Douglas J Brouwer

Travel shapes our identity, from ancient spiritual journeys to the modern movement of people across the globe. In his latest book, Douglas J. Brouwer, a pastor, scholar and lifelong traveler, invites readers to reflect on the profound, transformative power of travel in all its forms.With over 40 years of pastoral ministry in the U.S. and Europe, Doug shares personal stories from his own life, from childhood road trips to leading mission teams, study tours, and pilgrimages. Whether serving international congregations in Z rich, Switzerland, and The Hague, Netherlands, or walking solo along the Camino paths of Spain and Portugal, his journeys reveal how travel reshapes our understanding of ourselves, others, and the divine.The Traveler's Path challenges readers to go beyond tourism and embrace the spiritual dimension of travel. Through his compelling stories, Doug sparks readers' own memories of travel, or hopes for future travel, making this an ideal choice for individual reading or small-group discussion. Doug also offers readers a free, downloadable discussion guide to help spark spirited conversations.In these chapters, Doug explores how even the most ordinary trips can teach us humility, foster empathy, and reveal deeper truths about belonging and purpose. Part memoir, part spiritual guide, and part travelogue, this book invites readers to view travel as a sacred act, where every journey becomes an opportunity for transformation. With warmth and wisdom, Doug inspires us to move beyond our comfort zones, reminding us that the road itself can lead us home.Whether you're planning your next adventure or reflecting on journeys past, The Traveler's Path will inspire you to embrace the sacred potential of every step you take.

Travel shapes our identity, from ancient spiritual journeys to the modern movement of people across the globe. In his latest book, Douglas J. Brouwer, a pastor, scholar and lifelong traveler, invites readers to reflect on the profound, transformative power of travel in all its forms.With over 40 years of pastoral ministry in the U.S. and Europe, Doug shares personal stories from his own life, from childhood road trips to leading mission teams, study tours, and pilgrimages. Whether serving international congregations in Z rich, Switzerland, and The Hague, Netherlands, or walking solo along the Camino paths of Spain and Portugal, his journeys reveal how travel reshapes our understanding of ourselves, others, and the divine.The Traveler's Path challenges readers to go beyond tourism and embrace the spiritual dimension of travel. Through his compelling stories, Doug sparks readers' own memories of travel, or hopes for future travel, making this an ideal choice for individual reading or small-group discussion. Doug also offers readers a free, downloadable discussion guide to help spark spirited conversations.In these chapters, Doug explores how even the most ordinary trips can teach us humility, foster empathy, and reveal deeper truths about belonging and purpose. Part memoir, part spiritual guide, and part travelogue, this book invites readers to view travel as a sacred act, where every journey becomes an opportunity for transformation. With warmth and wisdom, Doug inspires us to move beyond our comfort zones, reminding us that the road itself can lead us home.Whether you're planning your next adventure or reflecting on journeys past, The Traveler's Path will inspire you to embrace the sacred potential of every step you take.

One pastor's journey from idealism, through disillusionment, to an acceptance of grace After forty years as a Presbyterian pastor, Douglas Brouwer wondered if he had spent his life, as the author of Ecclesiastes laments, "chasing after wind." What did all the hard work on evenings and weekends and holidays, away from his family, amount to? What was there to make of the long string of petty conflicts and the overwhelming feeling of disillusionment? And in the current age of shrinking mainline churches, what could he point to as the end result of his decades in ministry? Chasing after Wind will resonate with pastors everywhere who went into ministry to do lifechanging work for God and ended up spending most of their time managing the parking situation outside the church, fielding parishioner complaints about the color of the sanctuary carpet (or, in Brouwer's case, the color of his shoes), and endlessly fundraising for mission projects and building maintenance. In telling his story, Brouwer comes to recognize that the most meaningful parts of his career--the "holy bits," as he calls them--were in unexpected moments where everything was stripped away but the mysterious work of God. Recounting these times of curious joy and shared mourning, he demonstrates how a pastor can find grace and peace in looking back on a life in ministry.

As his forty-year career in ministry comes to an end, Douglas Brouwer finds himself wondering about one of the oldest questions there is: who am I? To find his true identity, Brouwer undertakes extensive genealogical research, probes the meaning of his family name, explores his ethnic heritage, asks what genealogies are for (biblical genealogies and his own), reflects on the meaning of his DNA testing, and tells sometimes-unflattering family stories. In the end, he arrives at one of the most basic answers it's possible to give about our identity as human beings created in the image and likeness of God. The Truth About Who We Are is written as a letter from Brouwer to his grandchildren, but the story is a universal one. The answer he discovers at the end applies to all. ""Every grandfather should write a book like this. It's perfectly pegged for grandchildren, telling them who they are by lineage, heritage, patrimony--embarrassing or not--even DNA, and a grandfather who drove an electric car a hundred years ago. A cleric, Brouwer's heritage is Dutch, Calvinist, and West Michigan, but anyone can use this book as a template."" --Robert P. Swierenga, Professor of History Emeritus, Kent State University, Albertus C. Van Raalte Research Professor, Van Raalte Institute, Hope College, Holland, Michigan ""This sparkling gem of a memoir reflects on history, memory, and theology in a poignant, very personal way. Dutch-Americans, particularly from West Michigan, will appreciate Douglas Brouwer's excavation of their native soil. More important, people of faith will appreciate his reminder of where our true identity and loyalties belong. A timely book."" --James D. Bratt, Department of History, Calvin College Douglas J. Brouwer is the author of four previous books, including most recently How to Become a Multicultural Church (2017). He has been a Presbyterian pastor for nearly forty years and retired in 2018 from the International Protestant Church in Zurich, Switzerland. He lives with his wife and dog on Lake Michigan, north of Holland, Michigan.

As his forty-year career in ministry comes to an end, Douglas Brouwer finds himself wondering about one of the oldest questions there is: who am I? To find his true identity, Brouwer undertakes extensive genealogical research, probes the meaning of his family name, explores his ethnic heritage, asks what genealogies are for (biblical genealogies and his own), reflects on the meaning of his DNA testing, and tells sometimes-unflattering family stories. In the end, he arrives at one of the most basic answers it's possible to give about our identity as human beings created in the image and likeness of God. The Truth About Who We Are is written as a letter from Brouwer to his grandchildren, but the story is a universal one. The answer he discovers at the end applies to all. ""Every grandfather should write a book like this. It's perfectly pegged for grandchildren, telling them who they are by lineage, heritage, patrimony--embarrassing or not--even DNA, and a grandfather who drove an electric car a hundred years ago. A cleric, Brouwer's heritage is Dutch, Calvinist, and West Michigan, but anyone can use this book as a template."" --Robert P. Swierenga, Professor of History Emeritus, Kent State University, Albertus C. Van Raalte Research Professor, Van Raalte Institute, Hope College, Holland, Michigan ""This sparkling gem of a memoir reflects on history, memory, and theology in a poignant, very personal way. Dutch-Americans, particularly from West Michigan, will appreciate Douglas Brouwer's excavation of their native soil. More important, people of faith will appreciate his reminder of where our true identity and loyalties belong. A timely book."" --James D. Bratt, Department of History, Calvin College Douglas J. Brouwer is the author of four previous books, including most recently How to Become a Multicultural Church (2017). He has been a Presbyterian pastor for nearly forty years and retired in 2018 from the International Protestant Church in Zurich, Switzerland. He lives with his wife and dog on Lake Michigan, north of Holland, Michigan.