How To Plant A Healthy Church

Season 1 is all about discernment. Learning to hear God’s voice, and having the courage to do what he says. Listen to Jay Pathak, founding pastor of Mile High Vineyard, share insights on why hearing God’s specific calling on your life is essential and how to carry on when your calling is difficult.

Who is helping you attend to your life with God? Jared Boyd, asks this question as he unpack the value of including others in your process of discernment, the impact of spiritual direction in his life, and why he planted a church in the poorest community of Columbus, OH.

What are the ways that you are tuning your life to hear God’s voice? All people are built to hear God’s voice, it central to the picture Christian life we see in the scriptures. However, many of us often struggle with this integral practice. Join trained spiritual directors Sara Carlisle and Kris Miller help us learn to notice God’s work in our lives through contemplative practices and spiritual direction.

Have you ever wondered where you are called? You may be called far away, you may discover your calling is right in your neighborhood. This is part 1 of our conversation with Renee Cunningham preacher, planter, and pastor of the Neighborhood Vineyard in Chicago, IL.

Have you ever discovered you were made for something? You found out you had proficiency and passion for a task. Learn from Renee’s story about how they planted the church and how she discovered she was made for preaching. This is part 2 of our conversation with Renee Cunningham preacher, planter, and pastor of the Neighborhood Vineyard in Chicago, IL.

When discerning your calling to plant a church, you need to love the church. Listen to seasoned pastor Herschel Rosser discuss his deep love for the church even after four decades of ministry and how to stay healthy to live out your calling through all of life. Herschel is a pastor at Mission Vineyard Church in San Antonio, TX.

Have you been asking where would I plant a church? Or when is the right time to move forward in the process of planting? You aren’t alone in asking those questions. Join our conversation with Brian Brinkert about how to enter into those questions, and so many more, with a healthy process of discernment. Brian has planted a church and now is a pastor at the Duluth Vineyard in Duluth, MN.

Have you ever felt like you don’t deserve to be called to ministry because of your past? Listen to Sherri and Mike Harder’s story of discernment from hippies to parents to church planters. They share with depth and honesty what it looks like to receive God’s love and to be propelled forward by it.

Have you ever been faced with a big decision to make? What was the process for how you made it? Honestly, how do we make decisions? Not just which shirt to put on in the morning, rather, the big life-changing kinds of decisions like church planting. Join Phil Strout, National Director of Vineyard USA, discuss a healthy process to make decisions that shape your future.

No church is planted alone. Healthy church planters always build teams around them to share the work of the church. Are you asking: What kind of team and leadership structures are healthy for church planting? Join this conversation with Pastor Josh Harder on how he and a team of leaders planted a church in one of the world’s biggest cities.

Not being people’s only access point to God’s voice is essential to healthy church planting. Learn from Josh Harder on how to help others hear the voice of God for themselves. Be the guide, not the hero when planting.

Have you ever felt the need to try to be someone else in order to work with people? What if you didn’t have to be someone else to do ministry? Learn from Vineyard leaders Janice Ornquist and Brenda Gatlin about how to find your true self while still staying committed in all of life's callings from ministry to marriage and parenting to personal health. For all the resources mentioned check out the show notes: https://multiplyvineyard.org/episode12/

Are you wondering how to carry out the Great Commission in our current culture? Of course, you are! That’s what the people of God have been doing since the beginning. Listen to this conversation with one of the leading voices in church planting, Ed Stetzer. He and Michael unpack how we stay committed to the essentials of making disciples to plant churches. For all the resources mentioned check out the show notes: https://multiplyvineyard.org/episode13

Do you need a seminary or graduate degree to plant a church? Are you trying to figure out how your learning and development connects to discerning your calling? Join our conversation with pastors Caleb Maskell and Josh Williams on how theological education can empower church planting. For all the resources mentioned check out the show notes: https://multiplyvineyard.org/episode14

What did we learn after 15 episodes dialing in on the topic of discernment? A lot. If you missed any of the episodes you won’t want to miss this one where we hear from our host Michael Gatlin on essential lessons for discerning your calling, stepping into church planting, and staying healthy for the long haul. For all the resources mentioned check out the show notes: https://multiplyvineyard.org/episode15

Do you ever feel the tensions of life? Are you trying to balance work, life, ministry, and rest? In this episode, we hear from church planters John and Kara Kim on how they are holding the tensions of living in New York City, planting a church, parenting, and still having meaningful work outside of the church. For all the resources mentioned check out the show notes: https://multiplyvineyard.org/episode16

Are you wondering what it actually takes to plant a church? Are you asking if you have the skills to do this thing? Listen to this conversation with Mike Turrigiano about the essential competencies for church planters to thrive and be healthy.   For all the resources mentioned check out the show notes: https://multiplyvineyard.org/episode17/

