We Are Vineyard

Geno Olison: Faith Is The BridgeShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay chats with Geno Olison about growing up as the son of church planters in the south side of Chicago, being raised in an exclusively Black community, and how he was formed by his involvement in church as a young boy. Geno shares how the Lord protected him from a lot of things his neighborhood offered, the culture shock he experienced after joining a small group with white kids at college, and his journey of trying to find himself as an adult while not losing himself as a Black man in a predominately white space. They discuss what it’s like to attend a church where the table has not been set with you in mind, the ways he found to meet his cultural needs while attending the Vineyard, and why he decided to stay even though it was often painful. Finally, Geno shares about how his expectations of church planting compared to reality, and why he’s hopeful about Vineyard USA’s Black Pastors and Leaders Association. Geno Olison is the leader of the Black Pastors and Leaders Association for Vineyard USA and lead pastor of the South Suburban Vineyard Church just outside of Chicago. Geno grew up on the south side of Chicago, Illinois, where he came to faith in the Full Gospel church founded by his parents. In 1999, he moved to Urbana, Illinois to attend the University of Illinois and began attending the Vineyard Church of Central Illinois in 2001. After graduating from the University of Illinois with a B.A. in Communications, Geno worked in the TV news business and spent several years in sales and marketing while attending and serving at the Vineyard Church of Central Illinois. Sensing a call to plant a multicultural, multi-ethnic Vineyard, Geno and his wife, Shannon, began the process of preparing to plant a church, serving in various roles and positions at church, attending trainings, and building an intentionally diverse team. The South Suburban Vineyard Church officially landed in the south suburbs of Chicago in June 2009. Since that time, the church has become a picture of the vision given to Geno and Shannon – a beautiful, multicultural expression of a Vineyard church. He desires to help other pastors, leaders, and church communities see the value and importance of being a diverse church on mission. Geno has served on the Vineyard USA Executive Team and has worked with teams of talented people to create the Better Together conference which focuses on race, reconciliation, and the multiethnic church. As a musician, producer and songwriter, Geno’s worked with Vineyard Worship to develop Vineyard Soul, a multi-cultural, gospel-leaning expression of worship music in the Vineyard. Geno’s most important role, though, is parenting his four awesome boys and husband to his wife, Shannon. Show Notes: Vineyard USA’s 2023 National Conference “Making All Things New” https://conference.vineyardusa.org/ South Suburban Vineyard Church https://southsuburbanvineyard.org/ Insider Outsider by Bryan Loritts https://amzn.to/41fz3wb Black Pastors and Leaders Association https://vineyardusa.org/associations/black-pastors-and-leaders-association/

Dr. Charles Montgomery Jr: Reflecting On Black History Month and Amplifying Diverse Voices In The VineyardShow Podcast InformationDr. Charles Montgomery returns to the podcast to talk about Black History Month: how and why it started, why we celebrate it, and some resources available to pastors who are wondering how best to engage the conversation. They relate stories of times when pastors crossed the divide to connect when it’s uncomfortable, and Jay shares some thoughts on how the work of the Civil Rights Movement applies to the church today. Charles A. Montgomery, Jr serves as the Associations Strategic Coordinator for Vineyard USA and Teaching Pastor at Vineyard Columbus. Charles also founded a successful multiethnic Campus (Vineyard Columbus East) and has pastored there since 2012. His passion is to develop Beloved Communities as espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, an alumnus of Charles’ alma mater, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Charles has a B.A. in Mathematics from Morehouse, a Master of Divinity from Emory University (Ga) and a PhD in Ethical and Creative Leadership from Union Institute University (OH). He has earned several credentials in Diversity Training and is a Certified Spiritual Director through the Sustainable School of Faith. He considers his greatest accomplishment (ok, grace) being married to his childhood crush, Kimberly. Charles and Kimberly are avid Buckeye fans (Go Bucks!) and make their home in Columbus Ohio. Show notes: Charles’ last episode https://vineyardusa.org/podcast Read stories of Black leaders in the Vineyard, and learn more about Black History Month! Vineyardusa.org/blackhistorymonth Vineyard USA Associations https://vineyardusa.org/associations/

