#37 It's About the Journey — Interview with Troy Thomas

Jun 17, 2021 | Episode Guest: Troy Thomas

Veteran pastor and trip leader Troy Thomas from Wisconsin joins today's podcast. Troy and Rich describe the process of being a trip participant who eventually becomes a trip leader. Troy also shares a brief teaching of Luke 24: 13-35, when the resurrected Christ walks beside two of his disciples on the road to Emmaus and teaches about Himself. It doesn't matter as much where Christ is leading us, but that He is always walking with us and teaching us along the way.

A big part of becoming a trip leader is joining our annual Pastor's Familiarization Trip. Every January, GTI takes a group of pastors and ministry leaders to Israel at a discounted rate to benefit their ministries and to also prepare them to bring groups back! This year's trip is January 10-21, 2022. Registration is open! Pastor's Fam 2022 trip link: https://gtitours.org/trip/pastors-and-educators-israel-2022

To find out what a Fam trip is like, read the blog from Pastor's Fam 2020: https://gtitours.org/tour-journal/pastors-and-educators-israel

Luke for Everyone (The New Testament for Everyone) by N.T. Wright. Learn more: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0664227848

A dramatic interpretation of the road to Emmaus story: https://youtu.be/dmmTWQn95xQ

Troy Thomas is a trip leader and retired pastor from CrossWay Church in Germantown, Wisconsin. After many years serving in pastoral ministry at several Milwaukee-area churches, Troy retired from vocational ministry in 2021. Troy continues to serve the local church where his heart’s desire is to preach the Gospel, teach the Bible, build up leaders, and make disciples who make disciples. Prior to vocational ministry, he spent 18 years in business as a management consultant.

Troy has a bachelor’s degree from Northern Iowa, an MBA from George Washington University, a Masters in Christian Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a Master’s in Divinity from Rockbridge Seminary. Troy and his wife Liz have been married for over 30 years and are blessed by three adult children, a daughter-in-law, and many nieces and nephews. They reside in Sussex, Wisconsin.

In addition to his family, his vocational ministry, and his local community, Troy leads trips to Israel that focus on Biblical study and exposition in the original setting. Troy believes that true Biblical understanding must be rooted in the history, geography, culture, and language of the original context. And Troy’s prayer is that these trips will lead people to make life-changing applications from the teaching of Jesus Christ.