Do you love theology? Especially the kind that is rooted in and for the local church? Theologic reflection that can bring life and freedom to the people you are gathering? If so, you're going to love this conversation with Luke Geraty, co-senior pastor of the Red Bluff Vineyard in Northern California. For all the resources mentioned check out the show notes: https://multiplyvineyard.org/episode18  

Clouds and dirt. This is a great episode exploring church planting from both the 30,000 foot level as well as looking at the practical, in-the-trenches daily life of  the local church. If you are currently planting a church or leading a church that wants to plant other churches  you’ll love this conversation with Daniel Yang, Director of the Send Institute and serial church planter.

Planting and leading a church is an exercise in improvisation. On top of that pastoring your creative community is an additional challenge. Are you looking to cultivate greater creativity within your team? Are you looking for practical tools to lead your worship community? If so, you’ll love this wide ranging conversation with Casey Corum, longtime Vineyard songwriter and worship pastor and current Director of Production and A&R for Vineyard Worship. 

The intellectual life of the world is going to be renewed through the renewal of young minds. And those minds are going to be renewed through the presence and activity of thriving Christian churches in college and university towns.   Do you love college students? Are you drawn to secular people in these increasingly non-religious cities and towns? If so, you’ll love this conversation with Matt Croasmun, Director of Research and Publication at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture and planting co-pastor of the Elm City Vineyard in New Haven, CT.

Church planting is not for the faint of heart. Nor is it meant for us to bear the burden alone. Every church planter needs safe people in their life to stay in the game. Who are those safe people around you? Have you ever wondered how to build the team of mentors you need in order to thrive? If so, you’ll love this conversation with John Aureli, church planter and lead pastor of the Mission Vineyard in San Antonio, TX.

John Wimber founder of the Vineyard said "You teach what you know you reproduce who you are." Your church plant is going look like you, you can't run away from yourself. Putting ourselves in submitted places to be trained and invested in is essential for both our long personal health and the health of our churches. Being coached well has lasting benefits as we attempt to coach others. Robb Morgan's story comes at this topic from a number of angles from being a division I college athlete, to joining the original church planting team of the Mile High Vineyard under Jay Pathak's leadership, to planting their own church in central Ohio.  We think you're going to love this conversation with Robb Morgan, church planter, part-time soccer coach and lead pastor of the Delaware City Vineyard  in Delaware, OH. 

In this second part of our conversation with Robb Morgan, lead pastor of the Delaware City Vineyard in Delaware, OH, we continue the sports analogy focusing on the value of practice along with giving ourselves and our leaders the freedom to fail. Embracing this freedom will help us stay emotionally healthy as we grow into our leadership. And as it has been said, the only way we plant healthy churches is if we get healthy ourselves.   We think you're going to love this continuing conversation with Robb Morgan, church planter, part-time soccer coach and lead pastor of the Delaware City Vineyard  in Delaware, OH.

As we kick off season two of the How To Plant A Healthy Church Podcast we are happy to introduce our new co-host, Liz Moore. Having recently served for eight years as New England Boarding Schools Field Staff for FOCUS, Liz has just completed her M.Div at Duke Divinity School. Liz is currently planting a Vineyard church in Princeton, New Jersey. Liz will be a great addition to our team this season as we explore the topic of “The Importance Of Good Theology”.  Don’t miss this episode!!

On this episode, Michael and our new co-host Liz Moore sit down with Dr. Caleb Maskell, leader the Society of Vineyard Scholars and the Worship Pastor at Blue Route Vineyard Community Church outside Philadelphia, PA. He has taught at Princeton Theological Seminary and Fordham University. Caleb is passionate about developing leaders and institutions that will help to produce a healthy, courageous, and hospitable future for the church in the 21st century.  Join us for this important conversation about the practice of theology being humble, hospitable, and curious as we seek to plant healthy churches.

Welcome to season two of the “How To Plant A Healthy Church Podcast” sponsored by Multiply Vineyard. On this week’s episode, our host Michael Gatlin sits down with long time pastor, conference speaker, and church planting guru, Steve Nicholson. Steve and his wife Cindy planted the Evanston Vineyard in the greater Chicago area close to 44 years ago. Steve’s deep experience in the practical theology of local church ministry is an invaluable resource. Lots of gold in this episode!!  Join us for this important conversation about how our theology shapes who we are and who we’re becoming both individually and as local churches communities. 