Tim Mackie part 2: Teach Us (Again) To PrayShow Podcast InformationWelcome back to the second episode in a 2-part series with Tim Mackie, co-founder of BibleProject! In this beautifully honest episode of We Are Vineyard, Tim shares about the incredible journey he’s been on for the last few years, from the weak spots in his faith that were exposed during the disruption of COVID and recognizing a felt need for real community, to experiencing a physical healing that was accompanied by a word about all the Lord has been doing in him spiritually. Tim talks about some simple habits that he’s developed to open his heart to the presence of the Holy Spirit, the way the Lord has been integrating things in his life that he didn’t realize were out of sync, and the specific choice he made to share openly at his church about this process.   Tim is married to Jessica, and together they are raising two little boys, Roman and August, in the wonderful city of Portland, Oregon. Tim is a creative writer for BibleProject. He’s been fascinated with Jesus and his Jewish heritage ever since he became a Christian at 20 years old through an urban outreach ministry to skateboarders in Portland called SkateChurch. Tim discovered the wonderful world of biblical studies and languages at Multnomah University and Western Seminary, and he had the privilege of doing a PhD in Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tim’s greatest passion is to help people grasp the beautiful and compelling story of the ancient Scriptures and how they lead us to Jesus of Nazareth.   Show Notes: BibleProject https://www.bibleproject.com Registration is now open for the 2023 Vineyard USA National Conference! https://conference.vineyardusa.org/ A Secular Age by Charles Taylor https://amzn.to/40CM3M0 Dominion by Tom Holland https://amzn.to/3JP0Gpo Bridgetown Church- Portland https://bridgetown.church/

SEASON TWO PREMIERE – Tim Mackie: The Bible Project part 1Show Podcast InformationIt’s Season 2 of We Are Vineyard, and we’re starting off with an exciting 2-part interview! Tim Mackie of BibleProject joins our host, Jay Pathak, to share about his relationship with Jesus as a child, the healing he experienced through the prayers of his church, and the disconnect he felt while attending school at a church. Tim talks about being reintroduced to Jesus through a dorky skateboarding-based church, and how following invitations from a cool leader at SkateChurch sparked his interest in the Bible, which transformed him from a disinterested student to an ignited scholar. Tim also shares about the lifelong friends he found through SkateChurch, meeting his wife through a mutual interest in Greek, and the origin story of BibleProject. This is a two-part episode, so make sure to come back next week for the second half of the story! Tim is married to Jessica, and together they are raising two little boys, Roman and August, in the wonderful city of Portland, Oregon. Tim is a creative writer for BibleProject. He’s been fascinated with Jesus and his Jewish heritage ever since he became a Christian at 20 years old through an urban outreach ministry to skateboarders in Portland called SkateChurch. Tim discovered the wonderful world of biblical studies and languages at Multnomah University and Western Seminary, and he had the privilege of doing a PhD in Hebrew and Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tim’s greatest passion is to help people grasp the beautiful and compelling story of the ancient Scriptures and how they lead us to Jesus of Nazareth. Show Notes: BibleProject https://www.bibleproject.com Registration is now open for the 2023 Vineyard USA National Conference! https://conference.vineyardusa.org/

Dr. Charles Montgomery Jr: Becoming A Beloved CommunityShow Podcast InformationIn the final episode of We Are Vineyard for 2022, we’ll hear a sermon Dr. Charles Montgomery preached at the Vineyard Leadership Team Meeting in March 2022. Dr. Montgomery shares his vision for the Vineyard to become a Beloved Community, and how this value must become part of our discipleship process.  Taken from the example of the disciples, we need to do the work to talk about the hard things that might divide us. Charles A. Montgomery, Jr serves as the Associations Strategic Coordinator for Vineyard USA and Teaching Pastor at Vineyard Columbus. Charles also founded a successful multiethnic Campus (Vineyard Columbus East) and has pastored there since 2012. His passion is to develop Beloved Communities as espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, an alumnus of Charles’ alma mater, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. Charles has a B.A. in Mathematics from Morehouse, a Master of Divinity from Emory University (Ga) and a PhD in Ethical and Creative Leadership from Union Institute University (OH). He has earned several credentials in Diversity Training and is a Certified Spiritual Director through the Sustainable School of Faith. He considers his greatest accomplishment (ok, grace) being married to his childhood crush, Kimberly. Charles and Kimberly are avid Buckeye fans (Go Bucks!) and make their home in Columbus Ohio.   Show Notes: https://vineyardusa.org/associations/ Listen to more of Charles’ story from his conversation with Jay on August 20, 2022! https://vineyardusa.org/podcast/ Socials: Vineyardusa.org @vineyardusa

