Advent 2023

Our sermon series for the month of December is called: The Jesus Family Tree. Each week we will be looking at different women in the Bible. We will consider the lives of Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Mary and Anna. We will be reflecting on the following themes: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love and Anticipation.

Lani Wiens, our Kids and Youth Ministry Director, explained it well:

“From the very beginning, God was creating a family. He was building relationships with a people that He called out to be His own. Unfortunately, those children disappointed, wandered and rejected Him over and over; yet He never gave up on them.

His beautiful plan of redemption spans the arc of history.

Throughout the weeks of December, we will hear God`s story unfolding. Even though it looked like the main tree was cut off, the promised delayed; life and hope were still deeply rooted in God`s heart.

 Isaiah 11:1 says, “Out of the stump of David’s family will grow a shoot— yes, a new Branch bearing fruit from the old root.”

The passage goes on to prophecy about the Messiah and what glorious blessing will come through the new  shoot.”

On the last Sunday of 2023 (December 31) we will take a closer look at Anna, Lady in Waiting (Luke 2:36 -38).

*Remember to collect your interactive advent preparation guide at church this Sunday.

 

Just Jesus: National Vineyard Celebration

Every four years the Canadian Vineyard family gathers together to celebrate the life we share as followers of Jesus and his way. This July we will be gathering in Calgary!

These times are always significant and encouraging. This is an opportunity to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit, learn together and connect with others from across the Vineyard Canada family.

This year, there are a few unique opportunities including one-on-one Spiritual Direction, Coaching and Prayer Ministry sessions. Make sure you take advantage of this – these are available on a first come, first served basis. There will also be amazing tracks for kids and youth.

Kathy MaskellKathy Maskell will be one of the guest speakers. Kathy leads the Vineyard Justice Network and is the lead pastor of East Denver Vineyard. She is an amazing communicator with a deep love of the poor and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Check out the Vineyard Canada website for more details including registration info, schedule, etc.

July 20-23

Calgary, Alberta

Sign up here

 

Worship, Waiting & Weighing – Updated

Here’s some updated info on the Worship, Waiting & Weighing event happening Thursday, May 12, 7pm (note date change). In addition to this, David and Anita will be hosting an evening devoted to teaching on the topic of Discernment. This will be Wednesday, May 11, 7pm.

All are welcome!

Delving into Discernment: Wednesday, May 11, 7pm

Worship, Waiting & Weighing: Thursday, May 12, 7pm

782 Main St. Winnipeg

Here’s what they’ve written regarding the Worship, Waiting & Weighing event tour:

As we’ve been engaging with people across the country in contexts where we are “waiting on the Lord” and inviting the Spirit’s prophetic activity in community, we have noticed that there is a significant diversity of opinion and thought, even theology, around how we facilitate this in a healthy, biblical and safe way. Seeing how central these practices are to who we are in Vineyard and how vital it is to our ability in navigating our future together in Canada, we felt that it was prudent to create space across the country to come together to experience together who we are as a people of presence and how we engage with the prophetic nature of our worship and prayer, in community.

As we’ve been working on shaping what this all could look like, we kept referring to  it as the “Worship, Waiting and Weighing” Tour. The name’s stuck. We love how Acts 13:2 captures the essence of what we are reaching for together, “while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Spirit spoke.”  A key element that we want to explore together is the posture and practice of waiting. Hosea, in Hosea 12:6, seems to capture our sentiment here beautifully, weaving posture, the call to justice and the need to wait for the Lord in a three-stranded cord, “Therefore, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and wait for your God continually.” And then there’s the weighing bit. Something of a lost art in much of the charismatic culture and celebrity driven models within the mega-church and non-denominational world. As 1 Corinthians 14:29-33 lays it out. “Two or three prophets speak and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorderbut of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.”

The end game in it all is to equip us to be a people who discern well. Those who do not despise prophecy and its place in community, and yet have learned to keep it unclutured and anchored to the wisdom of the Father, the character of Jesus and the fruit of the Spirit.

A final thought taken from Hebrews 5:11-14. The key to maturity as followers of Jesus and building healthy communities that are able to discern truth, is that we need to be students of the way of righteousness, the path of justice, that is core to the entire biblical narrative. God setting things right. The work of the Father, the Son and the Spirit in “making all things new.” As we commit ourselves to being lifelong learners of this Way, that we will in turn foster mature communities that can tell the difference between good and evil and discern well.

Our desire is to carve out some space during the day together in order to facilitate dialogue and teaching around these practices. In the evening, we will gather together for worship and prayer as we lean into the posture of listening together that we may discern how the Spirit may be speaking to us and empowering us for ministry.

Looking forward to worshiping, waiting and weighing with you all! Let the kingdom come.

David & Anita

Nationwide Sunday Gathering on Pentecost (May 31)

Vineyard Canada will be hosting an online gathering on May 31 at 11:00 A.M. CDT. Gather with us to worship together from coast to coast and to hear from voices from across the country.