On this week’s episode, our host Michael Gatlin sits down with Dr. Doug Erickson to discuss his book "Living the Future - The Kingdom of God and the Holy Spirit within the Vineyard Movement”. This wide ranging conversation looks at both the theology and the practice of the Vineyard movement taking a specific look at work of Vineyard founder, John Wimber.    From the book’s description:    "The Vineyard movement is an emerging Protestant tradition with a growing global influence. From its beginning in the 1970's, the Vineyard has grown rapidly, and has placed itself as a church movement that seeks to define a “middle way” between American Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism. This book explores a number of questions about the nature of the kingdom of God, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the theology and practice of the Vineyard Movement.”   Don’t miss this fascinating conversation!! 

On this week’s episode, we have another round with long time pastor, conference speaker, and church planting guru, Steve Nicholson. Steve and his wife Cindy planted the Evanston Vineyard in the greater Chicago area close to 44 years ago. Steve’s deep experience in the practical theology of local church ministry is an invaluable resource. This a power-packed episode with a ton of practical insights for both our churches and personal lives as we seek to grow in our ongoing reliance on the Holy Spirit.

Kyla Morgan Young is a Doctoral Candidate at Princeton University in American Religious History. Her research focuses on how American Protestant denominations relate to money and the marketplace. She is currently a lecturer at The Ohio State University in African American Studies and an active member at Franklinton Abbey in Columbus, Ohio. Over the last decade, Kyla has served on Vineyard staffs in Ohio and Pennsylvania and was a member of the planting team in Princeton, NJ.   On this week’s episode, our hosts Michael Gatlin and Liz Moore sit down with Kyla Morgan Young. This is part one of a fascinating conversation delving into to the three challenging issues of Money, Sex, and Power specifically looking at how our church structures embody (or don’t embody) our beliefs.    This is a “clouds and dirt” episode address both the big picture as well as on-the-ground practical takeaways for those in the trenches of local church leadership.

Kyla Morgan Young is a Doctoral Candidate at Princeton University in American Religious History. Her research focuses on how American Protestant denominations relate to money and the marketplace. She is currently a lecturer at The Ohio State University in African American Studies and an active member at Franklinton Abbey in Columbus, Ohio. Over the last decade, Kyla has served on Vineyard staffs in Ohio and Pennsylvania and was a member of the planting team in Princeton, NJ. On this week’s episode, we have part two of a fascinating conversation with Kyla Morgan Young discussing the challenging issues of Money, Sex, and Power. This time we dive into the practical topic of aligning our budgets around both our values and God’s call and vision for our churches and church plants.  Shout out to those men and women who selflessly serve on our church budget committees and task forces!    This is another “clouds and dirt” episode address both the big picture as well as on-the-ground practical takeaways for those in the trenches of local church leadership. 

On this week’s episode, our host Michael Gatlin sits down with Ted Kim and Renée Cunningham from the Evanston Vineyard giving us a behind-the-scenes look at the active transition of senior leadership of this flagship Vineyard church from it’s founding pastor, Steve Nicholson, to the leadership of Ted Kim. This is a very practical and helpful episode not only for the churches in active leadership transition but every church digging into your “why” behind your “how”.    Ted Kim Ted Kim has been pastoring for over twenty years, first as a Worship Pastor and now as the Senior Associate Pastor of the Evanston Vineyard in Illinois where he is the hoped-for eventual successor to Steve Nicholson.  He has done ministry all over the United States and internationally in places like the United Kingdom, Africa, and the Middle East.  Ted oversaw worship regionally in the Northeast and is a published songwriter, most known for “Kyrie Eleison” and “Eden”.  He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and has been married for over 15 years with 3 children.   Renée Cunningham Renée Cunningham is pastor of the Neighborhood Campus of the Evanston Vineyard in Chicago, Illinois.  Renee planted the Neighborhood in 2014 out of a desire to worship alongside her neighbors.  Prior to church planting, Renee worked in elementary education and served with her husband as pastors at La Vina Las Condes in Santiago, Chile.  She holds an M.A. in Christian Spiritual Formation from North Park Theological Seminary and lives in Chicago with her husband Bruce and their three young children.  

This episode features a fascinating conversation with Old Testament scholar Dr. Brittany Kim. Dr. Kim and our host Michael Gatlin provide helpful insight into wrestling with many of the challenging portions of the Old Testament giving us tools as we wrestle with the more challenging parts of the Bible. The Old Testament has much to teach us and not just in allegory or metaphor.    Don’t miss this episode!!    Dr. Brittany Kim is an Old Testament scholar, adjunct professor, and spiritual director-in-training. She has taught at Roberts Wesleyan College, Northeastern Seminary, and Bethel Seminary, and is the author of Lengthen Your Tent-Cords: The Metaphorical World of Israel's Household in the Book of Isaiah. Brittany and her husband Ted live in Chicago, IL with their three children.

