We Are Vineyard

Welcome to the We Are Vineyard podcast. In celebration of the Advent season, you will hear a short devotion each week specially crafted for you by a member of one of Vineyard USA’s Associations, followed by a song curated by the Vineyard Worship team. Today’s theme is Hope, and Donna Ackermann represents the Hispanic Association with a beautiful reflection on holding fast to the hope of Jesus through the twists and turns of life, after which we’ll hear Padre Nuestro from Vineyard Worship featuring Carlabigail Hernandez. Since 2020, Donna has co-pastored the Vineyard Longmont with her husband Alex in northern Colorado. They are currently in the process of buying their first church building and having another church merge with them. They planted their first Vineyard in the 80s with 5 small children, and Donna has pioneered worship in two other church plants/campuses. She serves as the Communications & Events Director for the Vineyard Hispanic Association. She has been in various church ministry roles for over 38 years and worked with a nationwide Christian radio talk show. Donna is ordained, a certified bilingual Spiritual Director and a trained Vineyard coach. She has been married for over 40 years to her best friend, has 5 adult children, a daughter-in-law & 2 beautiful grandchildren. Her 89-year-old Panamanian mother lives with them. She is a foodie, loves international food, and has a growing backyard orchard of 5 fruit trees, many berry bushes, and grapevines. She dreams of someday planting a La Viña.

Mark Matlock, Executive Director of Urbana 2025 and expert in youth and student ministry, shares his insights on the future of discipleship. He discusses the importance of slow formation and emotional health, arguing for a shift in the church's approach to empowering Gen Z. Mark explores the cultural curiosity of today's youth, the impact of narrative media like The Chosen, and the implications of recent research on Gen Z. He emphasizes the need for older leaders to connect authentically, address doubts, and provide meaningful mission opportunities for young people.

In this engaging discussion, Christian Dunn, a seasoned youth pastor and co-pastor of CityLight Vineyard Church, emphasizes the pivotal role of the teenage years in shaping identity and beliefs. He shares insights from his long-term commitment to youth ministry and the impactful Project Timothy, which trains teen leaders. Christian highlights the importance of authenticity in connecting with today's teens amid social media noise. He also provides practical advice for parents, encouraging them to be present and engaged without lecturing.

Jason George, Chief Development Officer for Vineyard USA, discusses transformative giving initiatives with a focus on the Day of Giving. He reveals strategies like the FreeWill partnership, which simplifies estate planning for congregations. Jason shares impressive metrics from last year, highlighting $294,000 raised, and future goals aimed at youth resources. He emphasizes the importance of expanding pastoral views on generosity, encouraging deeper conversations about wealth and stewardship within the church community.

Kirsten Schwartz, Director of Church Partnerships at Generous Giving, shares insights drawn from her journey in urban planning and faith. She discusses how personal tragedy shaped her path toward church leadership, highlighting the importance of a culture of generosity. Kirsten reveals a groundbreaking approach to fundraising that emphasizes joy and personal growth over traditional campaigns. She also shares her strategies for empowering churches and the transformative impact of the Journey of Generosity retreats on congregational giving and stewardship.

In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay chats with Chris Jensen about how a blue-haired punk rock kid ended up in ministry, the prayer that interrupted his life, and learning to be himself in a secular work environment. Chris talks about becoming an organizational health consultant, the role of artificial harmony in the dysfunction of the Church, and markers of health he’s looking for when working with a team. Finally, Chris shares why he decided to work with the Vineyard, and what he’d like to say to Vineyard pastors.  Chris brings over 15 years of experience to his partnership with The Table Group. Whether he's working with a CEO and their leadership team, addressing groups of leaders during a conference or workshop, or counseling a client one-on-one, Chris brings his passion, enthusiasm and contagious optimism for organizational health to every client he touches. Currently, Chris works regularly with CEOs and executive teams in quickly and effectively applying the concepts related to organizational health. His clients span a broad spectrum of various industries, including aerospace, consumer goods, health care, technology, education and local churches. Chris has extensive first hand experience building high-performing teams by implementing the models in his own teams under pressure to produce results.  Prior to partnering with The Table Group, Chris worked for InsideTrack, a San Francisco based technology and service organization, in the enterprise education segment. Before that, he worked in the ministry for nearly 10 years in California. He received his degree in Biblical Studies from Patten University. Chris lives with his wife and five children in Portland, Oregon.    Show notes:  Vineyard USA’s Day of Giving 2025  The Table Group  5 Dysfunctions of a Team  The Advantage by Patrick M. Lencioni 

In this episode of We Are Vineyard, we are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! Rubén Quintero, leader of our Hispanic Association chats with Joel and Emmy Seymour about their visit to the US/Mexico border, Miguel Aviles about pastoring a predominantly immigrant Vineyard church, and Jimmy Reyes about the cultural differences in Hispanic and American churches, navigating a multilingual church, and maturing toward unity.  Joel Seymour serves as a Super Regional Leader for Vineyard USA.  Emmie Seymour is a junior studying nursing at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. She has a deep desire to combine healthcare and missions and feels a calling to become a medical missionary. Her love for the Vineyard runs deep - she grew up at the Lancaster Vineyard in Ohio, where she’s served in many roles over the years, from leading Alpha small groups to volunteering with kids and serving as a youth ambassador. Emmie completed the leadership track for Project Timothy in 2023, which helped shape her growth as a leader. Miguel Aviles serves as the lead pastor of La Viña Burnsville in Minnesota alongside his wife Rocio Hernandez. La Viña Burnsville is a vibrant and diverse community, representing people from 17 different Latin American countries and highlighting the cultural richness of the body of Christ. Additionally, the church is home to a flourishing Brazilian ministry, led by a dedicated team, which continues to grow and impact lives with the message of the Gospel. Jimmy Reyes is the lead pastor of the Valley Vineyard in Reseda, CA. He has helped plant two Viña communities in Los Angeles, produced 2 Spanish albums with Vineyard Worship, and led worship at the first Vineyard Hispanic Gathering in the 90’s as a teenager. He also currently serves Vineyard USA as an Area Leader in Southern California.    Show Notes:  Register for Vineyard USA’s Women’s Conference: More. Day of Giving 2025  Vineyard USA’s Hispanic Association  Vineyard USA celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month