Jonas McAnn is a weary pastor without a congregation, trapped in a dead-end insurance job. Granby Presbyterian is a weary congregation without a pastor, overwhelmed by the prospect of finding someone
Jonas McAnn is a weary pastor without a congregation, trapped in a dead-end insurance job. Granby Presbyterian is a weary congregation without a pastor, overwhelmed by the prospect of finding someone who actually wants to be a pastor—not a manager, coach, or CEO.
When Granby's pastoral search committee and Jonas connect through handwritten letters passed back and forth, something sparks between them—something so real and refreshing that even after Jonas and his family move to Granby, he continues the regular practice of writing letters to his congregation.
Spanning seven years of his ministry at Granby Presbyterian, Jonas's letters ruminate on everything from fly-fishing to the Nicene Creed. They reveal the earthy spirituality woven into the joys and sorrows of the people of Granby, the community of the church, and Jonas's own unfolding story.
Readers will discover what it means for a pastor and a church to do the slow work of ministry in community—anchored by a common place and buoyed by a life of faith that is meaningful, rooted, and true.
Eugene H. Peterson
— author of The Message and The Contemplative Pastor
“This book is a tour de force—an angle on understanding the life of both congregation and pastor that exceeds anything I have ever read. No directions, no programs, just an immersion into what really takes place in the life of a congregation and a pastor. Winn Collier’s writing is alive.”
Seth Haines
—author of Coming Clean: A Story of Faith
“There are some stories so well written, so layered with meaning, so humble and true, that they should be read, reread, and reread again. Winn Collier has written that kind of story. The honesty in these pages would work a sort of sobriety into us—pastors and parishioners alike—if we’d let it.”
Robert Benson
— author of Punching Holes in the Dark
“Collier writes strong and true, happy and sad, funny and wise, heavy and light. I never fail to read anything that he writes. If you are a lover of words and wisdom on the printed page, you should read him too. This book is a fine place to start.”
Corban Addison
— author of A Walk across the Sun
“Winn Collier here reminds us what pastoral ministry is really about—not capital campaigns, satellite campuses, growth metrics, or spine-tingling sermons, but love of Jesus, love of neighbor, love of creation, love of everything beautiful, good, and true in the world.”
Mandy Smith
— pastor, author of The Vulnerable Pastor: How Human Limitations Empower Our Ministry
“This is ultimately a love letter to the church not just for what she can be but for what she already is.”
A. J. Swoboda
— pastor, professor, author of The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith
“Shatters all of our idolatrous addictions to big and growing and oversized franchised Christianities. Faithfulness absolutely must become the church’s new big. What Collier pens here is nothing short of miraculous. These letters demand to be read."
Karen Wright Marsh
— author of Vintage Saints and Sinners: 25 Christians Who Transformed My Faith
“In the venerable epistolary tradition of Saint Paul and François Fénelon, Winn Collier brings us glowing spiritual letters for today, wholehearted meditations on friendship, grief, hope, doubt—and faith in a loving God who is near. Love Big, Be Well is a beautiful book for strugglers and seekers, written by a compassionate pastor we come to love.”
Deidra Riggs
— author of Every Little Thing: Making a World of Difference Right Where You Are
“Love Big, Be Well is a welcome mat, a handwritten invitation, a gigantic wrap-around porch, a warm night filled with fireflies. There may not be a surefire formula for living a wide-open, hope-filled life, but this collection of earnest words comes very close.”
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Winn Collier is a pastor, columnist, and author of several books, including Holy Curiosity. With his wife, Miska, a spiritual director, and two sons, Collier lives in Virginia, where he serves the good people of All Souls Charlottesville. Collier holds a PhD from the University of Virginia, focused on the intersection of religion and literary fiction.
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