This is part one of the special three part series taken from the 2020 Multiply Vineyard Summit held in San Luis Obispo, CA. In this episode frequent podcast guest Renée Cunningham challenges us to become churches and pastors who love to grow other pastors.  This is an inspiring and very practical episode! Renée Cunningham is pastor of the Neighborhood Campus of the Evanston Vineyard in Chicago, Illinois.  Renee planted the Neighborhood in 2014 out of a desire to worship alongside her neighbors.  Prior to church planting, Renee worked in elementary education and served with her husband as pastors at La Vina Las Condes in Santiago, Chile.  She holds an M.A. in Christian Spiritual Formation from North Park Theological Seminary and lives in Chicago with her husband Bruce and their three young children.  

This week we have a very candid and detailed look into the heart and life of a church planter from the initial dreaming and vision stage through to the actual planting. Suhail recounts the many internal leading he felt from the Lord and then also recounts the ways those leadings and dreams were externally confirmed - very much like the process of pregnancy leading to the brith of a new baby.    This is a very encouraging conversation for anyone discerning a call to church plant!    Suhail Stephen is from India, grew up as a missionary kid, and has lived in seven countries. He and his wife, Jennifer, have a beautiful daughter named Anaya and they live in Winnipeg, Manitoba.He did his undergraduate studies in English Literature and Philosophy at Wheaton College and completed his masters in Community Leadership and Philanthropy Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He received his training in spiritual direction in Sustainable Faith’s School of Spiritual Direction. In addition to being a spiritual director and teaching in the School of Spiritual Direction, he is also the founder and director of (as well as a teacher in) Sustainable Faith’s School of Mercy and Justice. He has been part of the Vineyard since 2001 and currently serves as a National Catalyst for Vineyard Canada. Previously, he pastored at Winnipeg Centre Vineyard, and served as a worship leader at both Trinity Vineyard Christian Fellowship in St. Charles, Illinois and at Kowloon City Vineyard in Hong Kong. Suhail loves film, music, reading, writing, travel, and football (FC Barcelona!). You can follow him at https://writingisprayer.wordpress.com/.

This is part two of the special three part series taken from the 2020 Multiply Vineyard Summit held in San Luis Obispo, CA. In this episode Dr. Charles Montgomery challenges us with a powerful word out of Numbers 13 to face our “giants" and renew our trust in God.    “A faith that can’t be tested is a faith that can’t be trusted.”    This is an inspiring and challenging episode speaking encouragement and vision for 2020 and beyond!  Dr. Charles A. Montgomery, Jr is the East Campus Pastor of the Vineyard Columbus. Prior to this position he served as Rich Nathan’s research assistant for 2 years.  Before that, he was licensed and ordained by the National Baptist Church, U.S.A. and has faithfully served on church staffs in California, Georgia, and Ohio.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Morehouse College, a Master of Divinity from Emory University, and a Ph.D. from Union Institute and University, with an emphasis in Ethical and Creative Leadership.  He is an Affiliated Professor at Ohio Christian University and has been married to his lovely wife, Kimberly, since 2003. 

Today on the podcast we have Alan Scott, lead pastor of Vineyard Anaheim in Orange County, CA. This is a fascinating conversation chronicling Alan’s journey from the beginning of his ministry in Glasgow, Scotland through the planting of the Causeway Coast Vineyard in Northern Ireland to today where Alan and his wife Kathryn are helping to breathe new life into Vineyard Anaheim, the historic birthplace of the Vineyard movement.  Alan shares so many stories from his years of ministry mobilizing congregations toward city impact and transformation. In Alan's words "Bringing Life To The City".  This is a powerful and inspiring conversation you don't want to miss! Alan Scott is the lead pastor of the Vineyard Anaheim in Anaheim, CA.  He was the founding pastor of the Causeway Coast Vineyard Church in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, which has grown through scattered servants who bring life to the city.  The church has planted several other churches and is the originator and catalyst for the Healing on the Streets movement.  Alan is a visionary leader, gifted communicator, and a prophetic voice who seeks to bring together biblical principals and supernatural power in a way that supplies the destiny of ordinary people.  His passion involves raising up trusted rulers who are kingdom carriers that change the culture.  Alan is also the author of the book Scattered Servants.  He lives in Anaheim with his wife, Kathryn, and his two girls where he enjoys thinking and dreaming of ways to lead the church beyond the building.

This is the final edition of the special three part series taken from the 2020 Multiply Vineyard Summit held in San Luis Obispo, CA. On this episode, we have Ralph Moore, founder of the Hope Chapel movement and current Church Multiplication Catalyzer at Exponential.org/. Since it’s beginning, Hope Chapel has planted over 2300 churches wordwide. In today’s episode, Ralph reminds us of the primary role Discipleship plays in our church planting efforts.   "Jesus had Peter, James, and John and so should we. We should spend more time making disciples out of our staff rather than making programs out of our people."   This is a good word from a church planting veteran!

