In this honest, encouraging, and hope-filled conversation, Pastors Adrienne Ash and Shareena Casey, discuss all things Christian singleness: the real challenges singles face today, the sometimes understated blessings of singleness, how to navigate dating, desire, and purpose in our society, and how to thrive — emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.

Whether you’re in a season of contentment, frustration or questioning, this episode will remind you:  You are not forgotten. 
You are not incomplete. 
You are seen, called, and deeply loved by God.

Adrienne Ash has served as a pastor at Vineyard Columbus for nearly a decade and currently leads as the Westerville Community Pastor. In this role, she helps people connect deeply with one another and with God, creating a sense of family within the church. With degrees in Community Services and Family Development, Adrienne brings a strong foundation in building healthy relationships and fostering inclusive community life. She is especially passionate about walking alongside singles in their Christian journey and engaging in the ongoing work of racial reconciliation.

Shareena Casey is the Worship Pastor at Vineyard Columbus where she enjoys helping others connect with God. Shareena has served at VC as a worship leader for 15 years. She is a graduate of Rich Nathan's Pastors Residency Program and is a single mom of two energetic children! She loves taking walks with a coffee mug in hand, thrives in one-on-one conversation and loves to laugh. 

Resources
Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering
Before You Begin The Journey - Class for Singles

All Shall Be Well?? On Mental Health with Karen Twinem.

Whilst walking through our darkest moments, 'all shall be well' may feel trite, especially when our world is crashing down around us. Listen in as Julia chats with Karen Twinem, longtime member and co-leader of the support group Loving Someone With Mental Illness. Karen shares her journey of caring for several family members diagnosed with mental illness, and how through her most difficult circumstances, she encounters and learns to walk daily with Jesus. You'll hear the true joy in her voice that can only come from a life deeply intertwined and with daily reliance upon Christ.

Karen Twinem retired after 30 years as a journalist, creative director and public relations counselor.  She was a co-founder and leader of a Vineyard support group for families dealing with severe and persistent mental illness. The teachings from that group can be found at www.lovingsomeonewithmentalillness.com. She serves at Vineyard Columbus today as a small group co-leader and prayer ministry team member. She blogs about practicing the presence of Christ at www.mindfulchristianyear.com. You are welcome to contact her at [email protected] Someone With Mental Illness : Faith, hope and love for difficult livesFaith, hope and love for difficult lives.

UPDATED:

Now... 'all shall be well' sounds great, but it is sometimes truly hard to believe! In this series, we're looking at some anxiety-producing topics through Julian of Norwich's lens of faith, hope, and love.

Today, Julia interviews Ron Schmidt, whose passion for creation care (especially about achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions) is filled with conviction, curiosity, and hope. Listen in as one of our sages talks about his passion for the earth, his concern about climate change, and why he believes that working towards an impossible and an important goal is both life-giving and the best use of who God made him to be.

Ron grew up in a working-class family in Milwaukee and graduated with his MBA and BBA with an accounting major from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. While beginning his career in public accounting, during which time he obtained his CPA, Ron eventually moved into banking. In 1983, Ron relocated to Columbus to join Bank One, which, ultimately, became JPMorgan Chase. After retirement in 2009, Ron joined Vineyard Columbus, graduating from Vineyard Institute in 2014. Only recently (2024) did he become actively involved in creation care. Ron is married and has four adult children and four grandchildren. You can contact Ron at: [email protected].

Julian of Norwich lived in the Middle Ages through the Black Plague and is one of the church's most recognized mystics.  She wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language written by a woman, Revelations of Divine Love, in which we find her well known reflection: Here I was taught by the grace of God that I should steadfastly hold me in the Faith ... and that ... I should take my stand on and earnestly believe in ... that ‘all manner of thing shall be well'.

Interested in getting involved in Creation Care at Vineyard Columbus?
Contact: [email protected]

Praxis / Redemptive Quest: https://journal.praxis.co/redemptive-quests-652259149ed8

Following Jesus in a Warming World: https://bookstore.vineyardcolumbus.org/reads/p/following-jesus-in-a-warming-world-a-christian-call-to-climate-action?rq=following%20jesus%20in%20a%20warming%20world

Now... 'all shall be well' sounds great, but it is sometimes truly hard to believe! In this series, we're looking at some anxiety-producing topics through Julian of Norwich's lens of faith, hope, and love.

