How one pastor has been encouraged by gospel-centered community in the Twin Cities.
October 23, 2026
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Welcome to our weekly roundup of articles, podcasts, videos, and links curated by pastors, for pastors—to equip and encourage you in your ministry. You don’t have to shepherd alone. Let’s go.
WORD OF THE WEEK

Not Alone in Ministry

Written by Jeremy Adelman, senior pastor of River City Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and member of the steering team for TGC’s Twin Cities Chapter.

I don’t feel alone in ministry.

That may sound simple, but it is a profound gift—one I too often take for granted. According to Lifeway, one in four pastors cite loneliness as a major challenge. While ministry can be isolating, one of the key reasons I haven’t experienced that burden is my participation in TGC’s Twin Cities regional chapter. This fellowship has provided connection and refreshment in three key ways.

1. Gospel Friendships

Our local chapter has helped me build relationships with like-minded pastors who not only share a commitment to the gospel but who understand the weight of pastoral ministry. These friendships remind me that my security isn’t in my ministry’s success but in Christ alone. I recall one coffee meeting with a fellow pastor that came at just the right time. The day before, I’d walked through a painful situation with a church member, and I needed someone to process it with. In this fellow minister, I found the kind of solidarity that values collaboration over competition. As a result, we both felt a sense of shared mission for the Twin Cities.

2. Gospel Vision

Our local chapter has a shared vision that the gospel is central to life and ministry. Ministry inevitably brings complex challenges. I need these regular gatherings with men who not only believe the gospel but filter all of life through it. Our fellowship helps to restore my heart and reminds me that renewal comes through Jesus alone.

3. Gospel Shepherding

As a pastor, I shepherd others, but I also need shepherding. Our TGC regional chapter has been a source of renewal at several key moments in my ministry journey. I entered one of our quarterly gatherings burdened over some dysfunction in my church. That day, the speaker reminded us of the realities of shepherding. It often isn’t glamorous, and if we’re getting our hands dirty with the real needs of people, we end up smelling like sheep, which isn’t always pleasant. Yet as this man who had walked the same road spoke, he shepherded my heart toward truth, and I was strengthened to move back toward my sheep again.

I’m incredibly grateful for our TGC regional chapter. It’s helped me stay faithful in ministry. God never intended for us to labor alone. We need his presence, and we need one another. If there’s a regional chapter near you, please join. And if there isn’t, consider whether God is calling you to start one. You won’t regret it.

If you are interested in starting a TGC Regional Chapter in your area, contact Bill Kynes.

—Jeremy
FIND A REGIONAL CHAPTER

Resource Roundup

Let Tim Keller Encourage You Yet Again

Walt Nilsson reviews Matt Smethurst’s Tim Keller and the Christian Life, a new book in which Smethurst expounds on key themes from Keller’s teaching and debunks some popular critiques of Keller’s ministry.
When the Pastor’s Family Suffers

Pastors are called to walk alongside suffering saints, but what about when the pastor is the sufferer? In this episode of The Everyday Pastor, Garrett Kell joins Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan to share about a season of family hardship—and what it looked like to receive care from his church community.
The ‘Quiet Revival’ Breaks Spiritual Stillness in the United Kingdom

In the years since the COVID-19 pandemic, the spiritual atmosphere in the UK seems to have changed. Evangelical churches have reported significant growth in attendance, as well as more conversions and baptisms. Now, as John Stevens reports, a new Bible Society survey confirms the anecdotal accpimts.

Around the Web

Here are links to other great resources worth your time:

  • Mikey Lynch examines the strengths and limitations of the big-idea approach to sermon preparation, challenging pastors to recognize when biblical texts might resist reduction to a single theme.

  • Kevin DeYoung unpacks six vital lessons from the Nicene Creed that highlight its enduring relevance for today’s church. He reminds pastors that this ancient confession remains essential for Christian orthodoxy and spiritual formation.

  • Phillip Cary looks at the relationship between the two greatest commandments—showing through the unfolding covenant story of Israel and its fulfillment in Christ how love for God fundamentally precedes and enables love for neighbor.

Find more resources for pastors at tgc.org/pastors.