I currently serve as resident author with Valley CrossWay Church where I speak one Sunday a month, and often speak in other churches and community settings.
Experience
It’s been my privilege to serve as a guest speaker for Acadia Divinity College, Bridge of Hope, Connecting Streams, Power to Change, Flourishing Congregations Institute, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, Hawkesville Mennonite Church, Peace Mennonite Church, Pilgrim Church, Jericho Ridge Community Church, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, and in other churches and settings. For twenty-five years, I also preached regularly as lead pastor of Emmanuel Mennonite Church, Abbotsford, B.C.
I’m grateful to God for each opportunity to serve, and welcome further invitations. I’m equally at home working with lectionary or other Scripture texts, or addressing topics that connect with the needs and interests of your congregation or group.
For keynotes, workshops, and retreats, I’ve often focused on a Christ-centred framework for self-care, cultivating spiritual practices, finding a healthy rhythm of work and rest, sacred pauses in daily living, embracing change, using your spiritual gifts, creativity, writing as a spiritual journey, and other writing workshops.
What Others are Saying
We at Valley CrossWay Church are doubly favoured. April Yamasaki is widely known and loved for her numerous books and articles, and her role as Resident Author in our worship community provides us with the added opportunity to enjoy her speaking ministry. It is clear that words matter to April. She uses them carefully and to great effect. The result? Timely sermons that come from her heart, are rooted in the text, and speak powerfully, yet sensitively, to our current needs. We are uniquely blessed.
— Peter Horban, Chair, Board of Discernment
Valley CrossWay Church, Abbotsford, B.C.
Thank you for the gift of your words and sharing your life with us this past weekend. Your posture and your presence embodied your message of stillness, of attentiveness to God’s voice, of simply paying attention by stopping and setting aside distractions. This has been a very special weekend for us all.
— Tim Kuepfer, Pastor
Chinatown Peace Church, Vancouver, B.C.
Thank you so much for being our guest speaker. You geared your sermon to our congregation, and you were so gracious to us on Zoom. Thank you! May God continue to bless your ministry.
— Mildred Freeman Rieder
Worship Ministry Team, Hawkesville Mennonite Church
You inspired us to care for ourselves. You challenged us to try something new. You pointed us to Jesus as our true hope. Thank you! It was a pleasure working with you—you made it so easy. We hope that we can work with you again.
— Mary Lou Ng, Connecting Streams
Power to Change Ministries, Edmonton, Alberta
Thank you so much for your inspiring work. At the national office of Bridge of Hope, we have been reading Four Gifts, given to us by our board of directors. We’re loving your connection to Scripture, reflective questions, very “do-able” suggestions, and that self-care isn’t “me first,” but “also me.” We appreciated having you as our keynote speaker for this year’s online conference with our network of 19 locations across 12 states. Thank you again for all you did to make our conference a success! We are all pleased with how the day turned out, and hope that you can spend time with us again during a future conference—but in person.
— Anne Dunnenberger, Director of Outreach
Bridge of Hope National, Malvern, Pennsylvania
On behalf of the Acadia Divinity College community and the hundreds who joined us online, thank you for delivering the seminar “Self-Care While Caring for Others” as part of the 2021 Simpson Lectures. Your blending of Scripture and practical advice along with your own personal story provided a powerful message on the importance of self-care. Taking a Christ-centred view of self-care in the larger context of loving God and our neighbours as ourselves is a great encouragement. We are grateful.
— Dr. Anna Robbins
President, Acadia Divinity College
Dean of Theology, Acadia University
I’d love to hear from you!
If you’re looking for pulpit supply or a guest speaker for your next event, I’d love to hear from you. Start the conversation by filling out and submitting the form below. I appreciate your interest.
April Yamasaki 