Today, Julia interviews Ron Schmidt, whose passion for creation care (especially about achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions) is filled with conviction, curiosity, and hope. Listen in as one of our sages talks about his passion for the earth, his concern about climate change, and why he believes that working towards an impossible and an important goal is both life-giving and the best use of who God made him to be.

Ron grew up in a working-class family in Milwaukee and graduated with his MBA and BBA with an accounting major from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. While beginning his career in public accounting, during which time he obtained his CPA, Ron eventually moved into banking. In 1983, Ron relocated to Columbus to join Bank One, which, ultimately, became JPMorgan Chase. After retirement in 2009, Ron joined Vineyard Columbus, graduating from Vineyard Institute in 2014. Only recently (2024) did he become actively involved in creation care. Ron is married and has four adult children and four grandchildren. You can contact Ron at: [email protected].

Julian of Norwich lived in the Middle Ages through the Black Plague and is one of the church's most recognized mystics.  She wrote the earliest surviving book in the English language written by a woman, Revelations of Divine Love, in which we find her well known reflection: Here I was taught by the grace of God that I should steadfastly hold me in the Faith ... and that ... I should take my stand on and earnestly believe in ... that ‘all manner of thing shall be well'.

Interested in getting involved in Creation Care at Vineyard Columbus?
Contact: [email protected]

Praxis / Redemptive Quest: https://journal.praxis.co/redemptive-quests-652259149ed8

Following Jesus in a Warming World: https://bookstore.vineyardcolumbus.org/reads/p/following-jesus-in-a-warming-world-a-christian-call-to-climate-action?rq=following%20jesus%20in%20a%20warming%20world

Dr Charles and Julia take time to wrap up this lovely series of pods on the Beloved Community. They cover: how the depths of a theology of kingdom multi-ethnicity form us and offer us a continued way forward even when academic and corporate DEI spaces are feeling pressure and pressback; God's heart for his people; why empathy and curiosity take so much energy; and the difference between forming a Christian vocation of repair vs just getting mad and breaking things. Also, Dr. Charles ends with a solid word of hope and encouragement because this continued work of building and becoming the beautiful community is... uh.... yea, difficult.... especially in increasingly tenuous times. Listen in, do your homework, and take good care of your souls, my friends. The link mentioned in the podcast is Vineyard.Online, then three easy steps: register, click CORE, and scroll to the 'kingdom multiethnicity' pathway. ENJOY!

Ya'll get to meet Julia's parents today! On this episode of The In Between, Julia talks to Grace & Jeff Silliman (otherwise known as Julia's mum and dad). They talk about their own faith mentors, intergenerational faith, the joys and challenges of being a sage in the church, and what it means to develop intergenerational communities where we all learn from and enjoy one another. Pass this episode along to a sage you know, or maybe consider taking a step toward cultivating intergenerational friendships in your own life. As Pope Francis reminded us: "Young people bud and foliage, but without roots they cannot bear fruit. The elderly are the roots.” A tree can grow tall, but without deep roots, it'll blow over in the first strong wind that comes by. So let's grow together: EVERY generation for FUTURE generations. 

Have you ever felt left out? Can you remember a moment where you experienced the wide open welcome of Jesus? The kingdom of God is marked by a noticeable erasure of outsider/insider categories - not just in theory, but in practice.

Do you want to be part of a community that is demonstrating that welcome to folks who very often don't receive it in our world? Us too!!

Listen in and be inspired as Julia speaks with two amazing women who are a part of our inclusion ministries which is made up of folks serving and discipling (and being served and discipled) with neurodivergence, developmental or intellectual disabilities. Paige is a member of VC who loves to worship, to serve, and who is a beloved part of this ministry area. Amanda Fessehazion leads this ministry area as well as serves as the Director of our newly launched (just this week!) Accessibly & Inclusion Ministry (AIM) Day Services.

