There’s something really special about the work God does in us when we spend a few days away with him, when we intentionally invest in times to hear from him and build relationships with others who can help us learn and grow.
The first Multiply Vineyard Summit was an event for just that! It was a time for anyone discerning their calling, church planting, or pastoring to be encouraged, inspired, and equipped for church multiplication.
We spent time together hearing from engaging speakers, investing in soul care, building relationships with each other, and learning from those a little further down the road from us.
We found the feedback we got incredibly encouraging and we wanted to share some of what we heard from church planters and pastors who attended last year’s event.
“There was healing and unity in our marriage through the Multiply Vineyard Summit. The year and a half leading up to the Summit was one of challenge for our marriage. My wife was working night shift and I had failed to set healthy boundaries in ministry led to a breaking point. The conference served as a handful of days that we experienced a togetherness that we hadn’t experienced for a couple of years, and we received a new hope that we could enter into what God was calling us to as a team. Our marriage has grown immensely from this time and we are forever grateful of the time at the conference.”
—Ryan Kenny, Church Planter, Midtown Vineyard Church – Fresno, CA
“For me the best thing about the conference was the different tracks. I was in the sending pastor track and I brought someone in the discerner track. It stirred up so many great conversations for him and I. I really felt like as a sending pastor I was learning how to send planters well in a way that isn’t just pushing them into the deep end, but in a way that will set them up for success. I came home thinking, I can do this. I felt like I came home with a bag of tools that I honestly didn’t have when I got there.”
—Michael Hansen, Lead Pastor, Vineyard Church of Delaware County – Sunbury, OH
“The Summit was super helpful for me. I signed up because I knew I needed a break. I’m bi-vocational and church planting and new to this type of leadership; I knew I needed a place where I could slow down a little bit and care for myself and be cared for.
What ended up being really surprising for me was that the best takeaway was the community that I found. We were able to go deeper because we didn’t have to translate our experiences. I got to meet other women who were pastoring and planting or considering planting and that was encouraging as well.”
—Liz Moore, Church Planter, Princeton Vineyard – Princeton, NJ
For years, deep down I wondered, could I be a church planter? I didn’t see myself as qualified. I didn’t even know where to begin. I did, however, always feel the pull towards the adventure of the kingdom. Saying yes to the Multiply Vineyard Summit seemed like a good starting point in gaining clarity and connections with others who stood where I was standing. I went to the Summit giving myself the full permission to wonder, “Could I be a church planter?”
It was also so important to have others ahead of me and in step with me to process, discern, pray, dream, and question together.
—Kelsey Thornton, Discerner, Delaware City Vineyard – Delaware, OH
“At the event, there was a word about leading from insecurity and I got prayer for that. I feel different now. I feel like that was really broken off! God also called me to seminary at the Summit. All these things came out of that. Sure, God could have told me that at home, but moving out of my normal spaces to a place where all the people were thinking about and praying about church planting was a great atmosphere for what I needed in that moment.”
—Jeri Heilman, Church Planter, Vineyard Altoona – Altoona, PA
If this sounds like something you’d like to invest in, we’d love to invite you to the Multiply Vineyard Summit happening January 14,16, 2020 in San Luis Obispo, CA. Learn more and get registered at the www.mvsummit.org.
