The Pastor, the Bible, and Growing Up In a Pastor’s Home, with Albert Vaters (Ep 100)

The pastor's home should be a place of joy, hope, faith, and generosity. Our foundation is found in the Bible and our first ministry is at home.

April 10, 2025

by Karl Vaters

For Episode 100, I had a very special conversation with my father, Albert Vaters, about the pastor’s relationship with God’s Word, the Bible.

In addition to our combined 80+ years as pastors, my dad and I were both raised as preacher’s kids, so we speak from multiple perspectives about life in a pastor’s home.

In this conversation, we talk about:

What it was like to be raised with a positive experience in a pastor’s home
How to give the Bible a central place in our homes
The importance of living what you’re preaching
How to approach the Bible correctly as a pastor and a parent

And more.

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Credits

Producer: Veronica Beaver

Editor: Phil Vaters

Music: Composed and performed by Jack Wilkins

Logo: by Solomon Joy

Correspondence

Author

Karl Vaters

Karl Vaters produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.
Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast, The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context. He has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience.
You can follow Karl on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn, or Contact Karl to inquire about speaking, writing, and consultation.

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