We Are Vineyard

Greg Surratt: President and Co-Founder of the Association of Related ChurchesShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Greg Surratt about growing up as the son of a minister, his journey to planting a church in Charleston, and not living up to his own expectations in starting a church. Greg shares how his church became a multi-site before turning into an association of churches, some approaches to church planting that he’s learned along the way, and finally an encouragement for Vineyard Pastors.  Greg Surratt is the founding pastor of Seacoast Church, one of the early adopters of the multi-site model. Located in Mt Pleasant, South Carolina, Seacoast has been recognized by various media as an innovative and influential thought leader in future strategies for church growth and development.   Greg is the president and founding board member of the Association of Related Churches (ARC), a church-planting network that has given birth to 1000+ churches in the last 20 years.  Greg and his wife Debbie have 4 children, 14 grandchildren and enjoys reading, photography, fishing, golfing, and rooting for the Cubs, Broncos and Gamecocks. Show Notes:  Association of Related Churches (ARC)  

Adam Russell: The Personal Call Of GodShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay chats with Adam Russell about growing up in a rural, blue-collar Kentucky town where his family has lived for generations. Adam shares about knowing he wanted to be a preacher since he was young, the youth pastors who nurtured his love for the Bible, and some events that occurred during his years in Bible school that radically changed his faith and his relationship with his hometown. Jay and Adam talk about the things pastors should know that aren’t learned through a theology degree, and how the Lord can use hard seasons to shape a pastor’s heart and character.  Adam Russell is the Director of Vineyard Worship (USA), and Lead Pastor of his home church, Vineyard Campbellsville. In his role as Director, Adam brings his experience as a songwriter, worship leader and senior pastor together to help guide and direct Vineyard Worship in living out its core purpose, which is to gather the worship community, train worship leaders, and make compelling records of the songs that God births in our wider movement. Additionally, Adam serves on the Vineyard Executive Team.  As a writer of many well-known songs in the Vineyard movement (“Let Your Kingdom Come,” “High King of Heaven,” “Name Above All Names,” “Folks Like Us”), Adam has also produced several records for Vineyard Worship (Promises of Wonder, All Things Rise, Kyrie Eleison, Wear The Crown).  In addition, he has traveled extensively inside and outside the Vineyard training and encouraging worship leaders, songwriters and creatives.   Adam and his wife Heather live with their four children on a small farm in rural Kentucky where they also grow grapes and make wine.  Show Notes: The Ferment Podcast https://www.thefermentpodcast.com/ Cornbread Mafia by James Higdon bit.ly/3P6uQXz Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation by Collin Hansen bit.ly/3sqGALO  

Sharon McCarter: Your Call To Ministry Is Not Just An ExceptionShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Sharon McCarter about hearing a specific call from the Lord as a teenager to be a pastor, being told she couldn’t pastor because she was a woman, and what she learned from trusting the Lord and doing it anyway. Sharon recounts the Lord’s faithfulness in speaking to them about planting a Vineyard before she had ever attended one, how their life has progressed by being faithful with each new step as it came, and their naturally supernatural process of planting their church. Sharon also shares about the different levels of leadership she’s served in with the Vineyard, and her excitement and trust for Vineyard USA’s reorg process. Sharon McCarter is a co-pastor of the Vineyard Church in Maryville, Tennessee, which she planted with her husband, Aaron when they were in their early 20s. She earned her Pastoral Ministry degree from Lee University in 2001. She married Aaron McCarter in 2003 and they planted a Vineyard Church in 2004. They were both incredibly drawn to the Vineyard because of the radical middle, Kingdom theology, and the practice of being naturally supernatural. Throughout the years of their church plant, Sharon has been the co-pastor, the associate pastor, the kids’ pastor, the youth pastor, and she was even a campus pastor at one of their venues during a period of transition. She loves to start new things, build great teams, and help other people recognize and use their gifts for the glory of God and the good of others. Sharon has served on the VUSA Women in Ministry Team and has served on the VUSA Executive Team. Sharon is now serving as the Vineyard Southeast Regional Leader and feels compelled to advocate for health and unity – both at the local church level and at the national level. Sharon and Aaron have 2 beautiful and fun-loving teenagers, Bryce and Breonna. Show Notes: Slaves, Women & Homosexuals by William J. Webb bit.ly/3L4SnG7

