Ken Costa on How to Pastor Business Leaders in Your Church & Lead a Passionate Younger Generation
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In this episode, Jason interviews Ken Costa. Their conversation unpacks significant themes around the relationship between the pastor and men and women in the congregation who are working in the commercial space.
Young leaders are often at a loss when it comes to relating to successful, older congregants whose entrepreneurial experience and expertise far outstrips their own. Rather than shying away from these relationships out of insecurity, Ken provides valuable insight as to how the young leader/pastor can invest significantly in the lives of older entrepreneurs in their congregation. He highlights multiple areas in which the pastor can be a source of encouragement and wisdom for men and women dealing with the frenetic pace and high-stress environment that corporate culture thrives on.
Jason and Ken also discuss how the pastor should approach asking for financial investment in ministry projects and opportunities when they arise, providing more down-to-earth advice that was seldom covered in seminary.
This episode is incredibly practical. For any leader who has been intimidated by the above scenarios, this interview is a must-listen.
Ken Costa
Ken is passionate about helping others feel connected and at peace with God, themselves, and their neighbours in a society that often excludes spirituality from the working world. Through teachings and books, he reveals how to find purpose in a volatile, uncertain and anxious world.
Ken is Chairman Emeritus of Alpha International, which promotes Alpha – an introduction to the Christian faith attended by over 2 million people in the UK and 27 million worldwide – and is Dean of Leadership College London. Passionate about creating connections in a divided world, he is Chairman of The Reconciling Leaders Network for the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Head of The Anglican Communion. He is also chairman of Worship Central, a movement promoting worship events and courses worldwide.
“We need to marry the hindsight of the older generation, with the insight of the younger.”
Ken’s Books
Joseph of Arimathea - This book is based on the man who took it upon himself to bury Jesus. Although his involvement was briefly mentioned, his actions spoke volumes in the hostile culture after Jesus’ death.
Joseph of Arimathea reaches through the Scriptures to today’s generation in communicating that an ordinary person, living an ordinary life can most definitely be an instrument for God’s eternal purposes. This is a powerful and compelling reminder that our influence and impact can come from the smallest acts of faithfulness.
Know Your Why - Questions of purpose and identity have become of great importance to a generation wanting to make a transformational impact. This yearning has also given way to the questions: “Why do we do the jobs that we do?” and “Are we following God’s will by doing work that seems to have little to no impact for his Kingdom?”
In this book, Ken leads the reader to seek out and live fulfilled and purposeful lives starting where they are and to recognize that waiting on the Lord for discernment is all in a process requiring patience. Ken uses many points in Scripture that support the idea that our vocation, whether in formal ministry or outside of it, can transform the world.
This book aims to help readers navigate the burden of figuring out purpose, work and identity, towards a life of living every day knowing that you working towards his purposes.
“Restraint and saying “no” is an essential part of being able to live an effective, flourishing life.”
YouTube Links
We have also posted some of our favourite sections of this interview on our YouTube Channel - here is one of them:
Coming Up Next
Jon Tyson & Father James Mallon
Next up is a conversation co-hosted by Alpha Canada featuring Jon Tyson, Lead Pastor of Church of the City New York and Father James Mallon, Episcopal Vicar for Parish Renewal and Leadership Support for the Archdiocese of Halifax-Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
Shaila Visser, National Director of Alpha Canada, hosts special guests Jon Tyson and Father James Mallon for a discussion on mission, ministry and the future church.