Into the Shadows & Darkness to Light: Easter Experiences

Posted on March 28, 2017April 17, 2017 by Andy Wood

Easter is the number one celebration for followers of Jesus. In terms of importance it ranks higher than Christmas – a fact that is lost on most of our children, and, let’s face it, many of us adults too. We just like the cradle more than the cross. In a similar way, we typically skip over the discomfort and pain of Good Friday preferring to jump straight to Easter Sunday – joyfully imbibing all the excitement and energy of the resurrection. We are right to be excited and energized by Jesus’ resurrection (and our eventual resurrection too, by the way!). However, in our excitement for Sunday, we miss the gifts offered in Good Friday and Holy Saturday. If we resist the urge to short-circuit and if we linger in the way of the cross on Good Friday, and the nothingness of Holy Saturday, our celebration on Sunday will take on a whole other quality. It will be enriched in a beautiful way. Light is most brilliant when juxtaposed with darkness.

Good Friday: Into the Shadows

Walk of the Cross, 6pm – 7pm

To that end, we want to invite you to participate in our Good Friday: Into the Shadows experiences. We will have a Walk of the Cross like we haven’t done before. We will journey with Jesus as we consider his final supper in Jerusalem, the agony of the knowledge of what was to come in Gethsemane, his betrayal on the Mount of Olives and his Trial in Jerusalem. As we walk with the physical cross we will stop at various points throughout the neighbourhood to consider our own crosses – find our own ways to connect with Jesus on this guided journey. Wear appropriate attire and walking shoes.

Up “The Hill of the Skull”: A Good Friday service, 7pm – 8pm

Then we’ll come back to the church for our Good Friday Service (first one ever) and consider and experience his journey to what they called Golgotha, the “place of the skull”, where he was crucified. We will also be with him as they laid his body in the tomb. This service will employ all the senses. It will be a visceral experience. We encourage everyone to participate in both the Walk of the Cross and this service, however if you can’t make it on the walk, you’re still welcome to join this Good Friday service. Children are welcome (we will talk about death and the crucification and will nail our own stuff to the cross, literally, but it won’t be gratuitous).

Fasting: Friday – Sunday

Our Fasting will begin on Friday continue through Saturday – a day of apparent nothingness, and be broken on Sunday. The seed placed in the ground. Waiting. Our fasting echoes this “giving up” that Jesus did. You can fast for the whole weekend, or part of it. You can choose to fast from food, or anything else you feel God may be inviting you to give up. Ask him. This small sacrifice isn’t to earn favour, nor is it some attempt to somehow twist God’s arm into getting something you want. Rather, it’s a physical act of solidarity with Jesus. It’s a discipline and it’s a pain. Every time your stomach reminds you that you’re hungry (or every time you go to check your phone – if you’re fasting from social media), etc, you can recall what Jesus did and is doing and you can offer a prayer of solidarity to Jesus. When we break the fast on Sunday morning, we are rising with him – emerging from darkness to the glorious light of his resurrection – feasting on the new life he has for us and the whole world!

Resurrection Celebration: Sunday, 10am

Of course, this brings us to Easter Sunday. We will party, worship and celebrate his accomplishment all morning – all of us (Downstairs & Upstairs, children and youth all together). Emerging from the shadows of the weekend, and blinking from the dazzling, blinding light of the resurrection, we will celebrate the first glimmers of the new creation – and we’ll invite more (and he’ll show up)!

Good Friday: Into the Shadows (April 14)

6pm, Walk of the Cross (NOTE THE DIFFERENT TIME FROM PREVIOUS YEARS)
7pm, Up “The Hill of the Skull”: a Good Friday Service
Fasting Begins

Sunday: Darkness to Light (April 16)

10am, Resurrection Celebration
Fasting Ends

A Few Shifts In Leadership

Posted on March 23, 2017March 23, 2017 by Andy Wood

We’re excited about a few changes in leadership in the Vineyard. Some of these shifts are just a normal part of the ebb and flow in the community. Others have been worked on by the Pastoral and Lay elders for quite some time now. In either case our heart is to respond to what the Holy Spirit is inviting us to right now. At our Community Meeting (Annual General Meeting) on March 18, we affirmed these shifts. We can really say, like they did in the book of Acts, “it seems good to us and the Holy Spirit.”