Meet Jason George, Chief Development Officer for Vineyard USAShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay chats with Jason George about growing up in a Christian Indian family, drifting into a partying lifestyle in college and his family’s intervention, saying yes to the Lord in college, and engaging in overseas missions with some of his friends. Jason shares about finding healing and community at a Vineyard during a particularly difficult time in his life, and how he began working in the fundraising field. He and Jay discuss donor development and discipling people in a posture of generosity.  Jason George is the Chief Development Officer for Vineyard USA. Jason was born in Toledo, Ohio but considers himself a Columbus kid because that’s where he survived & sometimes thrived during middle school & high school. Deciding to stay in Columbus, he earned a B.A. in Journalism from The Ohio State University. On December 31, 1995, Jason made a decision to follow Jesus. That decision has shaped all of Jason’s life since. Following Christ led him to full-time vocational ministry for 14 years after graduation. Along the way, he graduated from the Vineyard Leadership Institute (VLI) and spent 5 years in Central Asia focusing on bringing the Gospel to local communities so that churches could be raised up. After returning from his last stint overseas in 2015 Jason went through a very difficult season of change and needed growth. That’s when he found his current church home, Delaware City Vineyard (in Delaware, Ohio), and learned how to transfer that Kingdom paradigm along with his skills to a career in fundraising. Jason feels that all his experience in ministry and educational fundraising has uniquely equipped him for this role to help support the vision of Vineyard USA to see more churches planted that “Embrace the Kingdom and engage the world.” Jason is married to Jill and has 4 kids – Vera, Jonah, Seva & Coen. They keep life busy, full, and mostly fun. Lately, their goal together as a family is to choose to cultivate a posture of learning, laughing, and loving… not necessarily in that order. Show Notes:  Read more about Jason George  

Bob and Penny Fulton: A Deep Dive Into The Origin Story Of The VineyardShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Bob and Penny Fulton about Penny’s early years growing up in a Catholic family where she learned to be tough and self-sufficient, and Bob’s experiences as a mischievous latchkey kid who found himself drawn to the Marines. Bob and Penny share about the people placed in their lives who faithfully lead them to the Lord and their early years in ministry. They recount growing in intimacy with the Holy Spirit, the emotions and internal oppositions they had to process through as the Lord worked in their lives, and the natural evangelism that was happening in the early days of the Vineyard.  Bob & Penny Fulton were some of the founding leaders of the Vineyard Movement. Much of the Vineyard’s DNA was established in a small group that Bob & Penny started in the 1970s, a group that eventually became the Anaheim Vineyard. Bob has been the International Coordinator for the Vineyard movement and helped plant churches in more than 50 nations. This past year Bob and Penny planted a Vineyard in Anaheim Hills and raised up a young couple and a worship team to take over. They are proud parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.  Show Notes: 2023 National Conference: Register for the FREE Livestream! https://conference.vineyardusa.org/livestream-rsvp/ Peace with God by Billy Graham amzn.to/3KgO3CZ Jesus Revolution https://jesusrevolution.movie/

