Upstairs Gathering Starting

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We’re excited for the Upstairs Gathering to begin again on October 4.  After our community consultations last June we’ve been thinking, praying and planning.  A small team was invited by the pastoral staff to help bring leadership to the Upstairs Gathering – this was a need that was articulated clearly in June.  The leadership team is:

Andy Wood, Sean Hogan & Natasha Boone, Derek & Ashley Bergen, Michelle Santschi and Sara & Jonathan Epp.

Together we’re excited for what God has in store for this expression of WCV!  We are also excited to see everyone who regularly finds themselves upstairs, to participate in meaningful ways.  The goal is to facilitate a culture of “everyone get’s to play” and one in which we’re not afraid to “do the stuff”.

There are some defining elements of the Upstairs Gathering that we want to encourage.  Some of these are:

  • the spontaneity & flexibility,
  • the space for quite, reflective contemplation,
  • a sense of togetherness, rawness and vulnerability,
  • the ability to practice Kingdom stuff / hands-on discipleship
  • a growing sense of expectation for God to show up

These are not necessarily unique to the Upstairs Gathering, but they are what we particularly love and want to continue to develop Upstairs.  We will still worship together, celebrate communion weekly and teach, but it will all be done in the unique flavour we’ve come to love.

For the Fall, we are going to explore WCV’s mission statement:

“We exist to build a safe community that invites all peoples to worship Jesus as they embrace a kingdom lifestyle that extends God’s justice on the earth.”

In particular, we are going to explore what this looks like among our 15 Core Practices (these are simply what following Jesus looks like to us in WCV’s context).  If you find yourself regularly coming to the Upstairs Gathering, don’t be surprised if your asked or invited to contribute in some way – in fact, don’t wait to be asked – if you have something you’d like to do, talk to one of us.  We want this gathering to be one of equipping & practice.  Because it’s smaller, it’s more conducive to this and we want to take advantage of this.

On October 4, we are going to be laying out some of the ways we can all take ownership of this beautiful little gathering.  See you then!

 

Vineyard Fest! Greetings

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Here are a few greetings for our 20th anniversary party from friends far and wide.  Thanks guys!

Robb & Christa Massey

The Masseys are serving on staff at the Brussels Vineyard.  Robb was the WCV Youth Director for a number of years, after which they planted the Vineyard in Elmwood.

Kris & Livia MacQueen

Kris and Liv are pastors at the Cambridge Vineyard.  They were part of WCV’s worship community leadership team.

Cynthia Lees

Cynthia and Colin are from the Kelowna Vineyard.  They were pastors here in the early days.  Colin oversaw the renovations to the 1st and 2nd floors of 782 Main when we first got it.

Brandon Vineyard

The Brandon Vineyard is pastored by Ed and Lynn Creary (who were WCV House group coordinators).  It was planted out of WCV.

Brad Jersak

Brad is from Abbotsford and is a long-time friend of WCV (and brother to Rod).

Jan & Coral Steffen (and Greg Musselman)

Jan & Coral find themselves living again in Kelowna – which is where they moved from to help plant WCV.  They also planted the Brandon Vineyard.  Greg planted Winnipeg South Vineyard (which is now called Village Vineyard).

Sheri McConnel

Sheri works with World Vision in Toronto – she was our youth director.

Violet Rademaker – Multiplying Meatballs

Violet shares a miraculous story of provision.

 

Vineyard Fest! Welcome

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Welcome!

We are so grateful you’ve come to celebrate what God has done in and through this unique community called Winnipeg Centre Vineyard.  It’s been 20 years since the prayer meetings in David and Anita’s living room morphed into public gatherings.  If you were around in those early days in 1995, and haven’t been here in awhile, welcome back!  If you’ve more recently found yourself part of the WCV family, we hope this weekend will help you become more rooted in our story.

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The Elder team at our 2015 retreat.

A wise man once told us to “Walk backwards into the future”.  In other words, where we come from will influence where we’re going.  As we meet in this place – this traditional Anishinabe and Treaty One territory – we want to recall the stories that have formed us and the powerful ways God has shaped us.  However, we don’t want to get caught in mere nostalgia, simply telling stories of the “good ole days”.  Our hope is that something will stir in our spirits as we trace the arc of WCV’s narrative and, in doing so, that we will be inspired into our future together.
As Paul said, “[…] he who began a good work in you will complete it.”  It’s a plural “you”.  God has been working since those early prayer meetings in the Ruis’ living room, and he’s still moving and active among us; forming us into his likeness.  Our prayer is that we will come out of this Vineyard Fest! celebration with a deep sense of gratitude for the past and renewed vision to propel us into the future.