DO NOT MISS THIS EPISODE!!   This week’s guest is John Willison. John is the senior pastor of Abundant Grace International Fellowship in Shanghai, China. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, Abundant Grace International Fellowship has been innovating out of necessity taking their entire church life online from Sunday worship experience to small groups to daily devotionals to kids’ ministry. There is so much practical wisdom from their experience over the past nine weeks.    John’s bio: Born into a family of devoted church-goers, I’ve been active in Christ’s church all my life.  I’ve spent years in Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian, and Anglican churches. Carol and I met at Northwestern University where I graduated in engineering. Yet, during this time, I learned my real passion is helping people follow Jesus. Mentored by a local pastor, I learned “normal” Christianity includes both orthodox theology and genuine spiritual experience. Carol & I graduated and married.   We both attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where I received Master of Divinity in 1988. A year later I was asked onto pastoral staff at our church in Evanston, Illinois. Our family grew to 5 children. Carol and I assumed our pattern of she being a schoolteacher and I a pastor.   As our children were approaching high school age Carol and I moved our family to Kenya. Why? We wanted our children to experience the world and Kingdom of God outside of the United States.  This shift opened my heart to larger picture of what God is doing in the world.  Over the years I had, for better and for worse, become focused on our particular denomination. Our first year in Africa restored my focus to the Kingdom of God as a whole. While in Kenya we connected with a group of families in Uganda who were forming Kampala International Church. Our values were aligned, and I accepted the call to be the team leader for the fledgling Kampala church. I was the first staff leader for this group. Together we articulated our vision and was able to focus what was a bit chaotic. Over the next 11 years we grew from a “one-projector” church of 70 people to a group of 700 spread across 3 congregations.   I enjoy building environments for people to flourish. I value scriptural theology and authentic spirituality. I am happiest when focusing on spiritual leadership, building healthy disciples and a healthy church culture. My wife and I have also grown immensely in appreciating the multiple cultures of this world. I have learned to enjoy the varying ways of communication – what people say, how they say it, what they don’t say; family dynamics; ways of resolving conflict, and the myriad other ways people build culture.  Much of it is very beautiful, most of it makes sense in context, and all of it must be brought into the Kingdom for our Father to sift, prune, redeem and bless. After 12 years in East Africa, our children grown, it was time to leave. As we prefer the international culture we did not return to USA. Carol accepted a post as a teacher at Concordia International School Shanghai. Currently I assist within the international congregations but hope to return soon to full-time work building the church.

Vineyard Columbus is a church with 8,000 people in attendance on a normal Sunday. Like the rest of us, with the restrictions brought on by COVID-19, Vineyard Columbus quickly pivoted from a church that only met physically to launching their online ministry platform in a matter of days. This is a look behind the scenes at what they have learned in this short time and a look at where they are heading next.  Another very relevant and helpful episode in this challenging time!   Andrew's bio: Andrew is the Lane Avenue Campus and Online Pastor for Vineyard Columbus in Westerville, Ohio. Andrew took a roundabout way to God. Growing up with a renowned Biblical scholar for a father, he grew up skeptical of the church. He met his wife Ginny at Columbus College of Art and Design and they both graduated with degrees in Fine Arts. Five years into their marriage, they both had powerful encounters with the peace, joy and purpose available through a relationship with Jesus. While developing a professional career in sales and non-profit management, Andrew completed the Vineyard Leadership Institute and led Hear the Cry, a non-profit organization responding to the AIDS crisis in Africa. He currently serves on the board of Riverview International Center, which focuses on empowering our international neighbors by providing opportunities to access services, resources, and education. After many years of lay leadership at Vineyard, Andrew launched Vineyard Columbus – Lane Avenue in 2011 as its pastor. He is finishing a Master’s of Divinity at Asbury Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He and Ginny live in Clintonville with their three children. Andrew is passionate about good coffee, ice cream, vegetarian cooking, building things, and riding his scooter.

In this time where churches are moving their services online en masse , Vineyard Fullerton took another approach using the video conferencing platform Zoom to not only handle their small group meetings but actually run their entire weekend service. Their innovative approach is described in detail by Melisa Keller, Event Director for Vineyard Worship and member of Vineyard Fullerton’s leadership team. Melisa has years of experience with the Zoom platform which enabled Vineyard Fullerton’s rapid adoption of this innovative approach to online church.  Lots to learn here for churches of all sizes and shapes!

