About Pastor Lloyd
Welcome to lloydwicker.com. I initially set this up to be a ministry tool for Almond Valley CRC and others who are interested in being part of any discussion threads. It has since expanded a bit…and I’m glad for that. It primarily falls into a few different categories:
- ministry leadership tools to sermon & teaching resources from past and upcoming services (there’s always some good stuff that ends up on the “cutting room floor” in sermon and teaching preparation, therefore, here’s a place I can still share it with those who might want to dig deeper);
- an avenue for dialogue on potential sermon topics (I really do care about your thoughts and desires for teaching series…in fact, most every suggestions I’ve been able to respond to over time…so chime in knowing I read this and will respond);
- an way to build a community dialogue on the topic on what it means to be a missional church. This is the primary topic of a doctoral program that I am currently part of through Fuller Seminary which is intended to help me grow as well as help guide a church through the process of rediscovering the mystery, memory, and mission of God in which we are invited to participate.
I will try to do justice to tagging and categorizing various entries accordingly. Your suggestions are always welcome as to what you might find helpful on this site.
As for who I am…after all, you did click on a link that said about pastor lloyd. You will find a few links at the end of this page that will take you to detailed downloadable resources. The short story is this: I am the lead pastor and teacher at Almond Valley Christian Reformed Church in Ripon, California. I moved here with my family in 2008 from Sunnyside, Washington where I was part of a team ministry for 5 years.
In a sentence or two, I am a pastor, a teacher, a learner, a husband, a dad, a son, a brother, and a friend.
I enjoy being with people–learning with and from them through the narrative of their life. I’m grateful for the time and place in which I find myself. (that’s less about where and more about when–I’ve enjoyed every place I’ve been able to live and continue to be committed to going wherever God wants me to go and whenever he wants to send). Ministry has never been so exciting and challenging at the same time which is why I’ve chosen to focus some time and energy going back to school to learn about this thing called the missio dei (the mission of God). We’re at critical ecclesiastical crossroads at this time in history. From being considered a Christian nation that sends missionaries to the rest of the world, we now are a county to which others send their missionaries. So I consider one of my primary desires in life and minsitry to teach fellow sojourners what it means to be “the sent people of God”–not just to other parts of the world but also right in our own neighborhoods. My calling is to walk with any congregation that is serious about rediscovering the mission field of their community–not through creating new programs to attract others but through getting their hands and feet dirty and going out to be the sent people of God.
There is so much more I could share about this…but that’s what the rest of the blog is about. So, I invite you to join me in the journey in rediscovering the timeless truths of the Bible as we seek to understanding them today in our own unique time and cultural experience.
You need not be a Christ-follower to participate. I’m as interested in hearing from skeptics as I am from fellow sojourners. There is too much we can learn from one another. Anything you post will be need to be approved by me before it will post. I set it up that way for two reasons: 1) I hate spam and this is one way we can protect one another from unsolicited advertisments; and 2) we need to love and respect one another regardless of any differences we may have. Therefore, any malicious comment will withheld so that you can have a “mulligan” (a free do-over).
So, thanks for visiting! Please feel welcome to participate and check back often. Blessings!
Pastor Lloyd Wicker
Professional Information:
- Ministerial Profile - available upon request
