Once upon a time the Vineyard worship was just about the only game in town. No longer. We’re now one of many worship movements serving the Body of Christ that has come along as a result of worship trails we blazed and trends we set....
The Toronto Blessing with its, “’More, Lord!’-come-get-your-experience” reputation, has received its share of criticism - some deserved and some not so deserved. But despite the controversy, Toronto was a blessing in my life largely due to its often-overlooked focus on the Father’s heart. The Arnott’s...
In my past couple of blogs I’ve been spotlighting Vineyard worship. I’ve told the story of how it came about and shared my own experience in order to remind us that the unique brand of intimate, experiential Vineyard worship is a gift from God that...
In my last post (Worship, Presence & Power) I rehashed the story of the Vineyard beginnings and how our founders unexpectedly began experiencing God’s presence and power as they engaged in what has now become the trademark of the Vineyard - intimate worship. Carol Wong, John...
It’s an often-overlooked detail that power ministry in the Vineyard was not the result of a group of people deliberating pursuing healing or spiritual gifts, or power evangelism or even a fresh outpouring of the Spirit. It was actually a rather unintentional thing. To hear...
Before the Vineyard I had never heard the term “ministry time” used. I was familiar with altar calls and how they worked but ministry time was something new to me. I remember the first time I heard John Wimber say, “Now we’re gonna have clinic...
I’m probably not the first person you should go to for advise on preaching. I’m not what you would call a maestro in the pulpit. I’m never going to be mistaken for one of those outstanding and rare pulpiteers that make what I now know...
What is success? Well to most Americans it means being a winner. In the church-world that means being big, well known and influential. If you read church history using this American definition of success there’s never been a successful church. It’s always been counter-cultural oddity. Biblically,...
We live in a consumer culture. We begin our training as consumers the moment we enter the world. People expect this. We’re programmed from infancy to look for the best deal for us—and if we don’t like it we dump it and buy another product...
This coming Sunday, November 22nd, I’ll be giving my last sermon as pastor of the North Brooklyn Vineyard (soon to be Vineyard One NYC). I’ve been in the ministry for forty-four years now, thirty-eight pastoring here in New York City. Truth be told, the last...