Posts that will appear in the weekly WCV Newsletter.
What a beautiful morning to hear from Anita Ruis and Dona Isaacs.
Both shared their wisdom of living out the story of following Jesus in their ministries. How blessed we are! (back left to right Violet, Debra, Krista and Jodi) (front left Dona and Anita)
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:
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!
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.
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
Worship led by David Ruis
“Stories that Shaped Us – Vision to Call Us” – staff telling pivotal WCV stories.
Neighbourhood Party (see below for details)
Worship led by WCV band
“Stories that Shaped Us – Vision to Call Us” – David and Anita Ruis
Worship led by David Ruis
“Stories that Shaped Us – Vision to Call Us” – Noel Isaacs & Others
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:
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.
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).
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!
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.
Ok people. Our 20th Anniversary Weekend party is approaching! Here are some details:
We’re having 3 Main Sessions and a “Neighbourhood Party” all at 782 Main St.
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:
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.
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!
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.
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!
Other ideas? Please let us know!
Check out this great video (2 mins) about our little tribe – our little part in the big picture of God’s Kingdom.
#VineyardGlobalFamily from Vineyard USA on Vimeo.
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:
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
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
On Sept 25, 26 & 27 Winnipeg Centre Vineyard will be celebrating 20 years!
It will be a celebration of everything God has done in and through us since 1995. It’ll be a party of God’s love and faithfulness. We will have friends David & Anita Ruis (Canadian National Directors & WCV Founders) and Noel & Dona Isaacs (Himalayan Region Vineyard Pastors and Director ) share pivotal stories that formed us and we will look to God as he leads us onward.
Neighbourhood Party ~ Worship ~ CD Release ~ Dancing ~ Stories ~ Prophecies ~ Music ~ Games ~ Inspiration ~ Vision ~ Bouncy Castle ~ Feast ~ Kid’s festival ~ Pancake Breakfast ~ and more!
Please share your stories! We’d love to hear some of you reflections, especially if you were around in the early days. What has God done in your life as a result of being part of WCV. Please consider sending us a note or a short (1 min max) video message. We also highly value any prayers or encouragements you may have for us. You can send them to Andy, or use the form below.
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This is the first international gathering of the Vineyard Family in many years and it’s being hosted by VineyardUSA. There are thousands of representatives from all across the world converging on Columbus, Ohio. It is promising to be a great time. Nathan and Suhail are going to be going along with Noel Isaacs. They’ll be hosting a meet-up about the Nepal Earthquakes and Suhail will be attending an international Vineyard educator’s forum representing the School of Justice.
You can view all the main sessions live right here.
July 6 – 9.
You can check out the schedule and speakers on their main site which is also where they’ll likely have information about getting recordings of the sessions.
Here’s the info you’ll need for both the camp-out and our Sunday gathering:
Bird’s Hill Provincial Park. Group Use Area #1, Site #2 (see the map below). Park in either lots 2a, 2b (closest to the Picnic shelter) or 2c (closest to the camping). All three of these parking lots service Site #2. There will be signs.
Click to enlarge map
Click to enlarge map
Friday, July 3 – Sunday, July 5. You can arrive after 11am on Friday. Check-out is 3pm on Sunday.
Bus leaves Friday from 782 Main at 6pm.
Bus leaves Sunday from 782 Main at 10am sharp!
If you need a ride on the bus, please contact Suhail at (204) 297-4031.
For the weekend please bring you own food. Generally we try to eat together – sharing inevitably happens – kind of like a pot luck. It’s not organized in any way, we just recognize that eating together is fun and a great way to get to know others.
For Sunday lunch, the church will provide a BBQ.
$10 per tent per night. Payable during the weekend.
There will be no service at 782 Main St on Sunday. Instead, we will gather at Bird’s Hill Provincial Park Group Use Area #1, Site #2. Please note it will start at 10:30. A bus will leave from 782 Main at 10am sharp (not Vineyard time) if you need a lift out for the day.
Myself (Andy), Nathan, Jodi & Mike spent 3 days in Cambridge Ontario last week with about 40 other leaders and pastors at the first “Metanoina” gathering that Vineyard Canada is piloting. It was a wonderful time full of laughter, prayer, tears, food, challenge and a whole lot more. I’m sure they will continue in some form or another given the success of this one. There are many highlights, including a quick skinny-dip in the local stream – but I’ll reflect the more edifying elements here.
