We Are Vineyard

In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Tina Colón Williams about her career in humanitarian immigration law, how she came to see the field of law as a potential expression of justice and compassion, and the holy work of receiving people’s most tender stories. Tina shares about growing up on the outside of the cultural majority, her trajectory-altering experience as a teenager of hearing the stories of undocumented immigrants in San Francisco, and how she fell into a job at a cushy corporate law firm before finding her niche in immigration law. Tina beautifully illustrates how her faith informs her work, and addresses some of the common misconceptions about the immigration process.

Tina Colón Williams is an immigration attorney, worship pastor and vocalist based in New Haven, Connecticut. Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Tina moved to New Haven in 2005 to attend Yale University. She graduated from the University of Connecticut school of law in 2014, and she currently leads an immigration litigation practice at Esperanza Attorneys at Law, a small low-bono law firm based in New Haven that represents immigrants from countries around the world in humanitarian immigration applications, removal proceedings and immigration appeals. She and her husband Josh lead the Elm City Vineyard church in New Haven, where Tina serves as the Worship Pastor. Tina has also served as a vocalist and songwriter for a number of Vineyard Worship releases over the past several years. Tina and Josh have two young girls, Zoe (4) and Joy (2). They love the city of New Haven, beaches, eating new foods, singing and dancing, and following Jesus in community with others.

Show Notes:

Vineyard USA suggested reading for August

Elm City Vineyard

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In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Dr. Charles Montgomery Jr. shares about how God disrupted his path to a lucrative career in engineering with a call to ministry, the cultural shift he experienced in working at a Vineyard Church, and what his upbringing uniquely adds to his church. Charles and Jay then talk about the work being done within Vineyard Associations and what they are excited about for the future of the Vineyard. Charles leaves us with a word about the winding road to reconciliation and an encouragement for pastors who are hesitant in engaging this crucial work.

Charles A. Montgomery, Jr serves as the Associations Strategic Coordinator for Vineyard USA and Teaching Pastor at Vineyard Columbus. Charles also founded a successful multiethnic Campus (Vineyard Columbus East) and has pastored there since 2012. His passion is to develop Beloved Communities as espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, an alumnus of Charles’ alma mater, Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Charles has a B.A. in Mathematics from Morehouse, a Master of Divinity from Emory University (Ga) and a PhD in Ethical and Creative Leadership from Union Institute University (OH).

He considers his greatest accomplishment (ok, grace) being married to his childhood crush, Kimberly. Charles and Kimberly are avid Buckeye fans (Go Bucks!) and make their home in Columbus Ohio.

Show Notes:

Vineyard USA suggested reading for August

Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson

Roadmap to Reconciliation by Brenda Salter McNeil

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In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Cheryl Pittluck shares about pursuing a degree in Theater Arts, meeting and marrying a pastor named Lance, and their early years with the Holy Spirit and the Vineyard. Cheryl talks about the expectations on a pastor’s wife, the dryness in her life as a mom with young kids, and the things she prayed that changed the trajectory of her life and ignited her passion for justice work and “seeing the world made new”. Cheryl also shares a powerful word for how Christians could be the hands and feet of Love in today’s world, as well as some advice for people who feel a draw towards serving a particular people group.

Cheryl Pittluck has served both inside the church and outside as a mentor, trainer, teacher, and advocate on issues of anti-human trafficking and social justice ministries for many years. While at the Anaheim Vineyard, Cheryl led the anti-human trafficking and social justice ministries and is a founding member of the Vineyard Justice Network.

Show Notes:

Vineyard USA suggested reading for August

Global Center for Women and Justice – Podcasts

Vineyard Justice Network

Listen to Cheryl’s talk at the 2021 Vineyard USA National Conference – Wednesday, Session 4

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In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Dominique Gilliard shares about his role of pastoring pastors in the work of making connections between scripture, discipleship, and our call to be ambassadors of reconciliation. He and Jay talk about the role of justice work and racial righteousness in the church, and the Biblical evidence for the marriage of evangelism and justice. Dominique discusses diversity as a revelatory gift from God, some challenging and practical questions to ask if your church is seeking to be a truly multiethnic church, and the work he is doing to provide resources for pastors to engage this conversation from a Biblical perspective.

Dominique DuBois Gilliard is the Director of Racial Righteousness and Reconciliation for the Evangelical Covenant Church. He is the author of Rethinking Incarceration: Advocating for Justice that Restores, which won a 2018 Book of the Year Award for InterVarsity Press and was named Outreach Magazine’s 2019 Social Issues Resource of the Year. Gilliard’s latest book, Subversive Witness: Scripture’s Call to Leverage Privilege won Englewood Review of Books 2021 book of the year award. Gilliard also serves as an adjunct professor at North Park Theological Seminary in its School of Restorative Arts and serves on the board of directors for the Christian Community Development Association. In 2015, the Huffington Post named him one of the “Black Christian Leaders Changing the World.” Earlier this year, Gilliard received North Park Theological Seminary’s Distinguished Alumni Award.