~Andy for the pastoral team

Schedule:

Friday, 7pm

Worship led by David Ruis

“Stories that Shaped Us – Vision to Call Us” – staff telling pivotal WCV stories.

Saturday, 11am – 5:30pm

Neighbourhood Party (see below for details)

Saturday, 7pm

Worship led by WCV band

“Stories that Shaped Us – Vision to Call Us” – David and Anita Ruis

Sunday, 10am

Worship led by David Ruis

“Stories that Shaped Us – Vision to Call Us” – Noel Isaacs & Others

Neighbourhood Party

Since we never do anything without the thought of inviting others along for the journey, we have invited our neighbourhood to come and celebrate with us.  We want our celebration to be an actual blessing to our neighbours; one that will launch us into a new season of everything God has for us and our neighbourhood.

The Neighbourhood party will be in the Greenspace, parking lot and Vineyard Memorial Path and will include the following:

  •       Pancake Brunch: 11am – 12 noon
  •       Kids’ Activities (pony rides, bouncy castle, face painting): 11am – 2pm
  •       Live Music in the Greenspace: 11am – 5pm
  •       Prayer Tents: 12 – 5pm
  •       BBQ Feast: 4:30pm – 5:30pm

Share Your Stories

Unfortunately, there won’t be time this weekend to hear about all the ways God has worked in and through WCV over the years.  Nonetheless, we’d love to collect your thoughts, pivotal stories or prayers for WCV as we look to the future.  If you have something to share, please record a short video and post it to our Facebook page.  Some of these will be collected and shown in our Main Sessions.  Please keep them short (2 mins max, 30 seconds is great).  You can post them on our WCV Facebook Page.

Child Care

There is no childcare or kids’ programming scheduled during the Friday and Saturday Main Sessions.  The Sunday morning session will have our normal “Kids’ Church” activities.  All children must be signed into our Kid Check system, which is set up at the South Door Foyer (by the elevator).  The Neighbourhood Party is totally for kids!

The Nursing Moms’ room is available at any time during the main sessions for those who want some more privacy.  It’s located in the North-West corner of the sanctuary (opposite end from the Kitchen).

WCV Timeline

We know that any timeline will do a disservice to the numerous big and small things God has done in our life together.  Many people have contributed to WCV over the years – too many to list here.  This is simply a brief overview of significant events, incidents and leadership over the past 20 years.

1994 – David and Anita Ruis – The heart in the heartland!  They meet John and Violet Rademaker at a worship event in BC.

1995 Summer – A small group begins to meet in the Ruis’ living room in Winnipeg to pray and articulate vision.

1995 Fall – 960 Main St. is acquired for office space and a Ministry Centre.  Weekday prayer meetings and Drop-in begin.

1995 Oct – First public Sunday morning gathering at Living Bible Explorers.

1995 Nov – Sunday gatherings begin at Jubilee Place @ MBCI.  During this period the Pastoral team includes various combinations of: David & Anita Ruis, Jan & Coral Steffan, John & Violet Rademaker, and Brian & Shannon Creary.  Colin & Cynthia Lees later join the pastoral team.  Many others were also involved in various capacities, coming and going throughout the years.

1996 Sept – The Fragrance of Justice conference with John Wimber & Jackie Pullinger.

1996 – Sunday gatherings begin in Bethlehem Aboriginal Fellowship’s building on Burrows and Charles.

1998 – Noel & Dona Isaacs visit for 3 months and are sent out to plant the Kathmandu Vineyard in Nepal.  “Fragrant Oil” worship album released.

1999 – Nathan & Kendra Rieger join the pastoral team.  Andy & Beckie Wood start the first Vineyard School of Justice.  “Shake off the Dust” worship album released.

2001 – “The Mystery” & North End Artist’s Collective “No Fixed Address” albums released.

2002 Spring – David and Anita move to Los Angeles.

2002 Summer – WCV moves out of Burrows and meets in David Livingstone School, 960 Main St. and Winnipeg Christian Centre on Provencher while we search for a permanent home.

2002 – 782 Main St. is given to WCV after giving our building fund to the Kathmandu Vineyard for them to purchase their home.  Renovations to main floor and ½ of 2nd floor.

2003 Spring – Move to 782 Main St. & sell 960 Main St.

2005 – Mike & Jodi join pastoral team as Children’s Pastors.  A group leaves to start Sanctuary House of Prayer.