These changes will serve to describe and clarify what is already happening, as well as posture the church for future growth as we engage in Jesus’ mission as he builds his church.

Pastoral Executive:

In the early days of WCV, it was very clear that we had a Lead Pastor. This language and reality was reflected in many practical ways. It is still written in our Bylaws. Since those days, we’ve had a variety of teams which have had their strengths and weaknesses. Our current pastoral team (including Pastoral Elders and Ministry Staff) works very well together. However, we’ve encountered a few areas in which we need more focus and delineation of roles. While we recognize that titles don’t mean much if they don’t match function, clear roles are important for any organization or organism to thrive. Giving someone a title won’t really do much if they’re not already functioning in some way in that position – that’s just not how the Spirit usually works. However, clarifying roles and expectations is a very healthy endeavour.

>>On March 18 we changed the language in our Bylaws to reflect what is currently happening. Specifically, we changed from Lead Pastor to Pastoral Executive, and affirmed Nathan and Andy in that role.

The title “Pastoral Executive” brings with it some expectations of what it means, but also remains flexible enough that we can fill it with our own meaning. Ideally, it will preserve our current strengths as a pastoral team and create room for future growth. It does not eliminate the possible future role of having one lead person, but creates room for other scenarios, like the one we have now with Andy and Nathan.

Partially, this is clarifying what is already happening – just not everyone knows it because it’s primarily behind-the-scenes. However, it does address the gaps left in the absence of one commissioned Lead Pastor.

>>Why this shift?:

1) To Update the Bylaws

Our Bylaws have never been updated from the days of “Lead Pastor”. How we have been operating, is not what’s reflected in the Bylaws.

2) To Provide Clarification

It is a time of leadership clarification in general for WCV. This work is mostly behind the scenes, but it will result in more adhesion to the vision, particularly amongst the various teams and leaders.

Specifically, this means clarifying where authority rests, how decisions are made, and the scope of the various groups of leaders.

3) To Posture WCV for Growth

When more / future people are added to the staff team and/or invited into other areas of leadership, there needs to be clarity regarding roles and decision making responsibilities. It will help delineate limits of authority, responsibility and clarity of focus for all leaders.

It will free the Pastoral Executive to care for the health and growth of staff team members and the leadership team as a whole. This is one part of the “Lead Pastor” role that has been functioning on an ad-hoc basis. This will lead to healthier teams and a healthier church.

4) To Increase Efficiency & Effectiveness

In order to be effective as a staff team, we need better division of labour. If the whole team is charged with caring for the “big picture”, it disempowers individual members of the team to lead in their respective areas. This does not mean that we cease to function as a team and stop casting vision for the church together. Nor does it mean that the Pastoral Executive comes up with all the vision and direction. Rather, the Pastoral Executive is responsible for attending to, and articulating vision via a collaborative process. The Spirit will speak and vision will come from a wide variety of sources. Vision is discerned in a communal process with the whole leadership team. It is one of the responsibilities of the Pastoral Executive to attend to this process.

>>What will the Pastoral Executive do?

Well, a lot of what Nathan and Andy are already doing – it’s organic. However, there are a few areas that are not being done as well as they should be in the absence of someone commissioned to do them. The Pastoral Executive will attend to each of these roles:

1) Vision Keepers

Overseeing and coordinating the collaborative development and implementation of vision. This includes taking time to be inspired and tending to key relationships within and outside of WCV (Vineyard Canada, International Vineyard, etc.).

2) Team Leaders

Leading, caring for, and providing accountability to the leadership team (Pastoral & Lay Elders, Ministry Staff & Coordinators). Tending relationships with all core leaders in WCV (eg. BOD, coordinators). They will not function as “bosses”. In the context of the staff team they will maintain our posture of mutual respect and challenge of one to the other, including mutual accountability.

3) Focused on Growth & Equipping

Training and mentoring others to reproduce themselves. Development of discipleship and leadership strategies and tracks.

