About Me

Trying to find the right fly.

Once upon a time, there was a beer-brewing, fly-fishing, Presbyterian minister from Montana who fell in love with people (the kind who don’t normally show up in church). In 2013, he and his wife sold everything and moved to Texas to try to start a brewery, and plant a church, both at the same time. (You don't have to be crazy, but it helps.)

Somehow, it actually worked...

That's me: Christian Cryder.

Over the past three decades, I spent 14 years in software, then 7 years as a full time church planter (go figure). Most of my life has been lived in Montana. I still love mountains and trout. But I have come to love people even more.

Since November of 2013, Marilyn and I have lived in Austin TX, where we run a small award winning brewery (Lazarus) and lead an even smaller (non-award winning) house church (All Souls).

Now more than ever, I still believe.

I have become a big fan of bi-vocational urban ministry. I think the American church is in trouble. I think small / house churches might be part of the solution. But for that to happen, I think ordinary Christians need to start seeing themselves as bi-vocational too.

I also like to write. For two decades now I've been thinking and writing daily. I've built a "friends from afar" newsletter (a fly-on-the-wall perspective of what life is like in church and ministry). And I think perhaps I've learned a thing or two. So I'd like to start writing more. And I think some of you might want to read it.

I also write music. We've recorded a new album: Life In The Wilderness (Christmas, 2022). I think some of you might like to hear it.

Over the past few years, it's gotten increasingly difficult to stay connected. Manual email lists are cumbersome. Inboxes get cluttered. Social media sucks. (I gave up on Facebook years ago; Instagram seems headed in the same direction).

So I've created this website to share what I'm thinking (past, present, future), and to make it easier for friends to follow along (or not).

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