2006 – Andy & Beckie Wood join Pastoral team.

2007 Mar – Flatlanders Inn opens (1st phase on the 2nd floor)

2009 Mar – Flatlanders Inn expands (2nd phase on the 3rd floor)

2010 Dec – Flatlanders Inn expands (3rd phase on the 3rd floor)

2011 Spring – Flatlanders Studio opens

2013 – Suhail Stephen reboots the Vineyard School of Justice

2015 April – Earthquake hits Himalayan Region – WCV coordinates world-wide response.

2015 – Suhail Stephen joins staff team as Drop-in Pastor.

2015 – “Within and Without” worship album released.

Our youth have had a number of directors and leaders serve them over the years including: Nolan Clark, Jason & Loraleigh Epp, Sheri McConnell (who also spearheaded Student Revival & Downpour Youth events), Adria Penner, Tim & Tara Klassen, Robb Massey, Jeff Leighton, Sebas & Beckah Hodder, Cornelius & Tania Martens, Ian Williams and currently James & Lynelle Ryan.

Our children have had a number of Children’s coordinators / directors serving them including: Lilian Poetker, Cathy Barclay, Nancy Saura, Joyska Schmidt, Mike Labun and currently Jodi Labun.

Other various ministries and communities have spun out of WCV or have been part of the swirl in one way or another.  These include Andrew & Tami Smith, Rik & Zara Leaf and Kim Johnson who were part of the Artists Collective.  Jan and Coral Steffan planted the Brandon Vineyard which is now pastored by Ed & Lynn Creary who were part of WCV in the early days.  Joe Eapen, Derek & Joy Eidse, Jason & Theresa Eheler, Greg & Theresa Trask, Doug & Rachelle Houlbrook & David & Anita Ruis and others spearheaded the Freedom House.  Gregg & Irene Musselmen, Lindsay & Lois Ward and Sean & Natasha Hogan with the Winnipeg South Vineyard (which is now the Village Vineyard).  Robb and Christa Massey and a team of people from WCV planted the Vineyard in Elmwood.

Nepal and the Himalayan Region has seen many trips (too many to mention).  Many families from WCV have spent time and sown into this vital relationship.  The “multi-month club” include Kevin & Heather Attkey, Ken & Bonnie Lewis & family, Rod & Elisa Jersak & family, Mike & Jodi Labun & family and others.

Mercy In Action in the Philippines has also been a significant connection for WCV.  Andy & Beckie Wood, Steve & Susan Wintoniw, Jason & Theresa Eheler, Jennifer Stephen, Karina Lewis, and Jon & Tracy Mullet and others have all spent significant time cultivating this relationship.

Flatlanders Inn began in prayer in 2005 and came to fruition in 2007.  Since then the Leadership team has included Andy & Beckie Wood, Jeff & Amanda Leighton, Adam Ward, Sarah Coloumbe, Luke Mayhew, Sarah Hildebrand, Brendan & Kelly Dvorak and Laura Dahl with many others contributing, serving and learning in this context as Transitional Members or Interns.

Of course there are many other people who could be listed who have served and led in various capacities over the years (like Lillian Poetker our amazing bookkeeper and Jason & Yvonne Parks in worship).  We are grateful for the rich heritage of leadership and service in WCV.  Thanks to all and thanks to God!  Here’s to the Kingdom Come!

 

Within and Without

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We are thrilled about the release of our brand new worship album “Within and Without!” The album features 12 original songs from our community and is digitally released and distributed worldwide by Vineyard Worship Canada.

CD Sales

CDs are $15 and payment can be made by cash, cheque, or credit card. You can purchase the album at any of our Sunday services or by visiting our church office during office hours (Tuesday 9am – 5pm, Wednesday 9am – 3pm, Thursday 9am – 5pm).  You can also download a digital copy via iTunes.

