
Welcome …
Chris Maxwell is a husband, father, and grandfather. He is a writer, pastor, poet, spiritual life director, international speaker, and a man who loves people. Chris hopes to be a voice of encouragement through words spoken, words written, and a life lived. Chris Maxwell is a husband, father, and grandfather. He is a writer, pastor, poet, spiritual life director, international speaker, and a man who loves people. Chris hopes to be a voice of encouragement through words spoken, words written, and a life lived.
Things We’ve Handed Down
Twelve Letters I Leave For You
I am offering a few reminders I was either handed or wish I had been handed in the years that preceded today. I want to share a few stories that may help you along life’s terrible, painful, dreadful, joyful, peaceful, beautiful ventures.
At my age, as I look toward the future, the land seems smaller now. As I look toward the past, the terrain is vast.
I choose to write it down—to remember, to offer it to those whose glimpse of the past may be shorter and whose vision of the future may be much wider.
That’s why I’m writing these twelve letters to you. I’m writing them as if it were my final collection of reflections. A few more stories to give you while I can.
Books
Things We’ve Handed Down
a slow and sudden God
Pause For Pastors
Equilibrium
Underwater
Pause For Moms
embracing now
Pause With Jesus
Pause
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Escaping the Fast Lane
I just read—or attempted to read—a variety of medical journals about the importance of sleep. The...

Thankful I Said Yes
There are moments when you decide to do something you’ve always dreamed of doing. And afterward,...

For the Time Being
(A reflection from the conclusion of Things We’ve Handed Down: Twelve Letters I Leave for...

The Art of Being You
—thoughts from Chapter 8 in Things We’ve Handed Down:Twelve Letters I Leave for You (based on the...

Twelve Books, One Story: A Personal Journey Through Words
I didn’t plan to write twelve books. (Explore Chris Maxwell’s Twelve books here.) I just kept...

A Few Lessons Learned from Many Years of Ministry
Over the years, I’ve seen countless trends, formulas, and quick-fix strategies for growing...

The Door Didn’t Open
As the Evangelical Press Association Convention ended Friday night, I expected to open my hotel...

Love and Care
I did not think I would be pastoring a local church again. I loved my time in Orlando and was...

Detour
I was driving to our church’s Good Friday service and forgot. My mind was moving fast and I...
Chris Maxwell knows first-hand that many pastors are worn out, discouraged, frazzled, beaten down and often friendless. He knows this because he spends a lot of his time encouraging weary leaders. And Pause for Pastors book flows out of his heart of encouragement. I pray the words of this book will flow like cold water on your soul to refresh and inspire you. You will receive new strength!
At first I questioned if I would find Pause for Moms to be interesting to me, a man. But to my surprise I found myself drawn into the powerful accounts of women on the journey of love, purpose, and meaning. I responded with laughter and tears as I thought of my late mother, my dear wife, my daughter and daughter-in-law: women whose lives continue to shape my life. There’s no question this is Chris Maxwell’s best book! I will personally be sharing this book with the lovely women in my life.
Pause with Jesus is more than just a book. It’s a journey. Through his words, Chris is inviting us to slow down and listen for Christ’s unmistakable voice, feel the gentle strength of His embrace, and see the timeless beauty of His work. The more you read the clearer you will see Jesus gazing back at you.