Pastoral Staff Changes:

Some of the other ebbs and flows of leadership are:

Jodi: from Children’s Pastor to Generations Pastor

Mike was brought on the team over 12 years ago as the “Children’s Pastor”. Jodi assumed this role over 7 years ago. At that time it was a half-time position. As our children have grown in numbers (yes, we’re quite the prolific crew!) her position has also increased incrementally to the point where last year (in 2016) Jodi was working ¾ time for WCV.

During the same time period, our needs have increased in other areas as well. Jodi has been key in helping us think through what it means to disciple the next generations in a good way. In particular, she’s paid attention to those key transition times in a young person’s life: from being child to a pre-teen, a pre-teen into the teen-aged years, etc. Club 56, the various incarnations of Jr. and Sr. Youth groups, as well as activities like Project Timothy have all contributed positively to the overall growth of this important and growing area in WCV. We are also thinking about other key transitions – like how do our youth find a place in the church when they become young adults?

Jodi is no longer overseeing only our Children’s ministries, but has become what we’re calling a “Generations Pastor”. We think this will more clearly reflect what we need in this season and will mean she oversees and will think through how to create a community that welcomes and empowers our next generations through their various transitions.

Suhail

Suhail has grown into a key Ministry Staff person. He is present at all staff meetings and contributes in a variety of wise and helpful ways. His two primary areas of direct leadership are as the Drop-in Pastor and the Director of the School of Justice (see below for reports on both these areas). Additionally, he coordinates the worship bands (see below) contributes to preaching and teaching, is on the Prayer Oversight team, and administers the School of Spiritual Direction (see below). There are some exciting new developments for Suhail which are outlined in his reports below.

John & Violet

John has been phasing out of micro management for the last few years. Today we he has been able to hand off some key areas to younger leaders, while remaining present for support, mentoring and advice. John’s continuing responsibilities are macro financial oversight and resource for BOD and staff as well as HRV Financial and asset management including KTM Rebuild Project.

Violet remains involved as she is able. Currently this means actively mentoring the Prayer Oversight Leadership team.

New Board of Director Members:

The Board of Directors is responsible for all financial and asset related matters in WCV. The current Board of Directors members are: Ben Kelly (chairperson), Stephen Fligg, Andrew Chan, Paul Ansloos and John Rademaker (ex-officio).

We are excited to announce that Marlese Hazeu and Cornelius Martens were ratified as members of the Board of Directors on March 18. Both Marlese and Cornelius bring passion, expertise, unique perspectives and, above all, a love for the church that is contagious. Board Members have a 3-year term, which is renewable.

WCV Leadership in a Picture:

Here’s what WCV looks like from an organizational perspective. This diagram is a tipped over pyramid. Unlike normal org charts this one is not top-down. We choose to be moving forward, following Jesus who is our centre, our goal and our guide.

(Click on the graphic to expand it)

Calling: thoughts behind the art (by Deyan)

Posted on March 9, 2017 by Andy Wood

Deyan Momtchilov recently created this piece during the wrap-up of our “Why On Earth?” series. Below are his reflections.

This piece was inspired by a series of sermons on the topic of calling, illustrated by the life of the biblical figure, David. It summarizes some of my thoughts on the subject, while highlighting pivotal questions, which I have left partially unanswered in order to allow room for contemplation on the part of the viewer.

Similar to previous works of mine, “Calling” revolves around a specific physical force, which I use as a metaphor to explore an abstract concept and make it more accessible.

The choice of materials becomes important, as I am trying to capture dynamic constructs, which seem to be more easily conveyed by media that can absorb and store the energy I put into them. And I mean this quite literally. While the pieces appear static at first glance, each of them is “loaded” with a charge of potential energy, which is deposited into the system by the physical interaction between me and the materials.

For this particular piece I used magnetism. It depicts calling as a draw in a specified direction and highlights the importance of proximity, which has direct impact on the magnitude of the force exercised on an object.

The steel needles represent individuals answering the call, while the threads outline their unique paths.

The arrangement was informed by several questions; I will name some of the more prominent ones in order to give my creative process some context.

One way of thinking about calling is as a synonym of destiny. It comes to fruition one way or another, and our oblivion or resistance only delay the inevitable. This view seems to be supported by the story of Jonah, who despite his rejection of a call to Nineveh, still ends up there. His journey includes unusual circumstances, which change his attitude along the way.