Bishop Todd Hunter: From Calvary To Vineyard To Anglican BishopShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Bishop Todd Hunter about growing up in Orange County, CA, meeting the Lord at a Calvary Chapel service, and feeling like he was radically changed overnight. Todd recounts his experience of the early days of the Vineyard, the tumultuous circumstances that coincided with starting his role as National Director of the Vineyard, and how he came to be an Anglican Bishop. Jay and Todd talk about the discussions that led to him accepting a role on Vineyard USA’s Board of Trustees and then Todd shares what he’s currently seeing from this vantage point. Bishop Todd Hunter’s lifelong passion is to help others heed the call of Jesus to “come follow me” and thus live their life in the kingdom of God as Jesus embodied, taught, and demonstrated it. Bishop Hunter’s vision for such a life entails being the cooperative friend of Jesus, seeking to live a life of constant creative goodness, for the sake of others, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Bishop Hunter has expressed his kingdom-Spirit-formation-church-culture focus in various settings. He is the founding bishop of The Diocese of Churches for the Sake of Others, a diocese of the Anglican Church in North America. He writes a weekly newsletter: “The Gospel of the Kingdom.” Bishop Hunter is past President of Alpha USA, former National Director for the Association of Vineyard Churches, and retired founding pastor of Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Costa Mesa, California. He is the author of Christianity Beyond Belief: Following Jesus for the Sake of Others, Giving Church Another Chance, The Outsider Interviews, The Accidental Anglican, Our Favorite Sins and Our Character at Work. His forthcoming book What Jesus Intended: Finding Faith in the Rubble of Bad Religion is now available for preorder. Bishop Hunter is also the founder of the Center for Formation, Justice and Peace. The Center’s interdenominational community seeks to develop the Christlike character necessary to activate justice, leading to a life of deep peace for all people. Alongside trauma-informed spiritual director Vanessa Sadler, Bishop Todd hosts Peace Talks, a podcast that spotlights women and men who are working to undo oppression, leading to lives of deeper peace for all. Bishop Hunter holds a Doctor of Ministry degree and has served as an adjunct professor of evangelism, leadership in contemporary culture and spiritual formation at George Fox University, Fuller Seminary, Western Seminary, Vanguard University, Azusa Pacific University, Northern Seminary, and Wheaton College. He has been a Distinguished Lecturer at several institutions of higher learning. Bishop Hunter has written articles for study Bibles, dictionaries and encyclopedias. Bishop Hunter and his wife Debbie live in Franklin, Tennessee. They have two adult children. Show Notes: 2023 VUSA National Conference “Making All Things New” https://conference.vineyardusa.org/ Jesus Revolution https://jesusrevolution.movie/ Center For Formation, Justice and Peace @centerfjp, www.centerfjp.org What Jesus Intended: Finding True Faith in the Rubble of Bad Religion by Todd Hunter What Jesus Intended

Tom Campion: Ministry Is A Very Personal OccupationShow Podcast InformationIn this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Tom Campion about growing up in small-town Illinois and being raised by a psychologist in a Christian family before psychology was really accepted in the church. Tom and Jay discuss whether advances in the field are in line with scripture, some pitfalls of pastors trying to act as therapists for their congregation, and the value of outsourcing this type of care. Tom shares some thoughts on proactive pastoral self-care, the tricky parts of navigating personal relationships with those in your church, and the need for ministry partners who share the load. Finally, Tom identifies some common signs of burnout and life rhythms that safeguard pastors for the long haul.  Dr. Thomas Campion, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist.  He has completed his PhD in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Organization Psychology. He has been working with ministries and government agencies for over 20 years providing psychological evaluations and consulting/ clinical services nationally and internationally. He and his team currently work with over 50 different ministries, seminaries and missionary organizations as well as 165 different government agencies across the globe. His specialty focuses on providing comprehensive, foundational evaluations to assess compatibility and readiness for high-stress and leadership positions. The goal is to help guide organizations to equip individuals for success and longevity in the positions they are seeking. He has specifically assisted the Vineyard nationally and internationally in providing evaluations for church planters, pastoral development, succession planning, team building, and counseling services for multiple decades. He has been a part of the Urbana, IL Vineyard Church since the late 80s and he has continued attending with his family and children. He has enjoyed the opportunity to bring the science of psychological evaluations to faith-based organizations to provide a proactive approach to equip and support individuals in fulfilling God’s call on their lives. Show Notes:  2023 VUSA National Conference “Making All Things New”: https://conference.vineyardusa.org/ Books by Ruth Haley Barton  Campion Barrow & Associates   