Metanoia means “re-think” or “think again”. It seems that the Vineyard in Canada is in a season of not only doing that, but being re-envisioned, re-discovering our identity, re-tooling for our mission, re-forming our leadership, re-capturing our birthright, re-connecting with each other and re-engaging hope on a national level. It’s not that any of these were missing in previous years, but there does seem to be a tangible uplift happening across the country.
We gathered on the stunning grounds of the Cambridge Vineyard. It is situated in an oasis of ancient 
and towering maple, oak, pine and spruce trees. Nestled in this natural beauty is a collection of old stone buildings, some of which date back 200 years. It used to be a monastery before the Vineyard acquired them. The grounds are surrounded by an old (and crumbling) stonewall. There is a saying that, “we build buildings, and then they build us”. Gathering in such a beautiful spot, certainly enhanced the sense of beauty we experienced in each other and enriched our worship together. It was evident that great care was taken to curate our environment. Various works of art spoke to us from the walls and a series of sculptures pointed us Godward. Even the set-up for communion was lavish – much like our God. It inspired me to think more deeply about our own environments in which we gather. We often say the Eucharist is the central act of Christian worship, but we often act in a way that relegates the Communion table to the periphery. This must change.
Various “catalytic leaders” shared their hearts & ideas with us:
Vineyard Formation – Jon & Beth Stovell from Calgary talked about all the ways theological and spiritual formation is happening across the country. There are specific efforts at providing some synergy and collaboration among the various efforts.
Vineyard Pulse – Anita Ruis shared about this prayer and prophetic initiative, which will hear and pray the heartbeat of God for the Vineyard in Canada. They are taking practical steps to hear, envision and train those involved in prayer in churches across the country. There is an invitation to re-capture our particular Vineyard voice in these areas which is super exciting.
Vineyard Multiplication & Entrepreneurial Mission – Larry Levy, from Halifax, did a standup comedy routine – um, I mean he shared deeply church planting, citing a few recent initiatives. Todd Rutkowski, from Calgary, gave us some examples of entrepreneurial mission that might not fall under traditional church planting models, but they are working – so who cares about traditional models anyways, eh!? It’s wonderful to be part of a movement that can embrace both without being scared or intimidated by the other.
Vineyard Worship – Marc Pusch (New Brunswick) talked about the reemergence of this essential part of our movement, not as a business, nor a record label, but as a genuine reflection of our response to God in song and art.
Vineyard Engage – Beth Wood (Halifax) and myself shared our desire and plans to see the Vineyard in Canada fully engaged and speaking into all kinds injustice at local, national and global levels. I cried (and made others cry). It was a win.
We also heard from representatives of each region across the country. The general sense is that God is on the move. Ellie Mumford (UK) said/prophesied last year at Enlive that “Aslan is on the move!” This appears to be true. While there are varying degrees of loss experienced over the past number of years which varies from region to region, there is agreement across the country that good things are afoot. They may not be big, but they’re small! David and Anita Ruis’ leadership is instrumental in this. They’re doing a great job.
Please notice Caleb’s glasses. 😉
A Prophetic People
We did a lot of listening to each other, with many break-out and “whiteboard” sessions. However, we did have two sessions with Caleb Maskell, a founding member of the Society of Vineyard Scholars. Not only is he a great guy with stylin’ glasses (they’re almost identical to mine), he’s pretty smart and gave us a Spirit-filled challenge. He contended that we should rethink being primarily a “culturally relevant” people to embracing a “prophetic” posture. He said that the church is to be the “institutional memory of the people of God”. That is, we are to remind those around us (and ourselves) what God has done and demonstrate what God will do. Being a prophetic people means showing the world what it means to really be fully human.
The central act of Christian worship
Rooting ourselves in this kind of prophetic vocation will allow us to influence our cultures on a different level. Instead of getting irreparably bogged down in various issues, perhaps a better way is to call people into God’s story through Jesus. Caleb suggested the Eucharist is our most tangible expression of this, in which we have a “suffering God calling us to life”. We live in the tension that is most saliently displayed in the bread and wine. From this place of worship we extend the invitation to “encounter Jesus and live the story.”
Today we said a hearty “thanks” to Beth Neufeld, who has served as our administrator for the past four years. Beth has been faithful and has always made time for the less fortunate. We’ll still see her around WCV and she will continue in her leadership role with the Harbour. Thanks Beth!
Vanessa
We will also take this opportunity to welcome Vanessa Lewis to the office swirl. Vanessa is a long-time member of WCV and will now assume the role of WCV administrator. It is a 22 hour / week job. Welcome, Vanessa!