Tracklist

01. Glorious One (written by Sherry Ansloos)
02. On and On (written by Sherry Ansloos)
03. Needing You (written by Jocelyn Armbruster)
04. Come Alive (written by Sonya Braun)
05. You Are With Us (written by Suhail Stephen)
06. Let Worship and Justice Kiss (written by Suhail Stephen)
07. We Dare to Believe (written by Krista Heide)
08. One Heart, One Mind (written by Nathan Rieger)
09. Prodigal Son (written by Nathan Rieger)
10. You’re Right Here (written by Stephanie Woelke)
11. Worthy is the Lamb (written by Sherry Ansloos)
12. Christ as a Light (written by Brian James)

Information

The phrase “within and without” is part of a Celtic prayer that we have used frequently at WCV and Flatlanders (the prayer also comprises the words of one of the songs on the album). The Celtic prayer is itself adapted from another famous prayer written around 430 A.D called St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

In the Celtic prayer, the old English phrase “within and without” refers to a cry for Christ to immerse and surround the entirety of life – what’s going on inside and what’s going on outside. This inside/outside dynamic embodies the core values of worship and justice at WCV and how we long for both these values to “kiss” and have equal expression in the life of our community.

We long to love Jesus with all of our heart, mind, and strength, and we long to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. The two are entirely inseparable. We care about following, adoring, and cultivating intimacy with Jesus, and we care about mercy, compassion, and justice relative to those Jesus identifies with – those considered “least” in our world. We want Christ and his kingdom to permeate every aspect of our lives; to be a people who are always seeking to love God and others, within and without. The songs on the album reflect these defining impulses of our community.

Vineyard Fest! – a few more details

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Ok people.  Our 20th Anniversary Weekend party is approaching!  Here are some details:

Schedule:

We’re having 3 Main Sessions and a “Neighbourhood Party” all at 782 Main St.

  • Friday, Sept 25, 7pm: Main Session – Worship led by David Ruis, WCV staff sharing Pivotal Stories to Propel us into the future.
  • Saturday, Sept 26, 11am – 5:30pm: Neighbourhood Party (details below)
  • Saturday, Sept 26, 7pm: Main Session – Worship led by a WCV Band, and David & Anita Ruis will speak – Stories that Formed us, Vision to Call Us.
  • Sunday, Sept 27, 10am: Main Session – Worship led by David Ruis, and Noel Isaacs will speak.

Neighbourhood Party

Saturday, 11am – 5:30pm

We don’t just want to get together to recall the “good ole days” – we want our celebration to be an actual blessing to our neighbourhood and one that will launch us into a new season of everything God has for us and our neighbourhood.  We want to celebrate together as we look to the future.  Our Neighbourhood party will be in the Greenspace, parking lot and Vineyard Memorial Path and will include the following:

  • Pancake Brunch: 11am – 12 noon
  • Kid’s Activities (pony rides, bouncy castle, games): 11am – 2pm
  • Live Music in the Greenspace: 11am – 5pm
  • Prayer Tent
  • BBQ Feast: 4:30pm – 5:30pm
  • Other things are in the works – if you have ideas and want to do them, contact the office.

If it rains (or snows!), we will move some of these activities inside and cancel others.

On Sunday, Sept 20, right after church, there will be a few small teams heading out to Turtle Island to invite people to our Neighbourhood Party.  If you want to join, please  contact the office.

Speakers & Guests:

David & Anita Ruis – They are the founding pastors of WCV and the current National Directors of Vineyard Canada.  After having felt the invitation from God to “bring the heart to the heartland” they relocated to Winnipeg in 1995.  WCV was birthed in their living room and quickly grew.

Noel & Dona Isaacs – They are the founding pastors of the Kathmandu Vineyard and current directors of the Himalayan Region Vineyards.  It was while they were living in Winnipeg for a few months in 1998 that the vision for a Vineyard church plant in Nepal was fully realized.  Since that time, WCV and the HRV have been joined together in friendship and family.

Silas & Sarita Rai – They are the founding pastors of the Namchi Vineyard in Sikkim India.  They are part of the Himalayan Region Vineyard leadership team.  This is their first visit to Canada, and they’ll be spending most of their time with their partner church, Cornerstone Vineyard in Winkler.  But we’re excited they’ll be joining us for part of our weekend!

Sharing Your Thoughts:

There won’t be time to hear all the ways God has worked in and through WCV over the years.  But we’d like to collect a series of thoughts, pivotal stories or perhaps words or prayers for WCV as we look to the future. You are invited to take a quick video and post it to our Facebook page.  Some of these will be collected and shown in our Main Sessions, and they all will be available for people to view on Facebook.  Please keep them short (2 mins max, 30 seconds is great).  You can post them here.

Helping Out:

Obviously we need a lot of help to pull this off well.  If you are willing and able to volunteer for a portion or all of the weekend, here are a few general areas we need volunteers in.  Please contact the office to be put in touch with the person who is organizing these areas.  If you have other ideas, or would like to help in a way not mentioned here, please let us know!

