Tom Cox
Writer
I have been in pastoral ministry for 21 years. Prior to working as a pastor, I spent 14 years in campus ministry with Cru and served as a ruling and then teaching elder in my local church. I also serve on the board of the International WAGR Syndrome Association (an NPO addressing an ultra-rare disease).
I am drawn to working with pastors because I believe that pastors need relationships with people outside of their church who can come alongside them and listen reflectively in order to encourage, challenge, and provide helpful insight. I want pastors to feel that they've been heard, to realize they are neither crazy nor alone, and to come away with a sense of hope and a plan for progress. I think I’m particularly well equipped to help in areas of sermon development and delivery, dealing with pain and suffering, problem solving and resourcing, and gospel renewal for pastors.
I have two grown kids (one who is legally blind and a survivor of childhood cancer), a wife of 27 years, and a lab-to-leash beagle rescue (ask me about "The Gospel According to a Beagle"). I'm an avid sports fan (Gamecocks, Red Sox, and Celtics in particular) and enjoy word games and pop music trivia.
Some books that I have found insightful and helpful:
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He Gave Us Stories by Richard Pratt (literary analysis)
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The Grasshopper Myth by Karl Vaters ("success" in ministry)
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Disappointment with God by Phillip Yancey (faith, suffering, and the dark night of the soul)