Another, perhaps less palatable example is Judas Iscariot. He fulfills a prophecy by betraying Jesus, which leads to the crucifixion and subsequently to the resurrection. Without this betrayal the most pivotal event in the gospel would not have occurred.

But was this Judas’ calling, his assigned role in the play we call life?

Or is calling, like the root of the word suggests, a call, an invitation that can be accepted or declined? Perhaps like Esau’s birthright, which he chose to trade in for some food in a moment of weakness?

Lastly, is a calling one specific mission, or is it a lifestyle?

David was clearly called to be king, even though his destiny did not come to fruition for many years after he was anointed. But what was the calling of the poor widow, who gave her last two copper coins as an offering? Even though we don’t know much else about her, the widow’s actions on that day were likely a window into a lifestyle of generosity.

This opens the possibility of looking at calling as a journey rather than a destination.

A movie by the name of “The Fourth Wiseman” comes to mind. It outlines the storey of a supposed forth Wiseman on his way to Bethlehem to bring a gift to the newborn King. Along his trip, he encounters people in need and spends the rest of his life and the monetary value of the gift he carries in their service.

If we view calling as a gift, service or contribution that we can make, did the fourth Wiseman miss his? Or was this a case of what Jesus describes in the parable of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25, when he draws a parallel between “the least of his brothers and sisters” and himself personally?

Returning to the art piece, I think it is helpful to think of it as a visual aid or a meditative device that invites the viewers to engage with the topic and questions like the ones above. My hope is that this leads to contemplation and exploratory dialogue, which would draw the participants closer to each other and God in their pursuit of truth and meaning.

Community Meeting (AGM)

Posted on March 9, 2017March 23, 2017 by Andy Wood

At the Outer Circle gathering on March 18, we’ll be doing some significant business as a church community. On Sunday March 12, we will have the specific proposals and other information available in a printed booklet. If you are on our newsletter email list, you will receive a digital copy on Thursday, March 9. Please review these booklets before the church meeting on March 18. We certainly welcome any comments or questions about anything in the booklet.

Here’s a quick rundown of what to expect:

Supper – just like a normal Outer Circle Gathering. Starts at 5:30pm. Everyone’s welcome!
Financial updates including a 2016 report and the budget for 2017.
A few key Shifts in Leadership.
Updating our Bylaws (which requires ratification by the members) including proposals for a new definition of Membership, Pastoral Executive, inclusion of gender neutral language and a few other tweaks.
Two New BOD Members (Marlese Hazeu & Cornelius Martens).
“Views from Here” which are updates from a number areas in WCV – including a few significant changes.
We will try to wrap up by 8pm.

All these proposals, changes and updates are outlined in the booklet. Please pick one up and review it before the March 18 meeting. Some of these proposals require ratification by a vote of the membership.

Everyone is welcome to come – please do!

>>A Note about Membership:

If you are unsure if your name is on the current membership list, please check with Vanessa Lewis (WCV Administrator) who will be set up at a table at the meeting. If you are in the Outer Circle, your name is automatically included. If you have indicated to the office that you’re doing something similar to meeting in a Triad, like what’s described here, then your name will be on the list. If your name isn’t on the list, just let Vanessa know and you’ll be added.
Only current members will be able to participate in voting.
We realize there is some confusion about formal membership in WCV. We’ve heard you and apologize for any hurt this confusion has caused. For this reason we’re proposing a new definition, which is described in the booklet.

>>If you require childcare, please sign-up up with the office. This is especially important if you do not normally come to the Outer Circle gatherings.

Saturday, March 18, 5:30pm – 8pm

Himalayan Region Vineyard Travel Details

Posted on February 23, 2017April 13, 2017 by Andy Wood

Will You Join Us?

We’re excited about taking a team of WCVers to India and Nepal – would you consider joining us? John, Nathan and Andy are going and we’re hoping there will be more! There will be a large gathering of people from all across the Himalayan Region, and others who have been involved in Nepal to celebrate and commission the Himalayan Region Vineyards as it’s own Association of Vineyard Churches. More info on that here. It’s an exciting opportunity to connect and contribute.

Below are some details that may help you decide if you should go or not.