This is a fun episode! Last fall, our host Michael Gatlin was invited to speak at the annual White Out National Youth Conference in Colorado. This is a long standing and powerful event every February that draws youth together from the Mountain West and beyond. At first, Michael was reluctant to take the invitation but then he wondered what it would be like to invite a group of five high school students along with him to teach and minster together. What happened next is found in this inspiring episode.    For now, meet Noah, Mason, Mercy, Abby, and Anika along with Michael and Clint Considine, the Student Ministries Pastor at Duluth Vineyard.   You’re going to enjoy this episode!

It’s been said that all ministry comes out of relationship. First between us and God and then between us and those around us. It is these relationships that help to form and shape us into who God has called us to be. The churches that we plant are also an extension of our personal relational health. Our host Michael Gatlin and licensed family counselor and lead pastor Kurt Attaway explore this helpful topic on today’s episode.    Producer’s note: This interview was recorded before the COIVD-19 quarantine. 

The Elm City Vineyard in New Haven, CT is an urban, multi-ethnic, church that bridges across the socio-economic strata. This is a “behind-the-scenes” look at the early days of the planting of ECV. Baked in to their early DNA was the idea of ECV being a church community modeled after a teaching hospital where both failure was acceptable as a teaching tool and raising up new generations of leaders was the norm. This is an inspiring and very accessible conversation for everyone in the trenches of church planting or considering a plant.    Producer’s note: This interview was recorded before the COIVD-19 quarantine.

On this practical episode, Michael Gatlin and our co-host Liz Moore talk with Dave Runyon, co-author of “The Art of Neighboring”, an initiative that mobilizes churches toward building relationships with the people who live the closest to them. This episode is particularly relevant in this new landscape created by the COVID-19 pandemic.    So much helpful information in this episode!

Vineyard of Harvest Church is a multi-generational, multi-lingual, and multi-cultural church in southeastern Los Angeles County in Southern California. Pastor Dennis Liu has recently transitioned into a co-lead pastor role with the founding pastor (and Dennis’s father-in-law) Kenneth Kwan. Vineyard of Harvest is an amazing church community on many fronts but in this season of COVID-19 they have faced an additional set of challenges. One of these challenges deals specifically with the anti-Asian racism that has come to the forefront in this time.    There is a lot to glean from this challenging episode!!

Pacific City Church was planted in 2018 by Chris Meekins and his team in Santa Monica, CA. In this episode Michael and co-host Liz Moore (also a church planter in Princeton, NJ) talk through the issues facing church planters in the era of COVID-19. Chris and his team have tackled these new challenges with lots of creativity. This episode is a look back at the last couple months as well as a look forward into the future of the church and church planting post-quarantine.

On this episode, return guest Jared Boyd provides a counter-intuitive posture for those seeking spiritual formation in a time of global pandemic. Knowing how and what to fight against begins only when we can move from thinking we are in isolation to embracing solitude.   This is very personal look into what God has been doing at Jared’s life as well as his local church, Franklinton Abbey, a contemplative faith community in a low-income neighborhood of Columbus, OH in this season. 

Following her recent interview with Adam Russell on The Ferment Podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Pierre stops by to chat with our co-hosts Michael Gatlin and Liz Moore about the necessity of taking care of ourselves through the trauma the whole world is facing in the era of COVID-19. This is particularly important for pastors and others in careers focused on helping others.    This is an important and very helpful conversation!

In this season of quarantine and subsequent lockdown, we’ve discussed many tools and tactics. As we re-emerge into this new season post-lockdown churches and church planters are faced with even more new issues. This conversation with Amos and Alison Groenendyk is helpful in a number of ways. Their inspirational origin story as church planters in Michigan begins our conversation followed by their journey with the Chester Springs Vineyard taking over the church from the founding pastor. They done many creative things vitally connected to the mission of their church in this season of COVID-19 but there are many more things to be gleaned from their story,   

Dr. Thomas Campion is a Licensed Psychologist who specializes in providing counseling services across all ages as well as the family unit, and performs extensive intelligence, aptitude, psychological and vocational assessments. He is the President and CEO of Campion, Barrow and Associates, a psychological services organization founded by his father. He frequently consults with ministries and faith-based organizations and is the go-to guy for Multiply Vineyard in providing assessments and counseling for potential pastors and church planters as he is passionate about supporting and encouraging people in ministry. Dr. Campion and his family also attend the Urbana Vineyard in Illinois.   In this episode, Dr. Campion and our host Michael Gatlin discuss the difficulties pastors and people in ministry are facing during this unique season of pandemic, and the ways recognizing our emotional “lights on the dashboard” and learning to practice self-care can help ease stress and prevent burnout. This is a practical and refreshing episode that will be hugely beneficial in helping pastors navigate the changing landscape of 2020 both personally and vocationally.   Show notes: Campion, Barrow and Associates http://www.campionbarrow.com Strange Rites by Tara Isabella Burton https://amzn.to/3nOpv6L Conversation with Tom Campion & Phil Strout https://bit.ly/3l3cggO