Email [email protected] for more info or to volunteer.
vineyardcolumbus.org/vc-kids

Thanks to the generous seed money from VC's Kingdom Builders – a group of members who want to give above and beyond their tithe to redemptive, impactful projects like this one – and with a sustainable model relying on fee-for-service and Medicaid billing, AIM Day Services will provide a safe and enriching space for adults affected by disability. Imagine a place where participants can engage in worship, devotions, art, fitness, music, outings, and so much more! Plus, they'll have the incredible opportunity to develop employability skills by partnering with our café, facilities team, the bookstore, and other ministries. The program will operate Monday through Friday, from 9 am to 3 pm. This remarkable achievement is the result of the tireless dedication of Amanda Fessehazion and her amazing team, Sherry Chapin and Freddie Losambe. Since September 2024, they've poured their hearts into this God-inspired vision, visiting other centers, researching best practices, completing over 40 hours of specialized training, crafting an engaging program calendar, building enrollment processes, mastering Medicaid billing, and connecting with future participants. Building a program of this scale from the ground up is no small feat, and we are incredibly proud of their hard work and commitment.

"How old will YOU be in 10 years? Julia (who will be 62 a decade from now) interviews students during Culture Conference and ask them: how can the church be your beloved community both now, and years in the future from now. Listen in and get inspired about what it means to be a community where every generation is connected to the one before *and the one coming in the future. SPECIAL THANKS to the amazing students who joined the pod. You’re ALL the very best podcast guests ever 💪🏼✌🏼❤️😻💯 "

In this episode about being a part of the beloved community of God, Julia hosts a conversation about how current events are impacting our New American sisters and brothers. About a quarter of Vineyard Columbus is foreign born, so this is a very personal conversation for many! And Julia's mother was born in a DP camp after WW2 and entered the US as a refugee when she was a child, so it's personal for her too. It's also personal for our guests: Dr Seleshi Asfaw is President and CEO of ETSS, an immigration and refugee organization here in Columbus. Flo Gimei is on the board of ETSS, she herself came to the US decades ago, and she's a long time member of Vineyard Columbus.

Listen in to not only hear some personal stories, but also to learn more about some of the challenges that New Americans are facing right now. Please check out our show notes for more resources and ways to serve, and if you do know someone needing practical helps like Know Your Rights materials, please feel free to point folks to vineyardcolumbus.org/immigration... where we've also posted a longer explanation of our Theology, Posture, and Pastoral Practices regarding immigration, immigrants, and refugees. And if you're someone who wants to help, volunteer, or who is able to volunteer to do some much needed translation work for us, please reach out to [email protected] and we'll point you in the right direction.

Dr. Seleshi Ayalew Asfaw, currently the President & CEO of ETSS, has an extensive and distinguished background in the medical and public health fields. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, followed by a master's in public health Methodology, Education, and Behavioral Sciences from the Public Health School in Brussels, Belgium. He has been a driving force behind the design and implementation of ETSS Adult and Youth refugee programs, reflecting his deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing new immigrants. His passion for aiding their transition to life in the United States is evident in his work.

Flo Gimei is a dedicated wife of over 25 years and a proud mother of 2 adult children. She is a Technology Executive Director in the financial industry and has served on the ETSS board for 3 years. She has been a member of Vineyard Columbus for 20+ years where she has actively served as a small group leader for over 15 years, a leader of the International Women's Breakfast, and she has also served as a member of the Church Council.

https://www.crisohio.org
vineyardcolumbus.org/immigration

Welcome back and happy 2025! The In Between is back with a series of conversations about what MLK Jr called the beloved community... this dream of unity marked by kingdom multi-ethnicity, diversity, and a deep orientation to the truth of the Imago Dei - that each human is made in the image of God from the very first moments a new life is forming in the womb.

Okay. Poetic language and lofty imagery aside, becoming a community like this IS HARD work, IRL (In Real Life). Multiethnic community comes as a grace, as well as with a cost. We're all made in the image of God, yes - but we all also have really different layers that make up who we are. We all are part of His kingdom, yes - but we all have really different cultures and ways of being and norms. We all have value, and we're all sisters and brothers in Christ, yes - but we often find it easier to hang out in our silos or bubbles with folks just like us.

In this episode about being a part of a multiethnic community, Julia hosts a dialogue with Pastor Adrienne Ash, Pastor Daniel Hernandez, and Mailin Young, VC Head of Staff. Listen in to a frank and beautiful conversation about the layers we all have, what it feels like to walk into a room when you're not sure how you fit, the difference between cultural hospitality and code-switching, and sooooooooo much more. Enjoy!