Possible Itinerary:

Sun, Sept 24: Leave Winnipeg
Tues, Sept 26: Arrive in Siliguri, India
Wed, Sept 27, 3pm – Friday, Sept 29, evening: Conference in Siliguri, India.
Sat, Sept 30: Fly to Kathmandu, Nepal
Sat, Sept 30 – Tues, Oct 3: Visit Kathmandu Vineyard & Village churches (Kothgaon and/or Chhampi), see the sights of Kathmandu (temples, Thamel district, etc).
Wed, Oct 4: Leave Kathmandu
Thurs, Oct 5: Arrive in Winnipeg

NOTE: This itinerary is subject to change based on available flights and group interest in the Kathmandu portion of this trip. It’s flexible and is meant to give you an idea of what we could do.

Activities:

In Siliguri:

Visit Metanoia Vineyard. Visit people living on the Riverbed and distribute hampers.
During the conference, there will be amazing cultural worship, international Vineyard leaders will be speaking, and there will be plenty of time to connect and party with people from all across the Himalayan Region. There will also be great food and rice… lots of rice.

In Kathmandu:

Visit Kathmandu Vineyard.
Connect with our family there.
Visit outlying village churches (Kothgaon & Chhampi).
See some of the sights of Kathmandu (Thamel district, Pashupatinath, Durbar Square, etc).
See the recovery and rebuilding efforts.

Accommodations:

In Siliguri:

The conference will be held at a conference centre and hotel. All accommodations, meals and conference activities will be there.

In Kathmandu:

We will stay at a guesthouse (kind of like a cross between a bed and breakfast and hotel – Nepali style!)
We would be within walking distance (20 minutes) of Kathmandu Vineyard.

Planning Ahead:

You need to have a valid Passport that doesn’t expire within 6 months of travel.
Canadians need to apply for an Indian Visa ahead of time (you send your passport in to the Indian consulate and they issue a visa – this takes time). Canadians can apply for a Nepali visa in the airport upon arrival.
Check with your physician or the travel health clinic regarding recommended immunizations.
India and Nepal are nearly 12 hours ahead of us. This means that it takes a long time to get there and that jet-lag is a significant factor in recovery. Plan for a few days of recovery when you return to Winnipeg (don’t go back to work right away).

Approximate Costs:

Wpg – KTM – Wpg Flights: $1,500 – $1,900 (fluctuates depending on options and routing)
KTM – Siliguri – KTM Flight: $300 – $400 (flights purchased from Nepal)
Accommodations & Food: $500
Incidentals: $100 (ground transportation, tourist fees, etc)
Visas: $200

Approximate Total: $2,600 – $3,100

NOTE: These costs are all approximate. Fluctuations occur because of changes in flight schedules, exchange rates (some costs are always in USD), changes in itinerary, etc. We will get more accurate numbers closer to when we purchase tickets.

Subsidies:

Limited subsidies are available from WCV for this trip. Exact amounts of each individual subsidy will be determined when we know how many people are interested in going. If you require a subsidy, please indicate your interest as soon as possible. We will determine exact subsidies after the deadline May 31, 2017.

>>Updated Subsidy application deadline: ~~May 31, 2017.~~ May 1, 2017.

Please contact the Office if you’re interested in this trip.

Membership, OC & AGM

Posted on February 2, 2017February 2, 2017 by Andy Wood

We want to be a community in which nobody gets left out or left behind. This means relationship – lots of relationship! There are many organized venues for encouraging community (think Outer Circle, House Groups, Service opportunities, etc) and there are many organic opportunities (think lunch invitations, parties, farm days, etc). Both are valuable, however what follows concerns the organized variety…

Every year we keep an active membership roster. This is partly because we are required to by the government but it’s also a helpful way of keeping track of everyone who wants to be part of the Vineyard in this way. Currently our formal membership is defined in two ways:

Everyone who is in a Triad in the Outer Circle process. This doesn’t mean you need to come to the gatherings – but it does mean you participate in the process as outlined here.
Anyone else who is doing something similar to what is supposed to happen in Triads (House Groups are the best example of this). People who are doing something similar to the Outer Circle will: 1) intentionally and regularly get together with a small group of people, 2) know and be known by those people, and 3) actively engage in spiritual growth as described in our Core Practices.