Jason and Betsy Patrick are co-pastors of the Streamwood Vineyard in Streamwood, IL, planted out of the Elgin Vineyard in 2019.  High school sweethearts, Jason and Betsy met in youth group, were married at 17 and now have six children through birth and adoption.    In this episode of the How to Plant a Healthy Church podcast, Jason and Betsy share about hearing the call to church plant and the emotional honesty, vulnerability and patience required in the discernment process. As champions of leaving the sending church well, Jason and Betsy are a wealth of helpful tips on how to navigate this transition with integrity. If church planting is something you feel stirring in your heart, grab a pen and notebook and settle in for a heavy dose of wisdom and encouragement! Streamwood Vineyard Church – Youtube https://bit.ly/2KVcvy4  

Corey Garris is a pastor with the Mile High Vineyard in Denver, CO and has been a member of the Multiply Vineyard team since 2014. He is passionate about seeing Jesus transform lives in his city and about MHV hubs being life-giving communities that profoundly impact their neighborhoods. Corey also provides pastoral care and leadership to the pastors of the Mile High Vineyard and works to connect with pastors in his community outside of the Vineyard. He and his wife Cyndia have been married since 2003 and have two daughters, Ava and Rylee. In this episode of the How To Plant A Healthy Church podcast, Corey shares his testimony of salvation and journey towards becoming a pastor, and the scripture the Lord spoke to him about the value of the local church and expanding the number of “wells” in his city. His story inspires faith in asking the Lord to lead us, guide us through setbacks and teach us how to love our communities well.   Show notes: Mile High Vineyard https://www.milehighvineyard.org The Navigators https://www.navigators.org

Trisha Taylor is a counselor, author, consultant and speaker based in Houston, TX. As a counselor she works with individuals, couples and families and seeks to provide a safe space where people who are hurting or confused can find God’s grace and wisdom. Trisha also co-authored the book “The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation”, which challenges leaders to see their congregations as living systems and to respond to leadership challenges with emotional maturity, leading as Jesus did, from the inside out. In this episode of the How To Plant A Healthy Church podcast, Trisha and our host Michael Gatlin share a thorough discussion of the role of empathy in leading a church: Is all empathy beneficial? How do boundaries tie in? How can we partner with others in developing the kind of empathy that will truly serve the church? Trisha also shares tips on how to find a good coach to walk through ministry with, as well as several valuable resources for further learning. This conversation is chock-full of wisdom nuggets that will benefit even the most established of pastors. Show notes: The Ferment Podcast – Trisha Taylor https://bit.ly/2WfTw3C The Leader’s journey by Jim Herrington, Trisha Taylor and R. Robert Creech https://amzn.to/37kPL3a Edwin Friedman’s Theory of Differentiated Leadership Made Simple https://bit.ly/2KxxB5e A Failure of Nerve by Edwin Friedman https://amzn.to/2K7LYNY Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue by Edwin Friedman https://amzn.to/2IT8olx Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin https://amzn.to/3qUaqCW Faithwalking https://faithwalking.us

Jim Herrington has been a pastor for 45 years, as well as serving as a denominational executive and pastor to pastors since 1989 where he first began coaching leaders. He has worked with hundreds of congregations from a variety of traditions around the challenges of personal and congregational transformation. Jim is the co-founder of Faithwalking, and co-authored Leading Congregational Change: A Practical Guide to the Transformational Journey,  The Leader’s Journey: Accepting the Call to Personal and Congregational Transformation, and Learning Change: Congregational Transformation Fueled by Personal Renewal. Jim lives in Houston and has been married to his best friend, Betty, for 45 years. They have five children and four grandchildren. In this episode of the How To Plant A Healthy Church podcast, Jim and our host Michael Gatlin talk about church planting in a hyper-polarized culture and how the church can show up in a post-Christian world. Jim also shares some of his formative leadership stories, the importance of engaging in healthy community and expanding our capacity for emotional maturity. As a beautiful follow-up to last week’s conversation with Jim’s co-author Trisha Taylor, this episode will continue shaping our hearts and minds towards healthy, Jesus-centered leadership.   Show notes: To register for the Multiply Vineyard Summit, go to mvsummit.org The Leader's journey by Jim Herrington, Trisha Taylor and R. Robert Creech https://amzn.to/3nHDpI9 Faithwalking http://faithwalking.us Tempered Resilience by Tod Bolsinger https://amzn.to/3nHgj4i Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard https://amzn.to/34y1j1j The Spirit  of the Disciplines by Dallas Willard https://amzn.to/3h6j6Sn The Wisdom Pattern by Richard Rohr https://amzn.to/3mG6ylR A Failure of Nerve, Revised Edition by Edwin Friedman https://amzn.to/34vwo5x Jim's email Jim@theleadersjourney.us Looking for a coach/consultant? theleadersjourney.us