  • Food Prep & Service – Neighbourhood Party – Pancake Brunch & BBQ Supper
  • Security – mainly during the Neighbourhood Party
  • Welcome People – we need a small army of people to be especially welcoming of newcomers, especially during the Neighbourhood Party
  • Kid’s Activities (face painting, games, bouncy castle set-up, pony rides helpers) (normal Children Safety Checks apply)
  • Neighbourhood Invite Teams (on Sun Sept 20 after church)
  • Hospitality – we’d like to have coffee and snacks for the two evening sessions
  • Collaborative Art Project – we’d like to have an exterior art piece that everyone can participate in.

Other ideas? Please let us know!

Nepal Update: Lost Memories, New Homes

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It’s been awhile since the last update.  Monsoon season has been a difficult time without much progress in rebuilding.  The rains are typically from May to September, becoming most heavy throughout June and July.  By now it still rains but normally only once a day during the evenings.  Working in these conditions poses significant challenges.  The roads become greasy with mud and the worksites become difficult to access.  The saturated ground clinging to the sides of mountains occasionally loses its fight with gravity causing landslides and washouts.  In the height of the monsoon season this year, many people flooded into Kathmandu causing a new wave of refugees leaving the countryside for the relative stability of the city.  There are tent cities throughout Kathmandu hosting these displaced people.  Now it rains only once a day which has allowed work to continue.  It will kick into high gear when it dries up by the end of September.

Kothgaon

IMG_3646On Thursday, we visited the village of Kothgaon.  This is a small village of about 100 families perched on a mountain ridge overlooking the Kathmandu Valley.  Nearly all of the homes there are either destroyed or significantly damaged.  The homes that survived were made out of concrete and rebar, although many that look fine at first glance display ominous cracks upon closer inspection.  The Vineyard there has 18 families – 16 lost their homes.  In the weeks after the earthquake, we built 30 temporary shelters there.  13 permanent homes are now under construction for those in greatest need.  Some can afford to rebuild, others are destitute.  We will help both the Vineyard families and other non-Christians in the village who cannot afford to rebuild.  The same is true for the other villages in which we have churches.

Kothgaon – House on the Rise from WCV on Vimeo.

 

Lost Memories

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Kaila Ama and her grandson

We spent some time with Kaila Ama along with her son, daughter-in-law and their cute little guy.  Sitting under a tarp next to their temporary tin shelter she recounted the story of what happened when her home crumbled on April 26.  As she recounted her story, we sensed both gratitude and loss.  She told how immediately before the earthquake there was a gust of wind, then everything started to shake violently.  All the homes around her began to crumble including her own home.  Two stories of brick, stone and mud mortar came crashing down behind her as she ran to the field for protection where she began to pray – apparently with some fervency.  Through a small smile, she said that people thought she was crazy for kneeling in the field calling out to God like she did.  She stood up and told them that she was not crazy – she was just praying to her God who she insisted would keep her and her family safe.  He did.

Hearing the stories.

Hearing the stories.

Her countenance shifted as she told us of everything that was lost.  What hurt the most wasn’t the loss of property, but the loss of memories.  She lost a house, but she also lost a home in which she had lived for a very long time.  Clutching her grandson, she told how her family had grown up there, and that her husband had died there a year ago.  The earthquake took many memories that day, and we could tell this is what pained her the most.  As we sat with this dear sister in her makeshift shelter we cried, overwhelmed with both gratitude that her life was spared but grieving with her all the losses.  Together we prayed for healing and God’s presence to continue to envelop her as she moves into her new home in a few weeks.

 

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Reflections on Project Timothy

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We are so excited about what’s happening with the Vineyard youth in North America.  We flew down to PA to participate in a packed week of Vineyard teaching, prayer, prophetic, worship, and more.  It’s the second year in a row that we at WCV have joined in on this adventure.  Not only do the youth grow in their relationship with God but they experience that we are part of something larger.  We are part of God’s story in the Vineyard movement.  We are a global church building God’s kingdom on earth.

Here’s my reflection during our closing night of worship:

Injected with new surges of hope…new inspiration of faith. Growing in faith together with 80 teens from the East US coast and our crew from Canada is life-changing.   Surrounded by youth who are excited to be agents of change in our suffering world as they respond to God’s Spirit, is contagious. They have nothing standing in their way. Seeing these kids model church right out of Acts, restores my hope for humanity.   They’ve been changed, I’ve been changed.   God’s Spirit is calling this generation…they are responding.  

