The Pastor's Table

• How God Redeems Our Wounds: Mark & Tara Beth on Three Years of The Pastor’s Table | PT 152

  What happens when the very institution that shaped your ministry turns around and wounds you?Can God take that loss and birth something new?In this deeply personal anniversary episode, Mark and Tara Beth look back on three years of The Pastor’s Table and the untold story of how it all began. From Mark’s unexpected firing, to the disorientation that followed, to the Spirit-led formation of this podcast, they revisit the moments of pain, clarity, calling, and redemption that shaped their ministry.This episode is raw, honest, and full of hope for any pastor navigating disappointment, transition, or questions of identity and vocation.🎙️ In This Episode:The firing that blindsided Mark — and the prayer he kept repeatingHow a season of painful disorientation birthed the Center for Theological IntegrityThe unexpected way God redeemed loss (“I already have… wait and see.”)Why theological integrity—not vanity metrics—remains the heartbeat of the podcastHow the Holy Spirit compelled Tara Beth into a pastorate she never planned to takeWild Sunday-morning stories (fainting, wheelchairs, choking… all in one sermon!)What’s next for the relaunch of The Pastor’s Table⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Why this anniversary episode matters02:00 – Mark remembers the early podcast days03:00 – “My services were no longer needed”: the firing05:45 – Transparency, leadership, and the cost of truth-telling07:30 – Praying through disorientation: “Lord, how will you redeem this?”10:00 – “I already have”: the surprising answer that kept repeating11:30 – The birth of the Center for Theological Integrity12:45 – How Northern Seminary became home for the vision17:20 – How suffering shaped the podcast’s heartbeat21:00 – Tara Beth’s reluctant call to Good Shepherd24:00 – “They needed a mom”: the Spirit’s inner leap27:00 – When everything goes wrong mid-sermon33:00 – Returning to theological integrity36:00 – Daily Scripture reading and resisting vanity metrics38:00 – What’s next for the podcastGod never wastes suffering.Your hardest losses may become the very soil where new ministry, clarity, and courage begin to grow.

  --------  

  39:19

  --------

  39:19
• When Fear Comes to Church: Hector Alfaro on Pastoring Chicago’s Immigrant Congregations | PT 151

  What does ministry look like when your people are afraid to leave their homes? In this heartfelt conversation, Pastor Hector Alfaro joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share what Hispanic churches in Chicago are experiencing as ICE activity intensifies. From families torn apart to churches emptied in a matter of weeks, Pastor Hector offers a raw, front-line perspective on shepherding undocumented and mixed-status communities living under daily threat — and the hope the Church must offer in this moment.🎙️ In This Episode:Hector’s journey from Guatemala to Chicago at age 17The explosive growth of Hispanic churches — and why everything changedHow immigrants encountered Jesus on the journey northWhat ICE presence has done to church attendance, jobs, and daily lifeHow pastors are caring for families living in fearWhy the wider Church must step in with courage, compassion, and resources⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome & introduction to Pastor Hector 01:00 – Leaving Guatemala and adapting to American culture04:00 – His father’s call to plant Spanish-speaking churches06:00 – Multinational, multiethnic Hispanic congregations08:00 – The unique challenges of pastoring undocumented families10:00 – Immigrants meeting Jesus on the journey north12:00 – Discipling new believers from Venezuela & Central America15:00 – ICE presence and fear reshaping entire neighborhoods17:00 – Families choosing deportation over living in fear20:00 – Churches providing food, visits, and emergency support23:00 – Pastors carrying passports — and heavy pastoral burdens26:00 – Navigating work, danger, and survival30:00 – How it changes the way a pastor preaches and shepherds31:30 – A call for the wider Church to step inPastor Hector reminds us that the Body of Christ is not whole unless we carry one another’s burdens. When some churches worship in fear, the whole Church is called to respond with prayer, presence, and sacrificial love.

