Authors /
April Yamasaki
April Yamasaki is resident author at Valley CrossWay Church in Abbotsford, British Columbia, author of Sacred Pauses: Spiritual Practices for Personal Renewal, and an ordained Mennonite minister. Her blog is part of the CCblogs network.
Why write? (John 20:19-31)
I’m struck by the boldness and clarity of the writer of John’s Gospel.
April 26, 2019
Speak out (Luke 24:1-12)
Who are these women to say such things?
April 19, 2019
April 28, Second Sunday of Easter (John 20:19–31)
Passing the peace is a word of welcome. It’s also much more than that.
April 2, 2019
April 21, Resurrection of the Lord (Luke 24:1-12)
The resurrection is an old, old message. But I need to be reminded.
March 26, 2019
Transformed by Spirit-Chi
The Spirit’s loving, life-giving, transformative power—Divine Eros—connects us, moves within us, and can heal the wounds of our division.
May 15, 2016
How to make friends with your e-mail inbox
Recently I read about a proposal for eliminating e-mail. After all, e-mail consumes time, adds extra pressure to an already stressful workplace, fragments attention, and feels like a never-ending black hole sometimes. One friend says bluntly, “I hate e-mail.” Some have written about taming the e-mail monster, and others have already abandoned e-mail in favor of texting or other forms of communicating.
But I’m still a fan of e-mail.
May 10, 2016
Can a gratitude journal make you more hopeful?
When my first book proposal was turned down, I submitted it to another publisher, and another, and another, until eight publishers later, my manuscript finally found a home. That’s when I decided t...
August 17, 2015
Making the most of our time
When Martin Luther wrote, "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer," I don't imagine that he meant to squeeze another three hours of work and relationships into the hours that remained.
August 13, 2015
Beyond do's and don'ts
In my Bible, this week's reading from Ephesians bears the title, "Rules for the New Life." The text reads like a laundry list of more or less unrelated instructions. Put away falsehood. Speak the truth, be angry but don't sin, and do not make room for the devil. Give up stealing and work honestly. Speak only what is useful for building up; do not grieve the Holy Spirit. Put away bitterness, anger, slander, and malice.
August 6, 2015
August 16, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
If Solomon were an older and more experienced ruler when God appears to him in his dream, I wonder if he would ask for wisdom.
August 4, 2015
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August 9, 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time: Ephesians 4:25-5:2
We are to work honestly, work with our hands, and work so that we can share with those in need.
July 28, 2015

April Yamasaki's favorite books for ministry
What are the best books for ministry written in the 21st century? We asked seven pastors to pick their favorites. — Ed....
October 1, 2014
Why I don’t talk a lot about feminism, and why I should
I don’t talk a lot about feminism.
I serve my congregation as lead pastor, having grown from not at all thinking about pastoral ministry to being called and curious, and now having been in ministry for over 20 years. From my initial call to ordination to increasing responsibility with other staff, I feel as if my church has been one step ahead of me, more ready for me to take on leadership than I envisioned for myself.
July 30, 2014
Writing FAQ: how do you find time to write?
At a church leaders' retreat last month, we talked about having an I don't do list as a way of making time for sacred pauses in life and ministry. The things we don't do make it possible to do some other things. The things we say No to allow us to say Yes to other things.
So one pastor said, "I don’t answer the phone at home after 8 p.m."
May 19, 2014
How to make the most of Twitter without getting lost in an endless stream of tweets
A few months ago, a Twitter friend deleted her account in favour of Facebook, then signed on again because she missed the interaction with her Twitter friends....
April 25, 2014
Why I'm still holding onto Christmas
While others have been making—and maybe even already breaking—new year’s resolutions or choosing their one word for ...
January 7, 2014