In this episode of the We Are Vineyard podcast, Jay talks with Brandon Shields about his family’s conversion to Christianity when he was a teenager, an impactful spiritual experience he had on a missions trip to the Philippines, and the transformative power of being with believers in other countries. Brandon shares about his call to church planting, navigating a season of “failure”, the slow process of building a missional community, and when things finally started gaining momentum. This is part one of a two-part episode, so come back next week to hear the rest of the conversation!
About Brandon:
Brandon Shields serves as the Director of Church Formation for Practicing the Way, a ministry that helps churches form lifelong apprentices to Jesus.
Brandon has served in pastoral ministry for 25 years, including the last 14 as founding and lead pastor at Soma Midtown in urban Indianapolis. He has also been a contributing author to several books on pastoral ministry, including Perspectives on Family Ministry and Faithful Endurance. He’s written articles and been interviewed for publications like Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, and For the Church.
Brandon holds an undergraduate degree in business, a graduate degree in missiology, and a Ph.D in leadership. He currently lives in Indianapolis with Emily, his wife of 22 years, and his four amazing children.
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Watch the video version of this episode here.
Show Notes:
Free Coaching for Pastors – Looking for coaching tailored to your context and challenges? We love walking alongside pastors as they’re working to implement spiritual formation in their church. Schedule a free 60-minute online coaching session with an experienced member of our Church Formation team.
From Strength to Strength by Arthur C. Brooks
Instagram: @brandonshields @practicingtheway