Podcast Episode 32 - Pastoring in Silicon Valley: Interview with Chip Ingram (Senior Pastor of Venture Christian Church)

correction: Chip Ingram is now CEO of Living on the Edge, an international discipleship ministry.

In Part One with Chip Ingram, Senior Pastor of Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, CA, Henry has Chip walk through his experience pastoring many Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. While Chip’s own entrepreneurial persuasions began at an early age selling Halloween candy in late November at a significant markup, he realized early on in his life as a pastor that he could teach and inspire far beyond his leadership capabilities.  His start as a spiritual coach to entrepreneurs began as a simple exchange: his Santa Cruz church was growing at breakneck speed and he needed wisdom and skillsets to support that growth. He reached out to the entrepreneurs in his congregation and became friends with them, creating a safe and respectful place for these leaders to share what was really going on in their lives. The grass isn’t always greener, to say the least. Struggles with identity, purpose, and the tension between the world’s values vs. those of the kingdom plague these individuals as much as anyone else with one major exception: the extreme loneliness as a result of an inability to find authentic, no strings attached relationships when you command significant power, influence and resources.

 Henry encourages Chip to dig deeper on the loneliness challenge by asking for wisdom on how these individuals can overcome the temptation of being a recluse. Chip gives us a mandate to care about who we become more than anything else, as well as a construct on how to have the right view of both God and ourselves. 

 We hope you enjoy Part One with Chip Ingram. We’d love to know how you’ve overcome “the great identity crisis” by changing your view of who you believe God to be. Please share with us in the comment section below.

Photo by Matthew T Rader on Unsplash