In this episode of We Are Vineyard, we continue our mini-series on the Vineyard USA National Conference session: A Story Of The Vineyard in Song. This week, Adam and Nicole Dill talk with Cindy Rethmeier about the early days of the Vineyard, how new songs were introduced, and some of the stories behind the original Vineyard songs. Cindy shares about how relationships influence songwriting, and navigating the balance of family life with leading worship.

Cindy Rethmeier is one of the pioneering female worship leaders and songwriters of the modern worship era. She wrote some of Vineyard’s most well-known anthems (Exalt the Lord, I Bow Down) and served an integral role in children’s worship, penning the songs I Want to be Like Jesus and Good News. Cindy spent 7 years in an Anglican Church writing musical settings for prayers and seasonal antiphons for the liturgy, and her most-recent song —  co-written with Vineyard pastor and worship leader Ted Kim — is Kyrie Eléison, a lament based on a prayer of petition used in ancient Christian liturgies translating as “Lord, have mercy.” After many years in Southern California, Cindy currently lives in Tennessee with her husband of over 40 years, Steve. She has 2 children & 11 grandchildren who are the inspiration for her name songs & lighthearted, everyday-life songs.

 Show Notes: 

Hear more from Cindy on The Ferment

I Want To Be Like Jesus