Dear Vineyard Columbus Family,
I’d like to share a testimony from a member of our congregation that beautifully illustrates the heart of discipleship at Vineyard Columbus through Vineyard Core:
“When I heard about Vineyard Core, I was extremely excited to try something that I could tailor to my walk with Jesus. When exploring the pathways, I was drawn to the Multiethnic Communities pathway, asI feel that is an area of my life that I continue to grow and learn in. After watching the videos, I was reminded that God has a design for cultural diversity, and I wanted to be a part of that. In today’s world, there is so much noise, whether it’s politics, social media, or the opinions of others—I wanted to live in a way that would unify with my fellow brothers and sisters rooted in love. God’s love.
See, when I was growing up, my environment consisted of people that looked like me, sounded like me, and had similar walks in life as me. I was introduced to a variety of cultures when I started attending Vineyard in my 30s. Vineyard was pivotal in me learning about different cultures, making new friendships with a variety of people from all different walks of life. This is what really drew me to Vineyard – how welcoming and diverse the church is. The love and acceptance of all at Vineyard also translated into my life, as I began to travel for work and interact with many different people. My daughter eventually married a Latino man, and I found myself in a multicultural family of my own. I was curious to learn about his culture, family, and how he grew up. It was (and still is) wonderful and soul-filling to see and experience life through someone else’s lens—God’s love in plain sight.
Seeing the Multiethnic Communities pathway on Vineyard Core felt like a calling—The multiethnic aspect of Vineyard is something I have always valued. As for the Multiethnic Vineyard Core lab, it was a wonderful experience. I was able to think about my personal connectedness to diversity, with exercises and thoughtful prompts to make me understand where God was calling me to be more inclusive and connected. I heard stories of people growing up in various ethnic upbringings and shared my journey with others. I was surprised that some people grew up in very diverse upbringings, while others (like myself) did not, and how that shaped our perspectives on many things. Pastor Charles brought us all together to evaluate our journey so far, and how we can continue to grow in God’s love by loving one another—no matter our upbringing, differences, or perspectives. The 10-circle exercise he had us do was eye-opening in ways we were actually connected to multiethnicity, versus how we thought we were connected. Thank you, Vineyard Columbus, for creating such a wonderful program that really is shaping my walk with Jesus.”
This testimony is a powerful reminder of why we created Vineyard Core. It’s about giving each of us the tools we need to walk withJesus in a way that is deeply personal yet powerfully connected to our larger community.
We know that life is busy, and it’s easy to wonder why we might need to add one more thing to our already full plates. But Vineyard Core is not just another task; it’s an invitation to re-center our lives around the core of our faith.
If you have not yet done so, please take a second to make an account on VineyardOnline and begin exploring Vineyard Core. We’ll have another round of Core Labs hosted at all our campuses this month:
Sept 15 @ Westerville: Love One Another, Partner with Christ & Heal the World
Sept 17 @ Grandview: Communities of Disciples
Sept 18 @ Pickerington: Experience God
Sept 19 @ Sawmill: Multiethnic Communities
Remember to register and attend a Lab, you must finish the Intro Videos in that Pathway...so set aside about 30 minutes this week to watch the videos, and we’ll look forward to seeing you at a Lab soon!
Remember: the process of discipleship is a process of following...of getting in motion.
Thank you for your continued faithfulness, and I look forward to seeing how Vineyard Core will deepen our collective journey withJesus.
Blessings,
Julia Pickerill