In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay and Danielle Pathak continue their conversation with Steve Macchia with a discussion about sitting with people in discernment instead of offering answers and opinions, and Steve shares a very personal example of the discernment process he undertook before starting his company. They talk about the rewards and difficulties of navigating such an enormous transition, and Steve provides a helpful definition of, and approach to, discernment.     The Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Macchia is founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), a ministry serving the spiritual formation, discernment, and renewal of leaders and learners since 2003. For more than 20 years he has been the Director of the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Doctor of Ministry Program. From 1989-2003 he was the president of Vision New England, the largest regional church renewal association in the country. Earlier in his ministry life, Steve was a member of the pastoral staff of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts for 11 years. He is the author or co-author of 17 books, including The Discerning Life (Zondervan Reflective), and Crafting a Rule of Life, Becoming A Healthy Church (LTI), and Broken and Whole (IVP).  He and his wife Ruth live in the Boston (MA) area and are the proud parents of two married children and grandparents to three adorable grandchildren. Steve’s personal website is www.SteveMacchia.com.   Show notes:  Learn more about Steve  Leadership Transformations    The Discerning Life by Stephen Macchia  Vineyard History and Identity Resources:  The Way It Was by Carol Wimber  The Quest For The Radical Middle by Bill Jackson  Empowered Evangelicals by Rich Nathan and Ken Wilson “I’m a Fool For Christ”- John Wimber’s testimony

In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay and Danielle Pathak talk with Steve Macchia about growing up in a Christian household but not really having a personal relationship with Jesus, changing from a teaching degree to seminary in college, and finding his passions in ministry. Steve shares the advice he’d give his younger self in seminary, and they discuss how creativity and play can open us up to hear from God. They also discuss why he believes the sabbath is the turnkey to the deeper life. This is part one of a two-part series, so come back next week to hear the rest of the conversation!  The Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Macchia is founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), a ministry serving the spiritual formation, discernment, and renewal of leaders and learners since 2003. For more than 20 years he has been the Director of the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Doctor of Ministry Program. From 1989-2003 he was the president of Vision New England, the largest regional church renewal association in the country. Earlier in his ministry life, Steve was a member of the pastoral staff of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts for 11 years. He is the author or co-author of 17 books, including The Discerning Life (Zondervan Reflective), and Crafting a Rule of Life, Becoming A Healthy Church (LTI), and Broken and Whole (IVP).  He and his wife Ruth live in the Boston (MA) area and are the proud parents of two married children and grandparents to three adorable grandchildren.    Show notes:  Learn more about Steve  Leadership Transformations The Discerning Life by Stephen Macchia

In this episode of the We Are Vineyard podcast, Jay talks with Bubba Justice about the work he's doing as Vineyard USA’s CFO, and the ways in which his interests in finance and missions overlap. Bubba shares about cultivating new imagination to engage the nations, strategic partnerships that equip international churches to expand the services they can provide, and the role of church planting in missions.  Elgie “Bubba” Justice is the Chief Financial Officer and Missions Coordinator for Vineyard USA. In his capacity as the Missions Coordinator, he gives leadership to VUSA Missions by overseeing mobilization, training, partnership development, and coordinating US activity with Vineyard associations internationally. As CFO, he oversees the financial and human resource systems for the Vineyard Movement in the United States. Prior to this role, Bubba served as the National Coordinator for Vineyard USA for four years, starting in 2017 under the leadership of Phil Strout. Over the years, Bubba has served in Vineyard Leadership on the Executive Team, Vineyard Resources Board, Vineyard Worship Board, and on the Multiply Vineyard Advisory Team. After working in the financial world as a C.P.A., a financial manager, and a chief financial officer, Bubba was the senior pastor of the Inverness Vineyard Church (IVC) for 23 years. Before planting IVC, Bubba served in many roles as a volunteer pastor in the Birmingham Vineyard from 1983 until 1993. Some of the ministries Bubba led included youth, children, nursery, intercession, small groups, and ministry team. Bubba and his wife Melany live in Houston, TX, and have two married daughters and two grandchildren.   Show notes:  Hear more of Bubba’s story  December Skim Convoy of Hope  Compassion International Petros Network

In this episode of the We Are Vineyard podcast, we’re celebrating Black History Month! In April 2023, the Vineyard USA National Team and some leaders from around the country embarked on an immersive learning experience hosted by the Evangelical Covenant Church called “Sankofa”, an African word meaning “looking back to move forward.” Dr. Charles Montgomery, Jr. talks with Joel Seymour about the parts of the experience that impacted him as a white man, his realization that discipleship was at the foundation of the Civil Rights Movement, and some of the convictions he’s bringing into his own discipleship process. Dr. Montgomery then talks with Alex Faison, a young Black worship leader, about her experience of Sankofa, the personal connections she felt to her own family’s story, and the ways her church staff has benefited from recreating a similar journey for themselves.  Show Notes:  Sankofa Vineyard USA’s Black History Month page Webcast | MLK and the Local Church: Nonviolence Training as Christian Discipleship The Role of Religion in the Civil Rights Movements by Dr. Bernard LaFayette 16th Street Baptist Church 

