An Unlikely Brother
I spent the second half of the trip on the north shore of of this island, where Iâm excited to say, we now have our first official La Viña in this nation! Although Vineyard is not a recognized denomination there, the congregation has started to call themselves, La Viña Casa de Amor. On one of […]
South Sudan At Seven Years Old
South Sudan found its name and independence in 2011. Freedom of any kind is a sense of hope and promise, but the worldâs newest country is also one of its least developed – anywhere you look. There are no precise population figures, but in 2014, the World Bank estimated there were 11.91 million South Sudanese, […]
Discerning A Local Churchâs Work In Global Missions
Vineyard Missions has asked me to share how our church, the Red Bluff Vineyard, is discerning and working toward joining a Missions Partnership. Our goal is to spend the next two years (or less) exploring where God is calling us, who God is calling us to, and how to best engage in global missions! I […]
At Home Or Abroad, Posture Is Everything
In Mozambique, most places we visit lack running water, restrooms, etc. But Mozambicans understand the need for hygiene, so the custom is to offer a pitcher of water and a basin to wash your hands. The water is usually warmed over an open fire. Before any meal, when you enter a home, or even sometimes […]
We Praise The African Way | Cultural Context
On a recent trip, I had the opportunity to experience worship and ministry âthe African way,â as I visited three countries in eight days, witnessing the manifold ways Kingdom values are being contextualized in the various cultures of Africa. First stop was Cameroon. The Cameroonian team leader shared a small two bedroom apartment. For those […]
Brakes, Brakes, Transmission, And Tires In CĂŽte DâIvoire
Before we arrived in Africa, the other half of our team from the Vineyard Church of Central Illinois arrived in CĂŽte dâIvoire several days before we joined them. They had experienced mechanical problems with their vehicle, not to mention managing the complications caused by incredible flooding in their area. Days later, after we arrived, three […]
Virginia Beach To Mazatlan: The Story Of One Vineyard’s Call To Go
Nineteen years ago our church family, VCC Virginia Beach, first dipped our toes in the water of missions. Our congregation was 4-5 years old at the time, when Pastor Fred Collom, a long-time Vineyard guy from the Wimber era, who had a vision to see the Kingdom of God roll through Mazatlan, Mexico came as […]
Missions Highlight: Tabitha
Tabitha came into our lives in June of 2009. She wandered in on the very first day we met in our brand new effort to plant a church in the nation of South Sudan. She had spent her entire life in and around the town of Bor, but she didnât look like she was at […]
Senegalese Man Healed And Walks Away
So I prayed a second time. When I asked how he was doing again, he just walked away. A few hours later he came running up to me with a huge grin, exclaiming that he was completely healed. He said, âI didn’t mean to be rude when I walked away, but I was so touched […]
Missions Highlight: Eat, Pray, Meet In Jambi (Indonesia)
Our Time In Jambi Felt Rewarding Our time in Jambi felt very rewarding, and we summed it up in three words: Eating, praying, and meeting. And there was a lot of all three! For one of our eating times, Yohan and Lily invited us to dinner after all the meetings were finished. It was our […]