Show Notes:

Subversive Witness video-based small group curriculum

Rethinking Incarceration

Rethinking Incarceration video-based small groups curriculum

Sankofa

Justice Journey for Kids curriculum

Kingdom Mosaic Bible Study Series

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In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Reverend Paul Robinson shares about how the Lord has orchestrated his life since childhood, from a prophetic word given by his Sunday school teacher and his experiences in different denominations, to growing up on the south side of Chicago and his time in seminary. Reverend Robinson talks about learning from different streams of theology and thought, and how all the pieces of his life started to fit together vocationally in a very beautiful way. He and Jay also talk about being uniquely positioned to pastor through difficult times, leading constructive dialogues, and the value in listening to a diverse set of voices.

Paul Robinson is the Executive Minister of Love Mercy Do Justice for the Evangelical Covenant Church. The mission of LMDJ is to join God in making things right in a broken world. Prior to this role Paul was Senior Community Leadership Manager with the Wilder Center for Communities, former Director of the organization’s James P. Shannon Leadership Institute and Church Planter. Paul has partnered with nonprofit, for-profit, education, government and community individuals and organizations in core value clarification, leadership development, intercultural agility, anti-racism and capacity strengthening to help them better lead themselves and others. Paul is most comfortable at the intersection of ideas, difference, passion and effective action. He enjoys using his skills in meeting design, facilitation and convening to catalyze meaningful connections to stimulate individual and community transformation. Robinson holds a B.S. degree in Finance from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Divinity degree from McCormick Theological Seminary. Paul Robinson is 2017 AARP Minnesota and Pollen Fifty over Fifty honoree. Paul is married to Kim and together they have seven adult children. Reverend Robinson’s combined experience in ministry, business, nonprofit management, and leadership development spans 25 years.

Show Notes:

The Evangelical Covenant Church – Love Mercy Do Justice

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In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Kathy Maskell shares her story of being raised by immigrant parents, and the twists and turns of her spiritual journey during her childhood and young adults years. She and Jay talk about different experiences of justice woven throughout her life, her eventual work with anti-human trafficking organizations, and what she’s learned about God’s heart for the poor.

Kathy Maskell is the lead pastor at East Denver Vineyard. She joined the MHV staff in 2020 in the midst of a global pandemic. She also leads the Vineyard Justice Network and served on the Executive Board for Vineyard USA. Her heart for justice is shaped by her previous advocacy work with Love146 (an organization committed to ending child sex-trafficking), studying abolitionist movements, and creating intentional spaces for deep conversation and meaningful action for biblical justice.

Kathy was raised by Buddhist parents and came to faith while earning a degree in English from the University of Chicago and went on to get an M.S. Ed from City College (CUNY), and an M.Div. in systematic theology at Union Theological Seminary (NYC). She and her husband, Caleb, co-planted the Elm City Vineyard and have two children, Josiah and Emmanuelle. Some of her favorite things to do right now are exploring her new city for awesome museums and the tastiest breakfast places for dates.

Show Notes:

Jars of Clay- Flood (Lift Me Up)

Love 146

Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ronald J. Snider

East Denver Vineyard

Vineyard Justice Network

The Gospel With the Poor: VJN’s First Publication

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In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Josh Williams shares about the intersection of faith and the civil rights movement in his parents’ lives and how that shaped his childhood. Josh talks about the bullying he faced as a child, growing through hardships, and his encounter with love and community at an Asian-American church in college. Finally, they talk about his determination to incorporate justice issues into leading a local church, and the practical ways in which Josh and Elm City Vineyard are taking ownership of their community.

Josh Williams is Vineyard USA’s Associate National Director for Evangelism and Justice. Josh grew up in Iowa and in 2004 he headed to the East Coast to study at Yale University in New Haven, CT where he majored in American Studies and Ethnicity, Race and Migration, followed by his entrance to Divinity School and getting plugged into Elm City Vineyard (ECV). During his time at grad school and in the first years of ECV, Josh started several evangelistic prayer groups on Yale’s campus, established an outdoor church for the housed and unhoused, and launched an incarnational inner-city neighborhood ministry that included a sidewalk Sunday school where many kids made first-time commitments for Jesus. In 2011 Josh was ordained as a pastor in the Vineyard and weeks later married his wife Tina (ECV’s Worship Pastor and a regular presence in Vineyard Worship recording projects). In 2014, Josh became ECV’s first full-time Lead Pastor, and he has enjoyed seeing Jesus grow the church in multi-ethnicity, justice, evangelism, spiritual formation, and Holy Spirit ministry. In the Vineyard, Josh has served as an Area Leader and an Executive Team member since 2017. He has also been on the Vineyard Ethnic Diversity task force since 2019. Josh and Tina recently celebrated ten years of marriage and parent two adorable little ones, Zoe and Joy. Their favorite family activities are going to waterfalls and beaches, eating ice cream, and singing loudly together.