 

 

Men’s Lake Getaway registration

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What & Why:

One of Jesus’ most famous stories is about two sons and their father.  The younger son asks his father for his inheritance long before he is meant to have it (his father was still alive!) and after receiving it, goes and spends it on wild living.  He runs out of money, gets a job feeding pigs, and ends up starving.  Coming to his senses, he decides to return to his father’s house, and when he does, his father throws him an extravagant celebration.  The older son hears the music and is furious because though he’s always been a faithful servant to his father, he’s never been thrown a party.
Screen Shot 2015-08-12 at 12.49.40 PMWe are earthly sons of our parents and heavenly sons of God by faith – but what kind of sons are we?
Like the younger son we’ve all had moments where we’ve lost our way and ended up in the company of swine.
Like the elder son, we’ve all felt that despite how hard we have tried we haven’t gotten what was owed us.
Come and enjoy a weekend of reflection and fun (with great food!) as we dive into more of what it means to live as real sons of our father in heaven.

When & Where:

Sept 11 – 13, starts Friday night at 7:30pm.  Ends Sunday noon.

Rademaker Cabins on Lindsay Rd., Clearwater Bay, Ontario.  20 minutes East of the Ontario border just 2km East of Clearwater Bay.  Right on Lindsay Rd., drive straight in to Fire Rd 5 or 6.

Register:

Cost: $50 (partial subsidy available if needed).  Payment required with registration – Please include Cash or Cheque to Church Office or Cornelius (payable to Vineyard Men’s Getaway)

Bring: sleeping bag / bedding / tent if required (or wanted)

We have limited inside beds (first come basis) but lots of decks for tenting or mats!

Count me in!

Fill in the form below to register.  It will be sent to Cornelius Martens.

 

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WCV Album Artwork

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WCV is about to release a worship cd! We have been working on it over the last two years and we expect to release it at our 20th Anniversary Fest (September 25-27, 2015). The album has 12 original songs, features 8 songwriters from our community, and sounds fantastic!

The album title we have chosen is “Within and Without.” This phrase is part of a Celtic prayer that we have used frequently at WCV and Flatlanders (the prayer also comprises the words of one of the songs on the album). The Celtic prayer is itself adapted from another famous prayer written around 430 A.D called St. Patrick’s Breastplate.

In the Celtic prayer, the old English phrase “within and without” refers to a cry for Christ to surround the entirety of life – what’s going on inside and what’s going on outside. This inside/outside dynamic embodies the core values of worship and justice at WCV and how we long for both these values to “kiss” and have equal expression in the life of our community.

We long to love Jesus with all of our heart, mind, and strength, and we long to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. We care about following, adoring, and cultivating intimacy with Jesus, and we care about mercy, compassion, and justice relative to those Jesus identifies with – those considered “least” in our world. We want Christ and his kingdom to permeate every aspect of our lives; to be a people who are always seeking to love God and others, within and without. The songs on the album reflect these defining impulses of our community.

We would like to invite you to submit original artwork for consideration for the album cover based on the theme “Within and Without.” Submissions are due by 10am, Sunday, August 23. You are welcome to submit an actual painting, design, etc., or a digital photo of it. If you submit a digital photo, please email Blair Barkley at gallery@flatlandersstudio.org and ensure that the photo meets these specifications:

File Format: JPEG or TIFF
Resolution: 300 dpi

Dimensions: At least 8″ x 7.75″

Once we review all the submissions, we will make a decision about the cover and you will be notified about your piece. If you have any questions, please contact Blair Barkley, Krista Heide, or Suhail Stephen via the means below:

Blair: gallery@flatlandersstudio.org
Krista: kristaheide@gmail.com
Suhail: suhailstephen@gmail.com

Vineyard Global Family Reflection

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During the week of July 6 -10, three of us from Winnipeg Centre Vineyard, along with our dear friend Noel Isaacs from the Himalayan Region Vineyard churches, attended the Vineyard USA National Conference in Columbus, Ohio. This was no ordinary national conference, however, as Vineyard people from around the world were invited to participate in a “rich, intentional ‘family reunion’ [to] celebrate our roots, calling, and destiny together.”

The conference was hosted at the immense premises of Vineyard Columbus and within minutes of arriving I met a person from Turkey, another from Kenya, and (as if that beggars belief) still another from Ohio. Our movement is comprised of over 2,400 churches in 75 countries worldwide; amazingly, around 60 countries were represented at the conference.

