What I Learned in My Twentieth Year of Ministry
Twenty years in, here's the short list of practices, frameworks, and convictions that actually held the work together.
Cal Callender · May 14, 2026 · 8 min read
The Journal
Frameworks, field notes, and practical writing.
Essays you can actually use — on preaching, leadership, soul care, and the working life of ministry.
On Refusing the Hurry of the Algorithm
How to build a ministry rhythm that actually compounds — and stop measuring the work in impressions.
Cal Callender · April 27, 2026 · 6 min read
The Pastor Who Cannot Cry
A working framework for naming emotional callus, processing grief on a schedule, and getting back to a feeling heart.
Cal Callender · April 9, 2026 · 10 min read
Preaching to a Room of Strangers
Practical preaching moves for transient congregations — how to land a sermon when half the room is brand new.
Cal Callender · March 22, 2026 · 7 min read
Why I Stopped Counting
Better metrics for ministry health — what to track instead of attendance, baptisms, and budget.
Cal Callender · March 3, 2026 · 9 min read
Reading the Fathers in a Hurry
A working pastor's reading plan for Augustine, Chrysostom, and friends — what to read, in what order, and why it matters now.
Cal Callender · February 18, 2026 · 12 min read