Keri Ladouceur is the pastor of Community Christian Church in Naperville, IL, as well as the founder of New Ground Network. She has been coaching pastors, church leaders and non-profit leaders for over a decade and is the author of “Together as a Team: A Values-Based Approach to going Further, Faster – Together”. Keri and her husband Marc have two children, Leah and Liam. In this episode of the How To Plant A Healthy Church podcast, Keri and our host Michael Gatlin talk about reframing our disqualifiers as qualifiers, the impact of 2020 on the church and the opportunity it presents to be honest about what has been working and what’s not, and Keri shares an encouraging word about pressing into the presence of the Lord in the wilderness and not trying to skip through it. Keri also shares her own experiences with abusive leadership dynamics and provides invaluable insight into how church leaders might manage crisis in a healthy and honoring way.   Show notes: To register for the Multiply Vineyard Summit, go to mvsummit.org David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell https://amzn.to/37VOrUY Keri’s book: Together as a Team: A Values-Based Approach to going Further, Faster – Together https://amzn.to/3pylR1U Keri’s church: Community Christian Church https://communitychristian.org/naperville/ Tempered Resilience: How Leaders Are Formed in the Crucible of Change by Tod Bolsinger https://amzn.to/3rC8lMb The Gift of Imperfection by Brené Brown https://amzn.to/3aK2UFc

Dr. Derwin L. Gray is the founding and lead pastor of Transformation Church, a multiethnic, multigenerational, mission-shaped community located in Indian Land, South Carolina. Derwin met his wife, Vicki, at Brigham Young University where he played for the BYU Cougars football team. They have been married since 1992 and have two children.  After graduating from BYU, Derwin played professional football in the NFL for five years with the Indianapolis Colts (1993-1997) and one year with the Carolina Panthers (1998). During that time, he and Vicki began their journey with Christ and experienced God’s faithfulness and direction as He moved their hearts to know Him and make Him known. Derwin went on to graduate magna cum laude from Southern Evangelical Seminary with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.) degree and in 2015 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Southern Evangelical Seminary. In 2018, he received his Doctor of Ministry in the New Testament in Context at Northern Seminary.  In addition to his role at Transformation Church, Derwin teaches at conferences nationwide, and will be joining us at the Multiply Vineyard Summit in February! He is the author of Hero: Unleashing God’s Power in a Man’s Heart, Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God Holds Your Future, Crazy Grace for Crazy Times Bible Study, The High-Definition Leader, and The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches About Finding True Happiness.    In this episode of the How To Plant A Healthy Church podcast, Derwin and our host Michael Gatlin have an inspiring conversation about finding our identity in the Lord and leading from a place of groundedness in the gospel.  Derwin also shares concrete guidelines for building a healthy church and lays down some truth about current situations pastors might find themselves navigating regarding race, politics and generational divides. This episode is fast-paced and packed full of goodness that you’ll want to refer to in the coming year, so pull out a pen and get ready to learn!   Show notes: For more information on the Multiply Vineyard Summit, or to register, go to https://mvsummit.org The Good Life: What Jesus Teaches About Finding True Happiness by Dr. Derwin L. Gray https://amzn.to/2XfoWI3

Dave Ferguson is an award-winning author, founding and lead pastor of Chicago’s Community Christian Church, a missional multi-site community considered one of the most influential churches in America. Dave is also the visionary for the international church-planting movement NewThing, president of the Exponential Conference, and will be joining us at the Mutliply Vineyard Summit on February 4thand 5th! Dave and his wife Sue have 3 kids and live in the Chicagoland area.   In this episode of the How To Plant A Healthy Church podcast, Dave and our host Michael Gatlin talk a lot about what it looks like to plant churches in a time of pandemic, and how our options change when we have a lens of opportunity vs. crisis. They also discuss Dave’s new book B.L.E.S.S. and the benefits of being with people for the purpose of blessing them and letting God do the work in their hearts.   Show notes: For more information on the Multiply Vineyard Summit, or to register, go to https://mvsummit.org Dave’s Website http://daveferguson.co B.L.E.S.S.: 5 Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World by Dave Ferguson https://bless-book.org The Art of Neighboring: Building Genuine Relationships Right Outside Your Door by Jay Pathak and Dave Runyon https://amzn.to/2LlL7Kh Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World by Tara Isabella Burton https://amzn.to/35GWFyG