In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with return guest Steve Nicholson about some common practices of pastors who see the Holy Spirit move in their churches, and how pastors can begin to train and lead Holy Spirit ministry. Steve also shares about moving through windows of discouragement and what he’s seeing the Holy Spirit doing right now. 

Steve Nicholson began ministering as a college student through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the early 1970s.  After graduation, he moved to the Chicago area where he and several other twenty-something leaders founded a church.  That fellowship, begun in 1976 in Evanston, Illinois, placed a high priority on contemporary worship, biblical teaching, openness to the Holy Spirit, and committed relationships as a church family.

In 1981, Steve and a team from the fellowship established a new church in Humboldt Park, a neighborhood in Chicago’s inner city. Both churches joined Vineyard USA in August of 1985, and Steve transferred leadership of the Humboldt Park Vineyard to one of his team members in 1986.

The Evanston Vineyard has since planted nine other congregations in the Chicago area, and another fifteen in other cities or countries.  Steve led Vineyard USA’s church planting task force for over twenty years. Steve has ministered to and trained church leaders in India, Australia, New Zealand, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, Turkey, Lebanon, Brazil, Chile and several Central Asian countries as well as in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The Evanston Vineyard is a diverse congregation from over 50 nations of the world with no majority racial or cultural group. Since 1986 the ministry of the Holy Spirit has been a regular and ongoing strength and emphasis of the Evanston Vineyard. 

Steve and his wife, Cindy, live in Chicago. They have three adult children and eight grandchildren.

Show notes: 

VUSA Empowered series:

 https://vineyardusa.org/pentecost2023/

Use #vusaempowered when you share on social media so we can see it!

2023 VUSA National Conference “Making All Things New”:

 https://conference.vineyardusa.org/

Holy Spirit ministry training resources (free but you’ll need to enter an email for access): 

https://vineyarddigital.org/item/john-wimber-signs-wonders/

https://vineyarddigital.org/holy-spirit/

Hear more teaching from Steve Nicholson on Holy Spirit ministry: