Writing, status, and storytelling with Griffin Gooch

Ministry Minded

0:00

-1:11:30

Writing, status, and storytelling with Griffin Gooch

Ministry Minded, Episode 145.

Bradley Gray

and

Griffin Gooch

Jun 04, 2025

Transcript

In this episode, I’m thrilled to chat with essayist and fellow Substack-er

Griffin Gooch

! Throughout this episode, we explore the intersections of theology, writing, and storytelling. We also talk about the subtle ways social status and comparison shape the way we live our lives as Christians, even when we think they don’t. Whether you’re an aspiring writer wrestling with your latest draft, a pastor preparing for another sermon, or just someone who’s trying to live authentically amid the constant barrage of virtue signaling and curated identities, this conversation is for you.

Griffin is currently working on a PhD in theology from the University of Aberdeen. He is also an adjunct professor at Northpoint College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Apart from his Substack, Griffin’s writing has been featured in other outlets, such as Christianity Today, Mere Orthodoxy, and Ekstasis. Griffin and his wife, Tiffany, live in Kalamazoo, Michigan. You can follow him on Instagram.

Resources

“The Witch Trials of John Mark Comer,” Griffin Gooch

Do Not Lose Heart: An Assault on Apathy, Griffin Gooch

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction, William Zinsser

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life, George Saunders

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott

Write Useful Books: A modern approach to designing and refining recommendable nonfiction, Rob Fitzpatrick

Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less, Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz

The Art and Business of Online Writing: How to Beat the Game of Capturing and Keeping Attention, Nicolas Cole

“You need theology,” an article by yours truly

Finding God in the Darkness: Hopeful Reflections from the Pits of Depression, Despair, and Disappointment, Bradley Gray

Sponsor

You can support Ministry Minded by buying some coffee from Fresh Roasted Coffee, a locally owned and operated coffee house in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that produces the freshest coffee and delivers it at peak drinkability. Use offer code “GRACE10” at checkout to get a discount on your next order. Buy some coffee today!