  --------  

  33:31

  --------

  33:31
• Prophetic Presence: Paco Amador on Immigration, Injustice, and Hope in Little Village (Part 2) | PT 150

  How does a pastor guide a community facing real threats, real fear, and real need?In this powerful continuation, Pastor Paco Amador joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share how his congregation in Chicago’s Little Village is responding to the immigration crisis with courage, compassion, and prophetic witness. From offering tamales and prayer outside a migrant shelter to confronting the fear of deportation in his pews, Paco embodies the gospel as both resistance and hope.🎙️ In This Episode:The harrowing journey of migrants through the Darién GapHow the church in Chicago became a sanctuary of love and welcomeThe rise of fear and persecution amid ICE detentionsHow Paco’s preaching has changed to meet a scattered and suffering flockThe unbreakable hope of a church that refuses despair⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – What it means to be a Hispanic pastor in Chicago today04:00 – The migrant journey through the Darién Gap07:00 – Prayers, tamales, and the birth of a street-side church13:00 – Organizing mercy: how the church met the need17:00 – Stories of separation and injustice21:00 – Fear, invisibility, and the immigrant experience28:00 – The church as prophetic resistance34:00 – Preaching for a scattered people38:00 – Seeds of the gospel in persecutionIn a city divided by politics and fear, Pastor Paco Amador reminds us that the Church’s truest power is love. When systems fail and families are torn apart, the gospel still takes root on sidewalks, in shelters, and through the songs of a people who refuse to lose hope.

  --------  

  41:01

  --------

  41:01
• The Immigrant Soul: Paco Amador on Calling, Culture, and Finding Home in Little Village (Part 1) | PT 149

  What happens when the story of migration becomes the story of calling? In this episode, Pastor Paco Amador joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to share his journey from Mexico to North Carolina to Chicago’s Little Village. With honesty and humor, Paco reflects on his encounter with Jesus as a teenager, the grief and beauty of leaving home, and the long road toward discovering where he truly belongs.🎙️ In This Episode:Leaving home at fourteen and encountering Jesus on a North Carolina benchHow immigration shapes faith, identity, and dependence on GodThe unlikely path from Mexico to Moody Bible InstitutePlanting a church in college that became his lifelong ministryBuilding a multicultural congregation in Chicago’s Little Village⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Introducing Pastor Paco Amador04:00 – Leaving Mexico at 14 and learning to start over08:00 – An unmistakable encounter with Jesus11:00 – A teacher’s nudge, a missionary’s challenge, and the call to Moody15:00 – Starting a church in college and learning by failing forward20:00 – Two years in Spain and an unexpected love story24:00 – Planting roots in Little Village, Chicago28:00 – Preaching in Spanish, English, and Mayan31:00 – God’s quiet work in a vibrant immigrant communityThe call of God often begins in disorientation. Paco’s story reminds us that in every language, every journey, and every act of leaving, God is already at work turning exile into belonging.

  --------  

  33:07

  --------

  33:07
• Formation as Resistance: Nathan Hoff on the Rule of Life, Reconciliation, and Rooted Community (Part 2) | PT 148

  What does it look like to live a life formed by grace and resistant to the pressures of the world? In this second conversation, Pastor Nathan Hoff returns to unpack the theology and practice behind The Rule of Life at Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro. He joins Tara Beth Leach and Mark Quanstrom to explore how intentional rhythms of prayer, reconciliation, and presence can shape both pastors and congregations for a non-anxious, deeply human way of life.🎙️ In This Episode:The rhythms of prayer that anchor Nathan’s community—morning and eveningWhy reconciliation is harder (and holier) than routineHow “formation as resistance” counters cultural conformityWhat technology, resources, and even our bodies reveal about our formationThe invitation to stay rooted in a transient world⏱️ Timestamps:04:30 – The challenge and beauty of reconciliation09:45 – The gift of rootedness through the Rule of Life15:00 – Formation as resistance to conformity19:00 – Practicing grace in technology, money, and relationships24:30 – A pastoral reflection on the hard work of community🔗 Resources & Links:Learn more about Trinity Lutheran Church → trinitysanpedro.orgExplore The Rule of Life → 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.comSpiritual formation isn’t about escaping the world; it’s about being reshaped within it. Pastor Nathan Hoff reminds us that resisting conformity begins with prayer, reconciliation, and the courage to stay rooted in community.

  --------  

  30:04

  --------

  30:04

More Religion & Spirituality podcasts

Trending Religion & Spirituality podcasts

About The Pastor's Table