Pastoring in the age of rapidly changing technology can sometimes feel like the old adage, “adapt or die!” When in full-time student ministry, the main mode of communication to students was by calling a landline to their home. To get the word out for larger events, we sent students to school with a stack of flyers to pass out to friends. Nowadays, students take one look at a flyer and toss it in the trash can. But if they get an invite to something via Snapchat, they’ll take a longer look. My kids have tried teaching me Snapchat a dozen times, and it still makes no sense to me. For the longest time I thought some guy named “Al” was sending me messages until one day I asked my kids, “Who is this Al guy?” The about keeled over laughing, It’s AI – as in, Artificial Intelligence. Both Jeff and I were glad to know that a guy named Al wasn’t “sliding up into my DMs.” (If you don’t know what that phrase means, ask a teenager, and they will gladly explain).

I digress. Let’s get back to pastoring.

My aim as a pastor is to steward every possible space – to shepherd a people towards a robust kingdom vision. Specifically, at Good Shepherd, that looks like “Inviting everyone to walk together in the calling of Christ for a life of eternal impact.” Traditionally, this happens through preaching and teaching and pastoral care and setting the vision and direction of the church. But in the age of technology, this means finding creative means to communicate this robust kingdom vision. If you’re on social media, you’ll know that I am busy on Instagram – I find it to be a unique way to teach the front-row theologian to the back-row curious seeker. 

With that, I am thrilled to announce our new Encounter Faith Podcast. Many of you have met Ross Cochran, our Director of Communication who comes to us with so much experience from AWANA as a content manager and podcast host. Ross always amazes me with the creative frontiers he dares to think about for us, including our new podcast. Each week, you’ll find our recent sermons downloaded, but there will also be a new show released every Wednesday that will cover anything from recent events, theological reflections, or actionable ways our church can live out the kingdom vision to which we are called. The new show is hosted by our own, Ross Cochran.

A podcast gives our pastoral staff and team the opportunity to have complex conversations that can’t be had in 20 minutes from the pulpit. It will be a space to sit in the “living room of the brain” of our leadership as well as hear some of the behind-the-scenes happenings in the life of our church. 

So, I formally invite you to lean into our conversations over at the Encounter Faith Podcast, hosted by Ross Cochran, and interviews with our pastors and staff. Our first episode featured Jeannine Allen, Greg Wenhold, myself, and Ryan Hammer, where we conversed about our time at Cherish Watoto in Nairobi, Kenya. This week, Ross and I reflected on Easter weekend and my sermon. I think you’ll enjoy it. You can listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

From my heart,

Pastor Tara Beth