It’s easy to focus on what God is doing within our local faith communities, but amidst a palette of people from many tribes, tongues, and nations, I was again reminded that we are part of something far greater that God is doing across the earth. It is humbling when the limitlessness of his kingdom becomes visible and it is particularly inspiring to realize that we have Vineyard brothers and sisters – propelled with similar vision – from so vast an expanse. We are far from alone. Even more, despite our geographic and cultural diversity, there was a palpable sense of togetherness and camaraderie amongst us throughout the conference. It really felt as if we had known each other for ages. We are a closely knit family, growing closer still and, as was said frequently during the week, we are “better together.”


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Worship

Each session began with worship and the first time we sang together, we sang in Swahili! Every worship time featured a pair of different worship leaders as well as an additional language to English. This was a wonderful testimony to the diversity of our movement. Add to this our gifted worship leaders, the sound of thousands of us singing our hearts out to God, and a lovely sense of Jesus’ presence as he inhabited our praises and it’s little wonder that our times of worship were so spectacular. Worship is such a hallmark of the Vineyard and at our gatherings it was both obvious and encouraging to see (and hear!) how deeply it characterizes us.


There were several meetings alongside the main sessions, one of which was a worship leader lunch. Several hundred worship leaders gathered in the gymnasium and after lunch, David Ruis shared a few reflections on simple devotion to Jesus. He asked us to open our hands and invited the Spirit to come and as we did, it began to rain outside. There was something refreshing, even magical, about the room being silent except for the sound of rain. Somehow, it feels as if a new spring of worship is upon us! We so desperately need God’s life and presence to rejuvenate us, to fill us with new creativity and artistry, and to sustain our hearts as we go on to lead others in worship. May we always remember that we are first worshippers and lovers of Jesus whom, by some grace, he’s invited and entrusted to serve in worship in our communities.

The Kingdom of God

We are also a kingdom people – bristling with an expectancy that the glory of God’s kingdom can break into the present at any moment and all the while steadied by the notion that its fullness – when all things are made new – is yet to come. In the midst of worship one evening we laid hands on and prayed for all those who needed healing. In the midst of worship on the last evening, David Ruis and Noel Isaacs led us in a very powerful time of crying out and interceding for our family in the Himalayan region devastated by the earthquake. We celebrate healing and empathize with suffering, and our worship rightly featured both. May we continue to faithfully hold this important kingdom tension.

“Come, Holy Spirit” and Everyone Can Play

I was overjoyed with the many ministry time opportunities throughout the week as we gave space and time for the Holy Spirit to do what only he can do. It was especially encouraging to see hundreds upon hundreds of people receiving prayer, and hundreds upon hundreds of people praying for them. There was no sense of elite ministry personnel; rather in true Vineyard fashion, we were all invited to participate. Without doubt, the Spirit was gracious in his power, presence, and gifts during these times and I believe God touched many people in deep and significant ways.

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Teaching

The teaching was superb and featured a variety of speakers from around the world (Brazil, Zambia, and South Africa to name a few). John and Eleanor Mumford – National Directors of the UK and Ireland – began the first session, with the latter giving an articulate and impassioned portrait of our distinctive Vineyard values. If anyone was on the fence about whether they’d like to be part of this thing or not, her talk would’ve surely tipped the balance! The next morning, Rich Nathan – pastor of Vineyard Columbus – provided a truly fantastic outline of Jesus-centred leadership and its expression in the Vineyard.

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Reconciliation

An especially poignant talk was by Rev. Dr. Charles A. Montgomery, who shared brilliantly about the kingdom being a place where dividing walls of hostility come down. Against the backdrop of recent incidences in Charleston and Ferguson highlighting racial division in America, and coming from an African-American preacher who vulnerably shared his own journey in racial reconciliation, it was incredible to hear such a clear, prophetic call towards being people who prioritize following Jesus above mere cultural allegiance.

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It was a stirring talk, understandably received with a standing ovation. Martin Buehlmann – who along with his wife serve as National Directors in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland – had both the sensitivity and maturity to forego his planned talk (scheduled immediately afterward) in place of facilitating a time of reconciliation, saying “We have to respond.”

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There was a sober call for any who felt particularly convicted of racism to come forward for prayer. People trickled forward and as they did, they too received a standing ovation. After this, several people groups – African Americans, Africans, and Indigenous people from around the world – were called forward as others – on behalf of their own groups – asked for forgiveness for being disrespectful, judgmental, and exclusive. Words do not do justice to the weight of the moment, which is perhaps why Phil Strout – National Director of the USA – described what was happening as a “kairos moment.” Suffice to say it was a sweet, profoundly moving kingdom moment in the conference – perhaps even a watershed one.

Justice

Nathan and I attended a Vineyard Justice Network (VJN) breakfast, where around 130 people who are either interested or involved in justice-related work in their churches gathered to fellowship and network. I was one of two peopled asked to briefly share about the personal meaningfulness of the VJN summit two years ago in Chicago. I spoke about how the summit helped enlarge vision for drop-in – not that we would simply have a more efficient, effective ministry, but that we would also have an eye on what it would take to eventually close down. In other words, what would we need to do to end poverty in our neighbourhood?

I also attended a Vineyard Educators and Trainers forum where, in light of our recent articulation agreement with Vineyard Institute, I shared about the vision of the Vineyard School of Justice. I met with other leaders of Vineyard discipleship schools including Heroic Leadership Institute and School of Kingdom Ministry and it was fun to brainstorm about what collaboration might look like.

Both these gatherings were helpful in terms of connecting with and learning from other people involved in justice and education, as well as enhancing exposure about what we do at WCV and in the SOJ.

At the very least, a family reunion ought to evoke joy for those who participate – joy in actually gathering together and a kind of rejuvenated, subsequent joy in being associated with one another.

The Vineyard is not the only movement in the world. It is not even the coolest or best. Nonetheless, it is a movement of God’s making. I loved being with our people during the conference and couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of the Vineyard Global Family. May we continue to be a people of joy, loving each other well and bringing delight to our Father.

To hear audio from the sessions as well as to order DVDs of the conference, visit Vineyard Resources.

Nepal Update: The Other Side

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At the Vineyard Global Gathering a few weeks ago, there was a poignant moment of worship and intercession for Nepal.  David Ruis and Noel Isaacs led a song of lament and longing – a song of hope and pleading on behalf of the Himalayan Region.  It was powerful and raw and you can view part of it in the clip below.  Lament coloured with hope.  Healing amidst pain.  The Kingdom coming, the Kingdom here.  Come Jesus.

You can watch more here for a limited time (It’s the Thursday evening recording).  Skip to 1:03:20 on the recording to view more of the intercession and song for Nepal.

>Please continue to PRAY.

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Nepal Update: Pray

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Pray

The power of prayer is on display in the Nepali earthquake response. In the midst of such an extreme humanitarian crisis, it’s easy to get into work mode. It’s also easy to recognize one’s own insufficiency. We’ve realized that for as much work that gets accomplished, it’s not going to add up to much if God isn’t doing more. In other words, even in huge disasters like this, we must still do what the Father is doing. This thought has kept prayer on the forefront of our response and has undergirded all the activity this crisis has generated. Practical response and prayer are both critical, and remain so – perhaps more now than ever.

Noel recounted to me the incredible sight of people worshipping in Chhampi. They were totally given to worship, even while their own homes were in shambles. They have come to know God as, what Psalm 91 calls, their “defender and protector.” Their attitude isn’t a normal response to devastation of this magnitude. Despondency and hopelessness would seem to be a more natural result, however the opposite is their reality. Yes, there is trauma, which will take years to work through. Yes, there are moments of despair. Yes, there are homes and livelihoods that need to be rebuilt. But each and every person is being bathed in prayer, which has made all the difference. Our prayers have lifted them. This is the power of a praying community.

 

Thank you for your prayers. We’ve received wisdom, grace, strength and even strategy as a result. But most of all, we’ve seen Jesus as we follow him into the lives of those hardest hit and work together to see his Kingdom come in the Himalayas as in heaven. Please keep praying! The work is only just beginning.

  • Wisdom – for local leaders determining how and who to help
  • Protection – from corruption & thieves
  • Hope – for everyone affected
  • Rest – for the leaders
  • Provision – to accomplish all God’s set out for us to do

Landslides

One unfolding situation that needs both prayer and practical response is the landslides.  The Earthquakes and daily tremors have disturbed the ground conditions which are now being saturated with monsoon rain.  These have triggered many landslides.  Reports indicate that in recent days over 70,000 people have flooded into Kathmandu from the villages to get away from these unstable conditions.  Many have family in the capital who are staying in unstable structures, but others are simply setting up tents and tarps in available space. This is putting strain on the capital region and has the potential to develop into a full-scale crisis.  Please pray into this pressing situation.

>Please continue to PRAY.

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