Brian T. Anderson: Christmas – Discovering The Greatest GiftShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, we continue our December sermon series with a Christmas message preached by Brian T. Anderson at Vineyard Church North Phoenix in 2021. Brian examines the reasons why the whole world stops what they’re doing on Christmas Day to celebrate the birth of a baby, and shares about God’s Christmas gifts that we receive through his son Jesus Christ: forgiveness, peace, and eternal life. Brian and Thora Anderson are the founding and Senior Pastors of Vineyard Church North Phoenix located in Phoenix, AZ. Brian and Thora planted VC as a home Bible study with only a few people in September 1985 and have pastored the church ever since. Brian and Thora have a desire to build a healthy, multi-racial, multi-generational church that is a fully orbed expression of the Kingdom of God on earth! They both especially love to train & equip other pastors & leaders so that they can become all that God has created them to be and do. God has used both Brian and Thora to impart a greater hunger for the Bible, worship, holiness, & renewal to people throughout the world. Over the years, Brian has served Vineyard USA as a board member, regional leader, regional coach, and Vice President. Brian has a B.S. in Mathematics from Grand Canyon University, and an M.A. in Mathematics from Arizona State University. Brian and Thora have two children, Zoe and Luke, who are both teenagers. Show Notes: Vineyard Church North Phoenix https://vineyardnorthphoenix.com Socials: @vineyardusa Vineyardusa.org

Rich Nathan: Is Believing In God Just Wishful Thinking?Show Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, we hear a sermon that Rich Nathan preached at Columbus Vineyard the same week that we recorded his podcast episode back in September. It is an introduction to a series called “Good Question”, which explores some common questions people have about faith and Christianity. In this sermon, Rich offers some clues found in scripture, science, nature, and our moral senses that show us it is more likely than not that God exists. Rich Nathan is the founding pastor of Vineyard Columbus. Rich was the first Senior Pastor serving from 1987-2020. Prior to becoming senior pastor, Rich taught business law at The Ohio State University for five years. He is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and received his Juris Doctorate with honors from The Ohio State University College of Law in 1980. Rich served on the National Board for Vineyard USA for more than two decades. Rich now serves on the Board of Christian relief agency, Convoy of Hope. He is a popular national and international conference speaker. Rich co-authored Both And (IVP Books, 2013) with Insoo Kim as well as Empowered Evangelicals (Ampelon Revised 2009) with Ken Wilson. Rich is also the author of Who is My Enemy? Welcoming People the Church Rejects (Zondervan, 2002). He has written numerous articles on leadership in publications such as Leadership Magazine. Rich was born and raised in New York City. He and his wife, Marlene, have been married for over 40 years. They have two children and six grandchildren. Show Notes: Listen to more of Rich’s story from his chat with Jay on October 5, 2022! https://vineyardusa.org/podcast/ The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Kukianoff and Jonathan Haidt https://amzn.to/3iQglt8 The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt https://amzn.to/3Hvs3Uj The Atheist’s Guide to Reality by Alex Rosenberg https://amzn.to/3iPPUUs Socials: @vineyardusa Vineyardusa.org

Eleanor Mumford: Live from Alpha ConferenceShow Podcast InformationAs we close out the first season of the We Are Vineyard podcast, Jay has chosen some sermons that he felt captured the heart of “Gospel and Proclamation.”  First up is a sermon Ele Mumford preached at the Alpha Conference in 2018, filled with stories of faithfulness in responding to the Holy Spirit. Ele reminds us that we are only asked to come alongside what the Holy Spirit is already doing in people, and that it is Jesus who brings people to faith. The Holy Spirit gives us the power of God to work in the mission of God, and we can’t do what we’re called to do without the power, infilling, and inspiration of the Holy Spirit! Eleanor married John Mumford in 1978 after meeting at University. They trained together under John Wimber in California, before starting the first Vineyard church in Europe in 1987 (SW London Vineyard). In 2008 they handed over the leadership of that church to concentrate more on the Vineyard movement, both nationally and internationally, then in 2015 they transitioned the leadership of Vineyard Churches UK & Ireland. Together they now focus on helping facilitate the growth of the Vineyard internationally and speaking around the world. Show Notes: Listen to more of Eleanor’s story from her chat with Jay on October 26, 2022! https://vineyardusa.org/podcast/ Socials: @vineyardusa Vineyardusa.org