You can read more about membership in the Vineyard here.

If you haven’t already done so for 2017, please submit your name to the office if want to be a formal member for 2017 as defined above. Count yourself in!

Our next Annual General Meeting will take place during our next Outer Circle gathering on March 18. Everyone is welcome to come, but only formal members are able to vote on items that require ratification by the membership. This year we’ll be presenting our budget for 2017 and our financial report for 2016, ratifying new Board of Director appointments and some constitutional amendments. We’ll communicate more about each of these items prior to the AGM.

In Memory of Cherilyn Leveque

Posted on January 31, 2017February 10, 2017 by Suhail Stephen

To my loving niece Cherilynn Leveque:

I never realized the love you left behind.
How kind and sharing you’d had been.
We all miss you dearly.
We all wish we could have you back
So we can sit and talk to you so dearly.
You left us all a life’s lesson, we commend you so dearly.
Live, Love, Laugh and Hug and give someone a smile.
Friendships and families are important
And cherish them so dearly.
Remember the less fortunate, the impoverished and the low
Because they may have been like you…
A niece we lost long ago.
Who was dealt life’s difficult blows.
Through it all you choose to smile to be that example indeed.
Live, Love, Laugh and Hug and give someone a smile.
Oh how I miss you so
I know you’re in heaven
Because there’s a savior who knows our deepest soul.
I know that you’re with me, I can feel you in my heart!
You’re now in the bosom of Jesus, safely in his arms!
Until we meet again my niece! Oh how I love you so!

~ Susan Henry, Cheri’s aunt

Cheri has managed to wiggle her head through the window of the bus. She’s gazing forward, smiling. It’s the end of farm day; we’ve had barbecued hot dogs and potato chips for lunch, and spent the afternoon swimming. The day is pleasant, filled with sunshine. I am waiting outside the bus, making sure we haven’t missed anyone. People are smiling at me and making faces through the windows. We are laughing at each other. I take out my phone to take pictures. Cheri wants me to take hers.

Of all the things I remember about Cheri, this is most vivid: she loved having her picture taken. She had a gift for recognizing and savouring joy. She was grateful. When she asked for a picture, it was her way of saying that she was delighted and that she was thankful.

I can still hear her laugh and see the way it illuminated her. She had kind eyes. She loved bingo and taco salad. Pictures don’t quite capture all that.

There was pain in her life, too. She was humble and vulnerable about it, unafraid to ask for help and to share when she was struggling. Her body was fragile and there were times we could only lightly lay hands on her as we prayed for her. Once, I remember kneeling down beside her at drop-in when she was having a seizure. She was shaking on the floor, in a fetal position, and couldn’t say a word. A few of us were alongside her, speaking quietly and reassuring her that we were there and that help was on the way.

WCV, and particularly Drop-In, was a home and family for Cheri. During one Celebration Sunday, she was even proposed to in the middle of a contemplative prayer exercise! I have no doubt that she knew that she was wanted here. On another Sunday, she took the microphone and, in front of everyone, gave WCV a framed sign as a gift and then proceeded to share some very personal things about her life with our congregation. It was a holy moment. A few people gathered around to pray for her. Our community was better because of her, and it was a privilege and an honour to be entrusted with her over these years.

Just before Christmas, on our last Drop-In gathering of the year, we took a picture. Amazingly, it wasn’t Cheri’s idea though I’m sure she was in hearty agreement. We all huddled together on stage, trying to fit into the frame. Cheri is front and centre, wearing a bright red Coca-Cola t-shirt, smiling at the camera. Sunlight is radiating through the windows behind us. Before the picture was taken, Cheri went and got the sign that she gave us that particular Sunday – it had been hanging in our sanctuary ever since, on stage. She’s holding the sign with both of her hands. “Friends.” That’s what the sign says. This is our last picture together, with her. In January of this year, Cheri took her own life.

Today, Cheri is with Jesus in paradise. I can only imagine what enduring vision of joy she is beholding now, how illuminated she is, and how amazing it must feel to at last be free of pain. We thank God for her life. And we look forward to gazing upon the beauty of our Lord together one day; the day to which every picture of joy, gratitude, and friendship points.