Why Reading Matters for Ministry, with Austin Carty (Ep 061)

One of the most proven and effective ways to be a pastor of depth and gravitas is to commit ourselves to a program of wide, regular reading.

December 14, 2023

by Karl Vaters

Pastors need to read, not just for information, but for formation.

In this episode, Austin Carty and I cover topics like:

The importance of reading many types of books, not just works of theology and leadership
How reading helps us become more mature, wise, and caring
How reading the Bible with a sense of wonder helps embed its truths into our lives
How important it is to take reading seriously, not as a luxury, or as something I squeeze in around ministry, but as an essential aspect of growing in life, faith, and ministry

Bonus Chat

How To Become A Pastor-reader (5 Takeaways), with Austin Carty

If you’ve had a hard time reading more, check out how Austin and Karl flesh out these following steps to becoming more of a pastor-reader:

See reading as a pastoral visit
Don’t start by trying to read too much
Hold no knowledge or writing in contempt
Trust that there is beauty to be found in all sorts of books
Try to read as much material off-line as possible

To get the link for the bonus chat, subscribe to the free weekly newsletter at KarlVaters.com/Subscribe or become a monthly supporter at KarlVaters.com/Support.

Links from this Episode

Links from this episode:

Ministry In A Secular Age, by Andrew Root
email: [email protected]
@RevAustinCarty on X (Twitter)

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Credits

Producer
Veronica Beaver | [email protected]

Editor
Phil Vaters | [email protected]

Music
Composed and performed by Jack Wilkins | JackWilkinsMusic.com

Logo
by Solomon Joy

Correspondence
Shelley Vaters | Shelley@KarlVaters.com

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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