VJN 2013: Pursuing God’s Justice, Enacting His Kingdom
This new video resource is intended to help empower Vineyard churches and communities with practical justice insight and inspiration to free slaves, end poverty and tend God’s creation. This 6 disc DVD set will provide your church or small group with important vision and information for making a difference in your community and even the world! Cost is $29.99. Video teachings by: David Ruis, Kathy Maskell, Cheryl Pittluck, Tri Robinson, Steven Hamilton & Rich Nathan.
VJN 2014: Kingdom Justice, Vineyard Values
Does your church already work to fight human trafficking, to end poverty, or engage with creation care? Or is your church engaged with immigration reform, foster/orphan care, school partnerships, housing rights, or food pantries? Or are you just beginning your compassion and justice journey?
Reflections from VJN 2014:
“The VJN week was a great experience for me and I’m really glad I went….and I’m really glad that I’m saying that because I was a bit unsure as to what it would be like….But overall, I am seeing (or think I’m seeing) God work in me a renewed compassion/passion for the things that are not right in this world. When I was younger, it was everything and overwhelming, but I feel like there is direction towards something specific….a running sentence in my head these days is “look to the north.” The conference added to that sense, but also assured me that there are good quality and caring people addressing other very real injustices that are in desperate need of attention. Oh to be part of such a body!”
VJN 2015: Jesus, the Kingdom, and the Poor
Developing our Hearts, Heads, and Hands: VJN 2015 brought us together to consider the theological, political, and local community dimensions of exactly what it is going to take to end poverty in our time.
Reflection from VJN 2015: “What is the good news, exactly? It feels daunting, at least for me. But I was encouraged by Drs. Liz Theoharis (Kairos Center, NYC) and William Turner (Duke Divinity School). Together, they weaved a real world theology of the kingdom. We serve Jesus, the anointed Messiah, who came to restructure the edifice that allows for power games and injustice. Likewise, we are empowered by the subversive Spirit who moves us, who compels us forward into that same mission of God. All of which is expressed powerfully, poetically and prophetically in Isaiah 61 (quoted by Jesus in Luke 4).”
VJN @ Better Together 2016: Race, Reconciliation, and the Multi-Ethnic Church
This unique and important conference is focused on the topic of diversity. Vineyard pastors and leaders gathered to engage on the issue of racial reconciliation, planting multiethnic churches, and/or transitioning current homogenous churches into multi-ethnic ones.
VJN 2017: Seeking the Peace of Our Cities
“Lord, have mercy on us, who are sinners.”
VJN 2017 was a powerful and rich time of “ironing sharpening iron”: VJN members from all across the country (and Canada and the UK) gathered at Yakima Vineyard in Washington to dive into conversations on the liturgies of our cities, immigration and refugee reform, the historic treatment of Native Americans and First Nation people, the millennial discontent with evangelicalism, dismantling cultural barriers. We worshipped Christ alone and we learned from some of the most seasoned justice voices within the Vineyard movement.
VJN @ Better Together 2018: Race, Reconciliation, and the Multi-Ethnic Church
“We have a far higher calling than simply becoming diverse. Our call is to spread and live out the Gospel.” Dr. Korie Edwards (Sociology, Ohio State University)
November 14-16, Blue Route Vineyard Community Church
Media, PA
“Hope is our superpower. It reorients our spirit. We cannot do justice without hope.”
In Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson shares how his struggle for justice and ability to understand the complexity of mass incarceration is rooted in “getting proximate” to the people whose lives are most affected by the issues at hand.
What does God say and what would He have us do?
As faith leaders, how can we best develop a Kingdom-life centered approach to the myriad of hot-button issues in our time by “getting proximate”? It’s more challenging than ever to not have a knee-jerk response to hot-button issues like immigration, abortion, racism, and mass incarceration, to name a few! Oftentimes, we, the church, can shy away from such topics and are criticized for avoiding them.
Instead, VJN wants to create a mutually respectful space to study, discuss and debate some of these key issues, and get proximate to the very people they are affecting. Join us for an immersive, learning community experience.
You can watch the Friday and Saturday main sessions on our Youtube Channel.
Justice Day at 2021 Vineyard USA National Conference
The 2021 National Conference theme was The Way On.
Revisiting Biblical texts that have been seminal for the Vineyard, we will look at how these Scriptures have made us who we are and where new expressions of these teachings are at work in our movement. We will celebrate the best of who we’ve been and hear from some of our rising leaders across the US.
We believe God is positioning us for an exciting future together. As John Wimber used to say, “The way in is the way on.” The way that God has shaped the Vineyard historically is the way He will continue to shape us during this season of transition.
Each day focused on a historic Vineyard value that is being brought into fresh focus for today. Wednesday centered on justice.
Watch the sessions led by Tim Mackie, Cheryl Pittluck, Kathy Maskell, Josh Williams, Lance Pittluck, Ray Longwood, Carol Wimber, and a recording from John Wimber on Healing and the Oppressed Poor.