We Are Vineyard

In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Andy Crouch shares about finding God inside religious practices and differentiating from the faith of his parents, and how studying Greek may or may not have added to his understanding of the Bible. Jay and Andy also discuss the transformative and purifying process of writing, as well as some key concepts outlined in Andy’s book “Strong and Weak”, which is Vineyard USA’s featured resource! This is an enriching episode full of deep encouragement and invitation to flourishing. 

Andy Crouch is partner for theology and culture at Praxis, an organization that works as a creative engine for redemptive entrepreneurship. His two most recent books—2017’s The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place and 2016’s Strong and Weak: Embracing a Life of Love, Risk and True Flourishing—build on the vision of faith, culture, and the image of God laid out in his previous books Playing God: Redeeming the Gift of Power and Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling.

Andy serves on the governing boards of Fuller Theological Seminary, the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. He also serves as an advisor to The Repentance Project, The Pelican Project, and Revoice. For more than ten years he was an editor and producer at Christianity Today, including serving as executive editor from 2012 to 2016. He served the John Templeton Foundation in 2017 as senior strategist for communication. His work and writing have been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Time, and several editions of Best Christian Writing and Best Spiritual Writing—and, most importantly, received a shout-out in Lecrae’s 2014 single “Non-Fiction.”

From 1998 to 2003, Andy was the editor-in-chief of re:generation quarterly, a magazine for an emerging generation of culturally creative Christians. For ten years he was a campus minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Harvard University. He studied classics at Cornell University and received an M.Div. summa cum laude from Boston University School of Theology. A classically trained musician who draws on pop, folk, rock, jazz, and gospel, he has led musical worship for congregations of 5 to 20,000. He lives with his family in Pennsylvania.

Show Notes:

Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson

Join Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado and Jay Pathak as they discuss growing up as “third culture kids”. Jimmy shares about the ever-present otherness he felt being raised in multiple countries and the way this impacted his sense of self, shaped his interests and desires, and the way God reclaimed every step of his life to shape a beautiful story of redemption and service to others.

Jimmy Mellado is President and CEO of Compassion International. He has a deep love and passion for the beauty and potential of local churches fulfilling their Jesus-given mandate to redeem and restore this world for His name’s sake. Born in El Salvador and raised in seven different countries, Jimmy has experienced firsthand the powerful impact thriving local churches can have on their communities, especially in under-resourced environments.

Prior to joining Compassion in June of 2013, Jimmy was president of the Willow Creek Association and was key in launching and hosting The Global Leadership Summit. His educational background includes graduating cum laude with a Mechanical Engineering degree from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas and a Master of Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

He is also an accomplished athlete. In college, Jimmy was a member of the 1983 NCAA Division I Indoor & Outdoor National Championship team at SMU where he competed in the decathlon and held the school record. After college, Jimmy went on to place 4th at the 1987 Pan American Games and 26th in the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, competing for the country of his birth, El Salvador. He has continued to stay engaged with the sport he loves by serving as a volunteer track and field coach. Jimmy is married to Leanne and they have two daughters and a son.

Show Notes: 

Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch

Divided by Faith by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith

In this episode of We Are Vineyard, Christina Lowery shares her parents’ miraculous story of encountering the Lord for the first time, and her own story of growing up in the church, pursuing her own relationship with God and entering a life of ministry. Jay and Christina then dig deeper into the reality of the Lowery’s church planting experience, from the slow start to the sudden growth they were unprepared for, and the hardships they weathered that led to Christina stepping into the role of lead pastor. This is a powerful story of walking in obedience to the Lord that will encourage anyone who has been in ministry for a while.

Christina Lowery is the Associate National Director for Church Health and Development.  Early in her ministry career, Christina served as the Events Director for a large student internship at Teen Mania Ministries (Acquire the Fire) in Tyler, TX.  In 2001, she and her husband Joel joined a local Vineyard Church there, and served on the pastoral team for several years until they were called to move back to Virginia and plant Crossroads Church. Christina and Joel have co-pastored Crossroads Church in Fredericksburg, VA since 2008. As a Lead Pastor, Christina has been a big-picture thinker and creative visionary, responsible for communicating and driving the vision and mission of the church forward. She finds great joy in preaching and teaching, leadership development, and building systems that foster church health and growth.

In addition to her local leadership at Crossroads Church, she has served in other leadership roles with the Vineyard, such as an Area Leader in Northern and Central Virginia for ten years (2009-2019) and on the Vineyard Women in Leadership Team for the past three years (2018-2021). 

Joel and Christina have been married for 23 years and have 3 amazing kids – Hannah (18), Caleb (15) and Zoe (8).  The Lowery family loves to travel and so far, their favorite destination is Maui, with its warm sun and beautiful island beaches. 

In this first ever episode of the We Are Vineyard podcast, VUSA National Director Jay Pathak and former VUSA National Director Phil Strout discuss Equipping the Saints — where this principle comes from biblically, what it means, and how you do it.

They also talk about the vital role of mentors in a leader’s life, share personal stories of pursuing the mentors who have shaped them and cared for their souls, and subsequently how they have learned to recognize leadership on those coming up behind them.

For over a decade Phil Strout served as the National Director for Vineyard USA before he passed the torch to Jay Pathak this year. Phil also served in the Vineyard on the board of directors for Vineyard USA, as a Regional Leader, and as the Senior Pastor of Pathway Vineyard Church, a multisite church based in Lewiston, Maine. He has also done extensive work in church planting around the world, especially in Latin America, and along with his wife, Jan, is bilingual (English/Spanish).

Phil is the author of God’s Relentless Pursuit: Discovering His Heart for Humanity and Thrive: How to Successfully Navigate the S-Turns of Leadership. He brings a non-hyped, down-to-earth, passionately authentic spirit and vision to leading the Vineyard Movement in its divine assignment.  Phil and Jan have been married since they were teenagers and have two kids, 6 grandkids and 2 great-grandkids.

Show Notes:

Faithwalking / Emotionally Focused

Reason for God by Tim Keller

Coming in January 2022 host Jay Pathak and others explore themes at the heart of the Vineyard movement to help us grow in life with Jesus and each other.