Clint and Michael welcome Dr. Darrell Guder to the Pastor Talk podcast. Dr. Guder has written several influential works in missional theology and served for much of his career as a professor of missional theology. In fact, it was that capacity that both Clint and Michael had the opportunity to study with him during their time in Seminary. Today's conversation invites us to consider both the history and present state of missional theology and to consider how our missional theology should shape our identity and vocational calling.

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.

Today Pastors Clint and Michael are overjoyed to welcome Amgad Beblawi to the Pastor Talk podcast. Amgad is the Mission Executive for three PC(USA) Presbyteries in northwest Iowa and he is actively involved in helping over 100 churches foster and grow in their missional identities. Today's conversation explores how Amgad's understanding of the the missional church has been shaped by his international church and missionary experiences and why that identity is so essential for every Christian and their local church.

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.

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.

Pastor Talk Quick Links:

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.