Pastor · Author · Coach
Living for eternity today.
Writing and thinking at the intersection of faith, leadership, and the life that actually matters. For the churchgoer, the skeptic, and the pastor who needs someone to talk to.
Recent writing
What I’ve been thinking about
Honest writing about faith, leadership, and what it means to build something that lasts — for the person in the pew and the pastor behind the pulpit.
The Outward Turn · Part One
The Chaplaincy Trap
If your church ceased to exist tomorrow, would anyone outside your congregation know it was gone? Sit with that question before you answer it.
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Catalyst
The Front Door Nobody Is Using
The mission infrastructure your congregation needs already exists. Most of it just isn't pointed at anything yet.
June 16, 2026

Catalyst
The Assumption That’s Killing Us
There’s an accusation quietly circulating in Lutheran circles right now, and it usually sounds something like this: “If your church…
June 15, 2026
Pastoral coaching
For the pastor who needs a peer, not a program.
I work with pastors and ministry leaders through honest, direct 1:1 and group engagements. Real conversations about where you’re stuck and where you’re going.
coaching@derrickhurst.org
About Derrick
Pastor, writer, perpetual student of what actually works.
Senior pastor of Living Word Galena in Galena, Ohio. I write and podcast about faith, leadership, and the tension between eternity and Tuesday mornings. I coach pastors who want a real conversation, not a framework. I also restore a 1986 Dodge truck and raise chickens on 13 acres, which turns out to be great training for ministry.
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