In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Josh Williams talks with Reverend Gabriel Salguero about an impactful message from the books of Isaiah and Revelation that shapes his vocational journey as a bridge builder, emphasizing how justice and mercy are interwoven in the gospel. Revered Salguero shares about the reality of justice fatigue, the essential role of prayer in staying refreshed and grounded, and the importance of staying intimately connected to the local church. Finally, Josh and Reverend Salguero discuss the challenge of leading a national movement in a non-partisan way, and some of the current issues affecting the undocumented members of our churches.  The Rev. Dr. Gabriel Salguero—is pastor of The Gathering Place, a Latino-led multi-ethnic Assemblies of God congregation in Orlando, Florida. Salguero is also the president and founder of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NALEC), a national coalition of several thousand evangelical congregations in the United States. He was the former Director of the Hispanic Leadership Program (HLP), and the Institute for Faith and Public Life at Princeton Theological Seminary. Salguero is also a powerful voice on issues that affect the close to 9 million Latino evangelicals in the United States.  Salguero’s leadership through NaLEC offers an important voice for the growing diversity and changing demographics in our country. He has written extensively on Latino evangelicalism, immigration, racism, and multicultural congregations. Salguero has been named as one of the nation’s most prominent Latino evangelical leaders by the New York Times, Huffington Post, the New York Observer, the Center for American Progress, El Diario, CNN Español, NBC Universal, Univisión, and Jorge Ramos’s Al Punto. In addition, his leadership on issues of young male education and criminal justice reform has been featured by the Discovery Channel and the Oprah Winfrey Network.  Rev. Salguero has served on the White House Faith-Based Advisory Council, the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), and the National Advisory Council of the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. He is also on the board of La Asociación Evangélica Latina (AEL) the coalition of Latin American evangelicals which is the representative body for all evangelical associations in Latin America.   Salguero holds a BA in Spanish and History from Rutgers University, and M.Div (magna cum laude) from New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and holds a Doctorate in Divinity (honoris causa) from Eastern Nazarene College.  Rev. Salguero lives together with his wife, the Rev. Jeanette Salguero and their two sons in Orlando, Florida.   Show Notes:  National Latino Evangelical Coalition (NALEC)  

In this episode of the We Are Vineyard Podcast, Josh Williams talks with Reverend Paul Robinson about how he defines justice and mercy, the crucial interplay of the two, and some of the upstream initiatives he’s currently focusing on. They discuss the value of investing in the health and well-being of your city both practically and spiritually, and how Reverend Robinson’s church uses the BLESS model as an evangelism tool. Reverend Robinson also shares about immersive cultural experiences, some of the challenges pastors are currently facing, and what’s bringing him hope.  Paul Robinson is the Executive Minister of the newly formed Serve Locally for the Evangelical Covenant Church. Serve Locally plants and equips local churches that contribute to a more caring and just world through evangelism, discipleship, biblical justice, and church health. We empower leaders by offering resources, curated experiences, and leadership development. From June of 2019 to October 2023 Paul served as the Executive Minister of Love Mercy Do Justice (LMDJ). Prior to this role Paul was Senior Community Leadership Manager with the Wilder Center for Communities, former Director of the organization’s James P. Shannon Leadership Institute and Church Planter. Paul has partnered with nonprofit, for-profit, education, government and community individuals and organizations in core value clarification, leadership development, intercultural agility, and capacity building to help them better lead themselves and others. Paul is most comfortable at the intersection of ideas, difference, passion and effective action. He enjoys using his skills in meeting design, facilitation and convening to catalyze meaningful connections to stimulate individual and community transformation.  Robinson holds a B.S. degree in Finance from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary. Paul Robinson is 2017 AARP Minnesota and Pollen Fifty over Fifty honoree.  Paul is married to Kim and together they have seven adult children. Robinson’s combined experience in ministry, business, nonprofit management, and leadership development spans 30 years. Show Notes:  We Are Vineyard - Reverend Paul Robinson: Living At The Intersection Of Difference Learn more about Sankofa  Learn more about the ECC’s immersive learning experiences Learn more about BLESS Love Mercy Do Justice on Instagram: @LMDJ_ECC

Welcome back to Season Four of the We Are Vineyard Podcast! In today’s episode, Jay Pathak talks with Josh Williams about Vineyard USA’s connection with InterVarsity and partnering in their recent Ambition conference. Josh shares about how his role as AND of Justice & Evangelism has changed over the past couple of years, some of the partnerships he’s been developing, and his emphasis on serving your city and joining the redemptive history of places. Josh also talks about some of the interesting statistics he’s gathered related to his areas of oversight, the impact of Alpha on churches that have incorporated it into their annual rhythms, and what he’s excited about for the next year.  Josh Williams is the Associate National Director for Evangelism and Justice. Josh grew up in Iowa, with strong family ties to Indianapolis, IN. In 2004, he headed to the East Coast to study at Yale University in New Haven, CT where he majored in American Studies and Ethnicity, Race and Migration. During his time in undergrad, he was involved in connecting his faith to justice issues on the campus and in the city. That integration continued as he went to Divinity School and got plugged into Elm City Vineyard (ECV), then an eight-month-old church plant in the heart of the city.  Right before he graduated with an M.Div in 2011, Josh was ordained as a pastor in the Vineyard. Weeks later, he happily married his wife, Tina (ECV’s Worship Pastor and a regular presence in Vineyard Worship recording projects), in a very musical service followed by a reception with much dancing. In 2014, Josh became ECV’s first full-time Lead Pastor, and he has enjoyed seeing Jesus grow the church in multi-ethnicity, justice, evangelism, spiritual formation, and Holy Spirit ministry over the last seven years. In the Vineyard, Josh has served as an Area Leader and an Executive Team member since 2017. He has also been on the Vineyard Ethnic Diversity task force since 2019.  Josh and Tina are parents of two adorable little ones with a third on the way. Their favorite family activities are going to waterfalls and beaches in Connecticut, eating ice cream, and singing loudly together.   Show notes:  Hear more of Josh’s story  Alpha USA InterVarsity  Gospel With The Poor  Check out Vineyard USA’s new Justice webpage  Vineyard History and Identity Resources:  The Way It Was by Carol Wimber  The Quest For The Radical Middle by Bill Jackson  Empowered Evangelicals by Rich Nathan and Ken Wilson “I’m a Fool For Christ”- John Wimber’s testimony