Hannah Nation: Lessons From The Chinese House ChurchShow Podcast InformationIn the final episode of our ordination series, Jay and Caleb Maskell (Associate National Director of Theology and Education) talk with Hannah Nation about being raised in a home where questions were encouraged, and the moment when she decided to relinquish control of her life to the Lord. Hannah also shares about visiting China as a college student and evading the call she was feeling to move there as a young adult. She provides an education about Chinese house churches and the movement of the gospel across the country, the historical background of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, what we have to learn from Christians in China, and what she observed about the difference between the approach to the COVID pandemic in the Chinese church vs. American churches.  Hannah serves as the Managing Director for the Center for House Church Theology and as Content Director for China Partnership. She is also a co-host of the new House Church in China Podcast. She received her Master of Arts in Church History from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Her books include Faith in the Wilderness: Words of Exhortation from the Chinese Church (Kirkdale, 2022) and Wang Yi’s Faithful Disobedience: Writings on Church and State from a Chinese House Church Movement (IVP Academic, 2022). As a student of global Christianity, she is inspired by this historical moment and the opportunity to witness church history unfolding across China. Show Notes:  The Center For House Church Theology Faithful Disobedience by Wang Yi and Others Faith In The Wilderness edited by Hannah Nation and Simon Liu China Partnership  House Church China Podcast 2023 VUSA National Conference “Making All Things New”  https://conference.vineyardusa.org/

Mark Noll: No One Ever Reads The Bible AloneShow Podcast InformationThis episode of We Are Vineyard is a continuation of our series on ordination! Jay and Caleb Maskell (Associate National Director of Theology and Education) talk to Mark Noll about cultivating the life of the mind in a way that is honoring to the Lord. Mark gives some of the historical background of American evangelicalism and describes the widening gap between the evangelical church and critical thinking about the world and theology. Mark shares about why we need to read the Bible in community and with insight from people throughout history and across a variety of cultures and gives his thoughts on the impulses of evangelicalism that are worth preserving. Mark Noll is a historian who is retired after teaching at Wheaton College and the University of Notre Dame. His research has focused on earlier American history with books that include America’s God from Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln, A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada, and most recently America’s Book: The Rise and Decline of a Bible Civilization, 1794-1911. He has also tried to assess the recent transformations in Christianity around the world in books like The New Shape of World Christianity: How American Experience Reflects Global Faith and (as co-author with Carolyn Nystrom) Clouds of Witnesses: Christian Voices from Africa and Asia. Show Notes:  Read Mark’s Books: bit.ly/3CT2LMx The Democratization of American Christianity by Nathan O. Hatch: bit.ly/46ttKMm Religion and the American Revolution by Katherine Carté: amzn.to/46qQLPF Broken Churches, Broken Nation by C.C. Goen: bit.ly/3Pxb7Rk Mark’s article in Comment- “Spiritual Renewal and Social Transformation”: https://comment.org/spiritual-renewal-and-social-transformation/ Reading While Black by Esau McCaulley: bit.ly/3X6PuJi 2023 VUSA National Conference “Making All Things New”:  https://conference.vineyardusa.org/

Nijay Gupta: Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early ChurchShow Podcast InformationThis episode of We Are Vineyard is a continuation of our series on ordination! Jay and Caleb Maskell (Associate National Director of Theology and Education) talk to Nijay Gupta about his origin story of faith and how his love for Piper and Grudem evolved into a critical study of egalitarianism. Nijay talks about learning to read the Bible in 3D, why we’ve historically overlooked female leaders in the Bible, and how we can best engage in the dialogue about the “trouble passages” relating to female pastors. Nijay also shares the historical context of Paul’s teaching about women.   Nijay K. Gupta is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary. He has written several books including A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Studies, Paul and the Language of Faith, 15 New Testament Words of Life, and Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He is a senior translator of the New Living Translation and co-hosts the Slow Theology Podcast with Dr. A.J. Swoboda. Show Notes:  Tell Her Story by Nijay Gupta Master Plan of Evangelism by Robert E. Coleman Remember the Poor by Bruce W. Longenecker 2023 VUSA National Conference “Making All Things New”