Show Notes:

Works of Love by Soren Kierkegaard

The Quest for the Radical Middle by Bill Johnson and Todd Hunter

Convoy of Hope

Vineyard Justice Network

In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Kevin Springer shares about his personal history and how he came to write alongside John Wimber. Jay and Kevin talk about the power of encouragement and caring for fallen leaders, and Kevin shares a practical word about finances and preparing for the future.

Kevin Springer is a retired lead pastor, church planter, editor and author. With 46 years in ministry, Kevin has experience in both parachurch and church organizations. His current work includes consulting with churches, conducting marriage seminars, and writing. He is the author of numerous books, booklets and articles published locally and abroad, including Power Healing and Power Evangelism, co-authored with John Wimber. He has been married to Suzanne for 52 years and they have 3 children. Kevin enjoys reading, writing, hiking, working out, and traveling with Suzanne.

Show Notes:

Power Healing by John Wimber and Kevin Springer

Power Evangelism by John Wimber and Kevin Springer

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In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay talks with Candy and Joshua Brown about the historically contentious relationship between the scientific and faith communities, and the ways in which they are working to overcome the unhealthy perspectives on both sides to document the miraculous. Candy and Joshua share about their experiences documenting the healing of people who are deaf and blind in Mozambique, their process of gathering empirical evidence to write peer-reviewed scientific articles, and the work they do at the Global Medical Research Institute.

Joshua Brown (Ph.D., Boston University) is Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University. He directs the Cognitive Control laboratory at IU, which focuses on functional brain imaging, higher cognitive function, addiction, psychopathology, transcranial electrical neurostimulation, computational neural modeling, and artificial intelligence. He has authored over 79 peer-reviewed scientific papers in all of these areas, and his work has been featured on the Discovery Channel, NPR, the New York Times, Fox news, and numerous other national and international media. He also directs the graduate program in Neuroscience at Indiana University and serves as the Director of the Global Medical Research Institute, whose work has been featured recently in the documentary film Send Proof.

Candy Gunther Brown (Ph.D. Harvard University) is Professor of Religious Studies, Indiana University, and author or editor of six books, including Testing Prayer: Science and Healing and Debating Yoga and Mindfulness in Public Schools: Reforming Secular Education or Reestablishing Religion? Media coverage includes The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Religion Dispatches, The Conversation, Huffington Post Live, Psychology Today, Mindful Leader, National Catholic Register, Atheist Yoga, Interfaith Voices, and Tricycle: The Buddhist Review.

Show Notes:

Power Healing by John Wimber and Kevin Springer

Global Medical Research institute

Debating Yoga and Mindfulness by Candy Gunther Brown

Testing Prayer by Candy Gunther Brown

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In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Jay Pathak talks with Mike and Julie Yoder about each of their early years and how they met, how they’ve navigated career paths in faith, and their process of transitioning into leadership of an established church. They also discuss working through disillusionment, and how character is shaped through risks of faith and obedience.

Mike and Julie Yoder serve as the Senior Pastors of The Vineyard Church of Central Illinois and have recently accepted a role as Regional Leaders for the Midwest Central Region. Mike grew up in Arthur, Illinois as a Mennonite. He came to the Vineyard in the early 2000s and fell in love with the Holy Spirit and a girl. Mike decided to make the Vineyard his home and marry the girl. He graduated with a degree in Business Administration and Christian Studies from Crown College in 2002. Mike went on to spend 13 years in the business sector before joining the staff at The Vineyard Church of Central Illinois in 2015. Mike has a passion for organizational clarity, community partnerships, tackling tough conversations, and doing Holy Spirit ministry. He is currently getting his Masters of Divinity from Global Awakening Theological Seminary. Julie grew up in Champaign, Illinois, and was raised in the Vineyard. She earned a degree in Elementary Education from Olivet Nazarene University in 2004 and spent 4 years as a public school reading teacher. Julie is a 2009 Vineyard Leadership Institute graduate. She has spent over 15 years communicating, leading, and developing others. Julie is passionate about helping people encounter Jesus and partner with the Holy Spirit in their everyday lives. She leads the preaching team and is committed to helping communicators find their voice. Together, Mike and Julie are committed to building and cultivating the Kingdom culture of family in their church. They love partnering in ministry and in parenting their four children; Ty, Tate, Maggie, and Molly.

Show Notes:

The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni

Sign up for a regional gathering near you!

Vineyard Church of Central Illinois

School of Kingdom Ministry (SoKM)

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