Practicing Presence: Nathan Hoff on Stability, Community, and a Rule of Life in Los Angeles (Part 1) | PT 147
What if the cure for modern ministry restlessness is staying put? In this episode, Pastor Nathan Hoff joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share his story of 20 years at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, California. From a childhood marked by constant moves to forming a residential community in an unrooted city, Nathan reflects on the beauty of long obedience, shared rhythms, and a “rule of life” shaped by prayer and presence.🎙️ In This Episode:Growing up in a pastor’s family that moved 15 times before he turned 30The call to ministry at age eight—and how grace reshaped his vocationHow generational faith shaped Nathan’s theology of rootednessCreating a parish community with shared rhythms of prayer and lifeWhy stability is countercultural—and deeply spiritual—in urban ministry⏱️ Timestamps:04:00 – From constant moving to a life of rooted ministry07:00 – A childhood call to ministry and early formation10:00 – Discovering Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro13:00 – The influence of charismatic and sacramental renewal movements17:00 – Generational faith and the grace that carries through families20:00 – “On the block”: creating a shared residential community24:00 – Rule of life, rhythms of prayer, and the call to rootedness🔗 Resources & Links:Learn more about Trinity Lutheran Church → trinitysanpedro.orgExplore The Rule of Life and the Common Way → trinitysanpedro.org/ruleoflifeListen to Low in the Water (from the Eugene Peterson Center) → petersoncenter.org/low-in-the-water-podcastFollow Nathan Hoff’s writing → nathanhoff.substack.comExplore reflections on pastoral life → practicingbenediction.substack.comIn a world that prizes movement and novelty, Pastor Nathan Hoff reminds us that faithfulness often looks like staying put—rooting deeply in a place, a people, and the daily rhythms of grace.
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Sealed in Grace: Katie Langston on Baptism, Law, and the God Who Won’t Let Go (Part 2) | PT 146
What happens when grace rewrites your story from the inside out? In this second conversation, Pastor Katie Langston joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how the gospel of grace led her from Mormonism to the waters of baptism and into the freedom of ministry. Katie opens up about her conversion, her calling as a Lutheran pastor, and why she now preaches grace as the Church’s most radical gift in an anxious world.🎙️ In This Episode:How Katie’s baptism became a moment of real deliveranceWhy law and gospel must be preached together—but not confusedThe tangible grace of communion for weary believersThe temptation to prove worthiness—even in ministryHow pastors can rest in being “sealed” by Christ’s finished work⏱️ Timestamps:03:00 – Discovering grace as a lived reality, not a doctrine08:00 – Luther Seminary and finding home in the Lutheran story11:00 – Baptism as exorcism and renewal15:00 – Learning to preach grace in a law-driven world18:00 – Pastoral care and the non-anxious presence of the gospel20:00 – Communion as Christ given “for you”24:00 – Why every culture worships worthiness26:00 – “You are sealed to Christ forever.”Grace doesn’t ask for your worthiness; it gives it. Katie’s story reminds pastors and believers alike that baptism marks us with the promise of a God who will never, ever let us go.
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Worthy Enough: Katie Langston on Mormonism, Scrupulosity, and Discovering Grace (Part 1) | PT 145
What happens when religion becomes a system for proving your worth? In this powerful conversation, Pastor Katie Langston shares her journey from growing up Mormon to discovering the freeing power of grace. With honesty and humor, she describes life in a worthiness-based system, her battle with scrupulosity, and the moment she first heard the gospel of grace through a Wheaton professor’s words: “I know enough of my deficiencies to be devastated.”🎙️ In This Episode:Growing up in a loving but rule-bound Mormon homeThe weight of worthiness interviews and religious anxietyBattling scrupulosity and finding a name for her struggleHearing the gospel for the first time—and believing itWhy grace and Mormon theology can’t coexist⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Introducing Pastor Katie Langston02:00 – Growing up in a faithful Mormon home05:00 – Worthiness interviews and the burden of perfection09:00 – Temple rituals, baptism for the dead, and Mormon theology13:00 – Missionary life in Bulgaria and early cracks in the system18:00 – Marriage, motherhood, and the onset of despair21:00 – OCD, scrupulosity, and the search for help23:00 – Hearing Jerry Root’s message on grace24:00 – “What if Christ has made me worthy?”26:00 – Ten years of wrestling between Mormonism and graceGrace is not another rule to keep; it’s the end of the "worthiness" game. Katie’s story invites weary pastors and believers alike to rest in the gospel that declares: you are already enough in Christ.
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Sent, Not Stationed: Benji Van Fleet on Itinerancy, Humility, and the Beauty of Being Placed (Part 2) | PT 144
What if you didn’t get to choose where you served, but trusted the Spirit and the Church to send you? In Part 2 of this conversation, Pastor Benji Van Fleet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to unpack the Methodist system of itinerancy and what it teaches us about obedience, humility, and trust. From matchmaker bishops to Methodist “March Madness,” Benji shares a vision of ministry rooted in submission rather than self-promotion, and a faith that follows wherever God leads.🎙️ In This Episode:What the Methodist itinerant system teaches about calling and surrenderHow being sent shapes a pastor’s humility and courageThe dangers of “pastor as CEO” and the freedom of not owning your churchHow diversity flourishes through a Spirit-led appointment processWhy obedience to the Church’s discernment can deepen faith⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – The theology behind being sent rather than hired03:00 – Contextualizing mission: unity without uniformity07:00 – The “matchmaker” role of bishops and discernment in appointments11:00 – Fresh eyes and prophetic courage in short tenures15:00 – Undermining the “pastor as CEO” model20:00 – Methodist March Madness and the beauty of discernment24:00 – Diversity and the Kingdom of God in appointment systems32:00 – A phone call on Holy Week that changed everything36:00 – Saying yes when it could’ve only been six months38:00 – Submission, humility, and the Spirit’s surprising workMinistry is not a career we climb; it’s a call we receive. Benji’s story reminds us that when we live as sent ones rather than stationed ones, we find the freedom to trust God’s wisdom over our own plans.
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The Sheepdog and the Shepherd: Benji Van Fleet on Calling, Conviction, and the Church That Belongs to God (Part 1) | PT 143
What happens when your theology of calling collides with your understanding of ownership in the church? In this episode, Pastor Benji Van Fleet joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom from Abilene, Texas, to talk about his journey from architecture student to Methodist pastor, how cancer and heartbreak became catalysts for his call, and why he describes himself not as a shepherd—but a sheepdog.🎙️ In This Episode:How a broken engagement and a tumor redirected Benji’s life toward ministryThe moment God spoke when everything else fell apartWhat it means to be a “sent” pastor in the Methodist itinerant systemWhy Benji refuses to call St. Paul “his” church—and what that means for pastoral health⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – The world of Abilene and Texas-sized hospitality04:00 – The story of St. Paul UMC and its 100-year legacy07:00 – Benji’s faith upbringing and the “zebra” of denominations10:00 – Losing everything—and hearing God’s voice for the first time13:00 – “Exactly. Now we can start again.” A calling moment15:00 – Sharing the gospel in Russia and being called as God’s diplomat20:00 – Seminary, marriage, and the Methodist call system23:00 – Going where you’re sent: the theology of itinerancy26:00 – Why Benji says, “I’m not the shepherd—I’m the sheepdog.”29:00 – The cult of personality and pointing people to JesusPastors are not owners of the church; they’re guides pointing the flock toward the Good Shepherd. Benji’s story reminds us that calling often begins in surrender, and ministry flourishes when we lead with open hands.
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