Nate Akin — Best vs. Good Priorities | Sacrificing Sleep | Honest Friends Who Call You Out
Shepherding TimeShow Notes
Why do church planters tend to overwork themselves more than almost anyone else in ministry? On this episode of The Shepherding Time podcast, Rush Witt and Joe Keller talk with Nate Akin, executive director of the Pillar Network and founder of Baptist 21, about the unique time pressures of pioneering ministry — and what he's learned, often the hard way, about managing them.
Nate gets candid about what he sacrifices most in his own life: not family time, but sleep, doing PhD work at 4am so he doesn't cheat his kids out of time with him. He and Rush unpack why church planters in particular tend to feel like everything rests on their shoulders — and why that feeling, while understandable, needs to be confronted with a right understanding of identity and stewardship. A key theme throughout: the difference between good things and best things, illustrated by advice Nate's seminary-president father gave students — it matters more that you lead your family well than that you ace a theology exam. Nate also makes the case for cultivating relationships with people who will be honest with you, asking specific diagnostic questions rather than generic "how are you doing" check-ins, because without that kind of honesty, burnout is inevitable.
About Nate Akin: Nate Akin is the executive director of the Pillar Network, a rapidly growing church planting network, and a founder of Baptist 21. He is currently pursuing PhD studies alongside his ministry work.
This episode is a companion to the book Shepherding Time: A Pastor's Guide to Time Management by Rush Witt and Joe Keller (New Growth Press). Get your copy:
New Growth Press [https://newgrowthpress.com/upcoming-books/shepherding-time-a-pastor-s-guide-to-time-management/] Amazon [https://www.amazon.com/Shepherding-Time-Pastors-Guide-Management/dp/1645076555/]
RESOURCES MENTIONED The Pillar Network — thepillarnetwork.com Baptist 21 Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands by Paul Tripp
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