About

Author Bio

April Yamasaki is an ordained pastor, editor, and author of Sacred Pauses, Four Gifts, On the Way With Jesus, and other books on Christian living. After 25 years as lead pastor of Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Abbotsford, B.C., she sensed a new wind of the Spirit to complete her leadership role there and invest more deeply in her writing and speaking beyond the local congregation.

She currently serves as resident author with Valley CrossWay Church, which is a liturgical worship community; editor of the quarterly devotional magazine Rejoice!; continues to write on spiritual growth and Christian living both online and in print publications; and often speaks in other churches and settings. She blogs on faith, life, and ministry at AprilYamasaki.com and WhenYouWorkfortheChurch.com. Her next book is a collection of sermons to be released in 2023.

April holds a Master of Christian Studies from Regent College. She was happily married to her high school sweetheart until his death last year from cancer-related complications. Though grieving, she is grateful for a wonderfully supportive family and church community, good work, good friends, and God’s mercies new every morning.

About This Website

The tagline for my website, Writing and Other Acts of Faith, borrows from author E.B. White, who wrote, “Writing is an act of faith, not of grammar.”

For all of us—writers or not—acts of faith are part of being human, even if you don’t think of yourself as religious, even if faith seems like a foreign country to you. We all take leaps that we can’t explain, we all sense the unseen beyond what we can see, if not in writing or worship and prayer, then in nature, art, music, the eyes of a lover or a child. We have eternity in our hearts as an ancient preacher once noted (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

On this website, I share some of my writing, books I’m reading, Scripture, prayer, and other everyday acts of faith. Whatever life holds for you today, I pray you’ll be refreshed and renewed by articles like these:

• A Promise of Healing, Freedom, and Joy
• You Are Here, Moving in Our Midst,
• How to Pray About Mental Illness When You Can’t Find the Words,
• 25 Self-Care Ideas for the Heart: For Singles, Widows, Married People, and Everyone
• Why I Believe the Bible Encourages Women in Ministry (for H. who asked),
• Writing as a Spiritual Journey,
• and other articles on Christian living.

I generally publish a new article on alternate Tuesdays with some extra time off here and there for Canadian holidays and vacation time. You can always sign up for free email updates to read at your own pace, and if you sign up now, you’ll also receive a free e-book as a subscriber bonus: How to Pray When Prayer Seems Impossible.

Yes, please send my free e-book and email updates

I also offer encouragement and resources for ministry at When You Work for the Church: the good, the bad, and the ugly, and how we can all do better:

• what do you do when your job is terminated?,
• how to get over a painful job termination—or can you?,
• the best articles on self-care in the church,
• 7 ways to keep Sabbath when you work on Sundays,
• The 7 C’s of Healthy Teamwork,
• and other articles on church and ministry.

Some Favourite Articles

If you’re new here, you might also like to check out some of my favourite articles:

Writing and Other Acts of Faith – for more on the tagline of my website.

Authors in the House: Husband and Wife and How We Write – I first met Gary in high school, and he soon became my love and best friend. An academic at heart, he completed a law degree, a master of divinity, and a doctorate in biblical studies. He taught in college, seminary, and university degree programs, both undergrad and graduate level. He is the author of four books and served as site administrator for Perspective Criticism: The Power of Point of View.

When You Feel Like Running, Then Run to Jesus – This article on my best practices for surviving and thriving in ministry appears on When You Work for the Church: the good, the bad, and the ugly, and how we can all do better.

Life is Busy ~ Discover Sacred Pauses – The book trailer for my Sacred Pauses: Spiritual Practices for Personal Renewal (available from Herald Press, CommonWord, or your favourite local or online bookstore).

Endorsements

I envy those who have April Yamasaki as their pastor,
but Sacred Pauses widens her ministry;
she now becomes a wise spiritual director to many readers.

— Arthur Boers
author of Living into Focus: Choosing What Matters in an Age of Distraction

 

In my soul’s journey into the deeper, darker, and nutritious soil
of soul care, I have looked to April Yamasaki as a trusted guide.
I read everything she writes! In Four Gifts, her powerful insights are on brilliant display.

— Christena Cleveland
author of Disunity in Christ,
Founder and Director of the Center for Justice + Renewal

 

As I’ve read her writing, I’ve been honoured to know April.
Her honesty and guidance have helped me also know Jesus better, to know myself better, and to gain a greater grasp of Christ’s love for me.

— Chris Maxwell
author of Pause with Jesus: Entering His Story in Everyday Life,
Director of Spiritual Life and Campus Pastor at Emmanuel College

For more on my books, please see my Published Books page, and for more on my speaking, please see my Speaking page.