Matthew Bates: The Gospel Precisely: Surprisingly Good News About Jesus Christ the KingShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay chats with Matthew Bates about growing up in a forestry family, the quiet faith of his mother, and the people who invested in his early life. Matthew talks about transitioning from a physics degree to theology, how he found himself studying greek simply out of personal interest, and the writers and theologians who shaped his questions and perspective on Jesus and scripture. He gives a summation of the key themes in his writing and shares the components of his books about which he receives positive feedback, and those which receive the most pushback. Finally, Matthew describes some ways a congregation might benefit from reversing the gospel presentation, and why this choice is more than just semantics. Matthew W. Bates (Ph.D., Notre Dame) is Professor of Theology at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois. Bates is a Protestant who enjoys the challenge of teaching in a Catholic context. His books include Gospel Allegiance (Brazos, 2019) the award-winning Salvation by Allegiance Alone (Baker Academic, 2017), The Birth of the Trinity (Oxford University Press, 2015), and The Hermeneutics of the Apostolic Proclamation (Baylor University Press, 2012). He also co-founded and co-hosts the popular OnScript podcast. After completing a B.S. in physics from Whitworth University (1999), Bates began a career in electrical engineering. His life took a swerve when he enrolled in a biblical studies program at Regent College in Vancouver, B.C. (M.C.S., 2004, The Biblical Studies Prize). In 2005 Bates began PhD studies in theology at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity (CJA). Upon graduation (2010) he was named the winner of the Shaheen Award in the humanities, the top graduation prize at Notre Dame, competitive across all disciplines. In 2011 Bates accepted his current academic post. Bates enjoys hiking, baseball, and chasing around his seven children. Show Notes: The Gospel Precisely by Matthew Bates Vineyard USA’s suggested reading for November The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Thomas S. Kuhn How To Read The Bible For All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart The Emergence Of Sin by Matthew Croasmun The Challenge Of Jesus by N.T. Wright The New Testament And The People Of God by N.T. Wright Why The Gospel?: Living the Good News of King Jesus with Purpose by Matthew Bates Coming in May! Socials: Vineyardusa.org @vineyardusa Matthew’s Twitter: @MatthewWBates

Dr. Matt Croasmun: Following Jesus Brings More Questions AND More AssuranceShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Matt Croasmun about growing up in the Evangelical Covenant Church, and how getting involved with Intervarsity sparked his interest and love of scripture and ministry and tied him to a local church where he encountered the Living God. Matt shares about the new questions and new assurances he gathers as he deepens in relationship with Jesus and scripture, and why he believes questions are healthy, biblical, and the key to relationship. Matt Croasmun is Associate Research Scholar and director of the Life Worth Living program at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School and lecturer of Humanities at Yale University. He also serves as faith initiative director at the Grace Farms Foundation and as a pastor at the Elm City Vineyard Church, which he helped plant in 2007 and where he served as lead pastor for six years. He is author of The Body of Sin: The Cosmic Tyrant in Romans (2017), Let Me Ask You a Question: Conversations with Jesus (2018), For the Life of the World: Theological that Makes a Difference with Miroslav Volf (2019), and The Hunger for Home: Food and Meals in the Gospel of Luke with Miroslav Volf (2022). Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most with Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz is forthcoming in March 2023. Show Notes: The Gospel Precisely by Matthew Bates Vineyard USA’s suggested reading for November https://amzn.to/3WJsL5J Free of Charge by Miroslav Volf https://amzn.to/3Ev0uHB The Hunger For Home by Matthew Croasmun and Miroslav Volf https://amzn.to/3EQxj2b Let Me Ask You A Question by Matthew Croasmun https://amzn.to/3V22bmS Life Worth Living by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz Coming March 2023 https://amzn.to/3GCXzzm Socials: Vineyardusa.org @vineyardusa Matt’s Twitter: @mattcroasmun