Last fall we embarked on a process to discern who God was inviting into eldership at the Vineyard. Lindsay and Lois Ward, Rick and Luanne Hill, Cornelius and Tania Martens and Christy Chan came to the forefront of our discussion and prayer. We’ve since invited each of them to be prospective elders. This means that they will come to our meetings and participate in normal elder activities in the Vineyard. At the end of this prospective period (April 2020) we will determine if they would like to have their names stand to be elders. If it seems good to us and the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28) the membership of WCV will vote on them.
Let’s continue to pray for all of them, as well as the rest of the elders and Leadership Team.
Lois and Lindsay have been part of WCV tribe since the mid 1990’s having experienced significant God encounters through Prairie Fire (Winnipeg) and the Toronto Airport Vineyard (Toronto Blessing).
“Church planting was a significant initiative within the Vineyard movement and encouraged by a John Wimber conference leading to plants being seeded in Winkler, Portage la Prairie, Brandon and locally in Transcona and South Winnipeg. In 1998, two couples, the Musselmans and ourselves embarked on a journey of ‘doing the stuff’ in the South end of the City meeting in various locales under the auspices of WCV. What a ride! There are lots of ‘out and back again’ stories in the Bible, and we’ve been part of that story. WCV has been our home for a quarter of a century (ouch) yet we look ahead with confidence and some trepidation to what God is planning for WCV.”
Luanne and Rick Hill have been involved in ministry for over 35 years (youth, church planting, parachurch and church consulting). They became acquainted with WCV in 2001 soon after they arrived in Winnipeg from Ontario with their three children (Esther, Caleb, Micah). Luanne has recently retired from her full-time position as a Nursing Instructor at Red River College (although she has returned on a temporary basis). WCV has served as a spiritual home for them between periods of Rick’s work as a transitional pastor/consultant in several churches throughout Winnipeg.
Rick and Luanne are both trained Spiritual Directors (Sustainable Faith) and are passionate about helping people cultivate a deeper connection with God. They are excited to have welcomed their two new daughters-in-law and a future son-in-law into their family over the last few years.
“We are full of hope and looking forward to see how God moves within WCV in the future.”
Cornelius and Tania Martens, along with their four children: Lukas, Annalie, Tobias, and Larissa have been attending WCV since 2007. They are especially passionate about the Kids and Youth ministries. They have served as Youth Leaders, Club 56 Leaders, and Sunday School teachers over the years. Tania currently administrates and teaches ages 4-6 kids ministry. Cornelius enjoys being part of the regular worship rotation and he also serves on the Board of Directors.
Christy has been a part of WCV since around 2001. Over the years she has enjoyed helping with Sunday School, the Breathe program for moms with little ones, and co-leading a house group with her husband Andrew and their 3 boys. She has recently become a Spiritual Director (Sustainable Faith) and is enjoying the gift of hearing peoples stories and praying with them.