For the last year and a half, God has opened the door for me to preach publicly in a number of different small to mid size churches. Mostly I’ve functioned as a sort of interim pastor or pulpit supply pastor. This has been special as it has given me an opportunity to grow as a teacher and preacher but also care for folks very different from one another. I’ve served in different capacities in years past as a worship pastor and small group leader as well as a church planter of a house church network here in Merced County for three years. It’s been special to mostly be a normal guy, a business owner, and above all simply a Jesus guy who adores his wife and kids, neighbors and friends. God has been very generous to give me a rich life full of joy in Jesus and service of others in biblical priority.

All of that said, I really do enjoy simply sitting down and putting out a blog post periodically. It’s a different experience than sermon prep or business interactions. It’s a chance to share from the heart about the goodness of God as I’ve been able to see it from my humble spot in this world.

In the last several years, God has really put a deep burden on my heart to care for men in particular as well as couples. Direct care for women I believe is best done by women in most cases, but I do seek to be a light and encouragement when interacting with the women God brings across my path through neighboring and business and interactions with relatives and friends. In general, God has been deepening a specific desire to care for men around my age who are either married or wanting to be married and who long for more clear focus in Jesus, in following God’s calling on their life to serve others and actually know that how they are doing that is effective and fruitful. God has given me increased focus and purpose in the last several years and more and more I know what it looks like to be at rest in the King’s calling and direction no matter the context. This has been very refreshing and such a deep blessing because like Paul I can be content no matter the situation, no matter how high or low I should technically “feel” based on the data.

It’s been interesting to come across even secular material in podcasts and interviews (something I’ve a big fan of as I love the dynamic of CONVERSATIONS). In these conversations I’ve noticed increasing mention of how “science shows that religion matters” or that “temperance is critical” for instance.

As you can see above, the definition of Temperance from way back in 1828 has to do with poise so-to-speak; it has to do with not flying off at the handle or getting easily angered, not blowing a fuse or whatever illustration you’d like to use.

What comes to mind honestly is the fruit of the Spirit, God’s work in and through us to produce godly care for others. Isn’t that exciting when you think of it? God is caring for this hurting and dying world through a bunch of normal looking Jesus people who are filled with God’s Spirit to bring His mercy and grace to others. How do we spill over with this if we don’t soak in the goodness of God ourselves?

That’s what has been on my heart a lot. How do we see men in particular step up and lead spiritually and relationally and across all parts of society unless we see them surrender to the One Who made them, bend the knee to Him and His glory, His love, His grace, His goodness, His justice, His faithfulness, and so on…

At times when I’m preaching in the last year, I’ve seen this anthem bubble up in my messages, and I do labor at preaching the core text and the application that text calls for… though preaching and the preacher are not mechanical things… God has put humans in the pulpits of our churches and the leadership of our home fellowship contexts. It is also a timely call for men of God to rise up in communities across the globe, to step into leadership roles in our homes, neighborhoods, churches, communities, business environments, governments, and so on… shining the light of Jesus wherever God leads us. In no way do I sense that men need to try to get authority out of women’s hands. No, in fact there is so much need for leadership and church planting and re-planting of churches and building of godly organizations and fruitful entrepreneurial efforts for the glory of God… There is so much need and women and children will greatly benefit from men stepping up their game, and realizing they need to stop playing games actually. Games are where we get started or where we rest and play here and there, but living lives of genuine purpose and conviction and love and joy? That’s just not something that can be treated as a game.

Part of why I’ve focused on Facebook Reels and posting videos like this: https://fb.watch/CSqUkDjDhN/

… These videos get anywhere from 100 to 500 views. They are short and sweet and get pithy encouragements out there. I’ve never really made the case on my Facebook page that I’m focused ultimately on men and couples, but that is a big burden I have, to reach those two contexts in particular. Maybe part of why I see this concern is that I am in a lot of conversations weekly between work and neighboring. I see the struggle men and couple have and I’ve seen a need for care at this level. In local church ministry for instance, could you imagine if men and couples were consistently cared for by pastors and if godly women made the same focus on direct care for women and supporting care for couples? Imagine if individuals and couples could get consistent care without having to hire a counselor and before a counselor is even needed. The challenge I can see in seeking to care for folks is that really what they need above all is closeness to God and others, not me in particular. I’m not the secret sauce. It’s God. It’s the Gospel. It’s other believers whatever they might have in the way of training or background. God’s Spirit works through normal Jesus people meeting God in His Word and seeking to grow with and care for each other.

More and more God has put the local church on my heart. It’s what He put together and it’s what He continues to give to this world as far as a trumpet of truth and balm of grace. Sadly, the way we do local church is often so mechanical that the message doesn’t get through due to too many business items or tasks or administrative details and not enough actual doing of life together.

Serving for a month and a half in my own little town of 240 people has given me a real close-up taste of “village life” in the sense of pretty much constant ministry moments simply by going for walks. The nice thing is that we have already been doing “normal person ministry” so-to-speak already here for three years. Caring for folks house-to-house comes pretty naturally for me as I’ve done a lot of house-to-house walks for my business through the years, and we did that house church season in Merced City for three years. Those were very formative for our family, and we learned so much about being a family on mission for Jesus. These season have also been really good for me personally as a pastor type of dude. It’s been very special to not wear the hat of pastor and yet do a lot of pastoral care and encouragement over the last fifteen years of being back in California. Here and there I’ve been called pastor but generally people I think have known of me as the insurance agent or neighbor or the goofy guy who says a lot online or that guy that rides his unicycle around Merced. It’s been special to not be branded as a pastor.

Over the last year however, I’ve chosen to post clips of my sermons and focus on seeking to preach actual series through actual books of the Bible for churches – Acts 10 over four Sundays in an Atwater, CA church, Colossians for four weeks up in Tuolumne, CA. Ephesians for a couple of months now and adding other guest pastors in Snelling, CA. It’s special to see the need and fill it for interim pastoral care. I also see how we could see a growing openness to being a pastor among Jesus focused men if we can model and encourage sharing of the care ministry among the men and women of local churches.

This blog may well become my pastoral honest spot where I can bear my heart stream of consciousness style, continuing to just be me and share what the LORD has been showing me in His Word and in life and relationships in generic enough ways to hopefully benefit my readers with our actual local church and neighborhood involvement being where we hope to make the biggest impact.

Of late it looks like I’ll be back and forth between serving in Atwater and Snelling for the next couple of months. God will lead long-term, but more I see God leading me into a longer-term bi-vocational pastoral role. God is leading!

Much love,

-Torrey