The live video stream will be available on Vineyard Canada’s YouTube channel and Facebook page.

Also available are two series of colouring pages and visio divina exercises for kids and adults created by Krista Heide and Stephanie Jayne. You can download them for print from Vineyard Canada’s website.

Participate on Facebook.

Participate on YouTube.

Why Vineyard? an introduction

If you’re new to the Vineyard, or have been around since forever, I want to point you toward a great new resource that Vineyard Canada recently published. It is a wonderful tool that will help you understand the history, theology, posture and practices of the Vineyard in Canada. You can view it online, or print it out for yourself – either way, I encourage you to make yourself something warm to drink, settle into a comfy spot, and read this “Why Vineyard?” booklet.

Click here to download the “Why Vineyard” booklet

>>Discover what brings us together.

>>Explore what holds us together.

>>Experience the Jesus way together.


Community Gatherings with David Ruis

We’ve been mentioning for awhile now that David Ruis (our National Director and WCV founding pastor – both roles shared with Anita) will be with us the weekend of May 11 – 12. We now have a few more details for you to put in your calendar and hopefully stir you up.

We’ve had David and Anita, as well as a few other National and Regional Vineyard leaders (Joyce Rees, Ruth Rousu, Nathan Rousu, Rik Berry) be with us over this past season. These visits have infused life in our community and have been very helpful for the leadership team. While their times in Winnipeg have been super helpful in encouraging and advising the leadership, we know that the rest of the community gets limited interaction  with these guests on Sunday mornings. This time around we want to maximize community time with David. To that end, we want to invite you to an afternoon with David, Saturday, May 11 from 2 – 5pm. This will be an intentionally curated time together during which members of the Leadership Team (Pastoral & Lay Elders and BOD) alongside David will be able to address issues, answer questions, provide feedback and offer support as needed. We will be holding space address topics like building trust, leadership, WCV health, forward vision, and others, with lots of opportunity to give and receive feedback. Additionally, David will share some exciting perspectives on Vineyard Canada, what God is up to among our wider Vineyard family, and some foundational stories of WCV.

The primary purpose of this time is to create a non-hurried space for dialogue as a community and with David. We hope to see you there!

He will be sharing with us on Sunday morning as well (May 12).

>>Saturday, May 11, 2pm – 5pm

>>782 Main St.

Vineyard Canada National Gathering – “Portage: when the church seeks first the Kingdom”

Make your plans! The quadrennial Vineyard Canada National Gathering is this summer in Montréal. July 23-26. We’re calling this time together “Portage – When the Church seeks first the Kingdom”. In this video, National Director David Ruis unpacks this for us. Register here.

 

 

Metanoia Reflections

I had the privilege to be involved in Vineyard Canada’s Metanoia West gathering in Langley about a month ago. It was a great time of coming together with other Vineyard friends from across the Prairies, the North and BC. We gathered in the historic Friends Langley Vineyard. It seemed significant that we were there in the first Vineyard in Canada, which birthed so much. Yet, we weren’t nostalgic, nor caught in sentiment. There was a palpable sense not only of God’s presence with us, but his passion, excitement and vision for us as a Vineyard family in Canada for the future. Building on a wonderful foundation – and continuing. How do we continue well? What is he inviting us into? Who has he specifically called us to become? How might God be inviting us to reimagine our future? Who are we becoming as we practice following the way of Jesus? – all questions that were asked and that I’m left asking. Answers will come as we continue to follow Jesus and pursue his Kingdom.

Below are videos of the first two sessions. The first is David and Anita Ruis orienting us around the theme “Health Begets Health”. The second is Jared Boyd unpacking the Sermon on the Mount. He does a great job taking a second look at these verses that are quoted so often, yet mostly misunderstood and misapplied. There are two other sessions available here.

I was there representing WCV, part of the Regional Leadership team, and as a national catalyst for Vineyard Engage.

Vineyard Metanoia – National gatherings and you’re invited

Here are a few National gatherings that you may want to participate in this Fall.  We hosted the first Metanoia gathering a few years back and they are wonderful times of engagement, worship and encouragement in a unique format (they’re not typical conferences).  Jared Boyd (our friend who taught in the first School of Spiritual Direction we hosted) will be a special guest leading us through a series of experiences (and the first 50 people to register get a free copy of his new book).

If you’re interested in going to the Metanoia West, let Andy know (he’s going).

Go here for more info.

A Message from Vineyard Canada – David Ruis

Here’s a shout-out from David Ruis, Vineyard Canada’s National Director (along with Anita).  Here David looks forward to 2017 and gives a few key points points about what to look forward to in 2017.

David Ruis gives end of ’16 address to the #VTribe; looking forward to ’17 from David Ruis on Vimeo.