The Pastor as Gardener: Seasons, Soil, and Sermon Prep with Matthew Erickson
About this episode
Mike Neglia talks with Matthew Erickson about rethinking pastoral ministry through the metaphor of gardening.
What if your role as a pastor is not to produce growth, but to cultivate the conditions where growth might happen? In this episode of the Expositors Collective Podcast, Mike Neglia talks with Matt Erickson about his journey in preaching and how a season of personal and cultural upheaval led him to rethink pastoral ministry. Drawing from his book The Pastor as Gardener , Matt offers a vision of ministry that is both deeply biblical and quietly liberating. Instead of carrying the weight of outcomes, pastors are invited to think more like gardeners than CEOs. Preparing the soil, planting faithfully, watering consistently, and trusting God to bring the growth. Along the way, this conversation gets very practical. Matt reflects on his early experiences in preaching, how his preparation habits have matured, and how a collaborative preaching team can strengthen both the preacher and the church. He also explores how metaphors shape ministry expectations, why seasons matter more than we often admit, and how preaching can move beyond information transfer into genuine spiritual formation. If you’ve ever felt the pressure to make things “work” in ministry, this episode offers a needed reset…
People in this episode
Host: Mike Neglia
Guest: Matthew Erickson
Topics covered
- pastoral ministry
- preaching
- spiritual formation
- collaborative preaching
- growth in ministry
Keywords
- pastor
- gardener
- sermon preparation
- spiritual growth
- preaching team
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Pastor as Gardener
More episodes of Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation
- The Fear of Man vs The Fear of God - Jeffrey Arthurs on Courageous Preaching
- Inductive Bible Study - Cody King
- Preaching Teams, Generosity and Sharing the Pulpit - Ted Leavenworth
- How to Help New Preachers Grow in Confidence and Clarity - Pilgrim Benham
- Christianese, Sainthood and Discourse Analysis - Peter Kenny
- Leaving Mountaintops and Entering Valleys
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Expositors Collective: Expository Preaching, Bible Teaching and Sermon Preparation podcast page.