A creative conference for curious preachers.

We believe in the transformative power of play, which is why we designed our annual gathering to be focused around fun and reinvigoration. In our three-day gathering you can expect everything from improv games to puppet work to reflective time and space to listen inward-everything you need to reignite your imagination and bring a sense of playfulness and imagination back into your preaching. This gathering is open to the public. 

The gathering will be July 2024 in Kansas City, MO. Check back in for location and registration.

---

Restore your why.

Pause/Play is the sole space focused on the soul of preachers, one that is both a sanctuary and a wellspring of play.

Thanks to the generosity of the Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative, Pause/Play is the first and only sacred space for weary preachers to restore their creativity and reignite their imagination through rest and play.

Grind culture has taken a tremendous toll on preachers, with many citing burnout, perfunctory preaching, identity questions, and a lack of support. Pause/Play addresses these problems of identity and burnout through the transformative approach of play-based rejuvenation—offering a kind of pastoral care for the pastor.

We use soul-enriching methods to heal the whole soul of pastors through an annual cohort community for spiritual direction, play-based activities, and coaching to reignite your imagination.

We also offer a monthly podcast and annual gathering for any and all weary preachers looking to pause and play. 

Above all, we work to restore your “why” by promoting a rhythm of sabbath and play in your ministry. 

If you are among those spiritual leaders who are lost, overwhelmed, or burned out in your vocational journey, we will help you rediscover ways to stay in the ministry, make your work more meaningful, and give you the tools to create “beauty for ashes.”