The power of the presence of the Holy Spirit is the key to successful ministry. His presence led to my salvation, my sanctification, and my ability to be an effective youth pastor. And I loved launching the community center and equipping others to minister in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Soon after I met Jesus in 1991, I had a chance encounter with a young man who told me about the Vineyard on Lehner Road. I visited that Sunday and had to park a couple blocks away. The presence of the Lord engulfed me as I walked towards the building. The hand raising during worship freaked me out, but the Lord’s presence was so thick, and Rich Nathan’s sermon was so powerful, that I was immediately hooked.
I was stuck in some serious sin, and I needed the ministry of Vineyard Columbus. Vineyard pastors, leaders and prayer ministers partnered with the Holy Spirit’s presence, helping Jesus to gently love the sin out of me. I had a life changing encounter at a Vineyard conference led by departed Vineyard pastor George Malone. He had a vision of a young man and a young woman in a parking garage having a fight over a dark green 2 door hatchback. I had just left downtown to come to the conference after arguing with my girlfriend over a dark green 2 door hatchback and was cussing at God on the way to Vineyard Columbus.
This undid me. God saw me in the parking garage. He saw me cuss at him. He saw all my sin and my behavior and still drew near to me when I was at my lowest. He is truly a God who will leave the 99. It became easier to say no to sin since I knew I wasn’t getting away with anything. And my love for God expanded.
I attended a John Wimber Conference in the early 90’s at VC and he prayed for a lady that was 6 rows in front of me. The presence of God fell on her and gave her a complete physical and emotional makeover. The presence was so strong 6 rows away that I just wept under the outpouring of God’s Love. I immediately wanted to be used by God in people’s lives to set them free like I just witnessed.
I took a healing class with John Cook and learned how to pray for the sick. The next night, I was leading a Bible study for the Linden McKinley football team, and I asked if anyone needed prayer for healing. Shockingly, everyone raised their hands (it was the middle of football season, and they were all hurting). I prayed for each one and all but one person received complete healing, one of them screaming with shock that his pain instantly vanished. It was thrilling to be used by God to make a positive impact on people’s lives whether it was physical or emotional healing or just seeing them filled with the Holy Spirit.
I began to lead a small group and helped out with youth ministry. The Lord would pour his spirit out in the meetings. My wife and I both had several prophetic dreams that seemed to say I was being called to pastor. That was almost immediately confirmed when Rich Nathan asked me to be the first middle school pastor.
I started pastoring the middle school children in 1998 and we saw massive growth in the ministry. We raised up youth leaders and young people who fell in love with God and were actively sharing their faith. We ran mission trips, conferences, and camps where we saw dozens upon dozens of conversions and people were getting filled with the Holy Spirit every week.
In 2006, I became the Pastoral Director of Vineyard Community Center. We had a vision to take the many gifts and talents of the people in Vineyard and turn them loose on the community. Our congregation did not disappoint – people showed up with amazing ideas. We had ESL, we had after-school programming, we had Karate classes, GED and citizenship classes, computer classes, a legal clinic and on and on. We quickly had over 10,500 people coming to the center every month to learn new skills, have fun, and get exposed to the Love of God.
Over the last few years, I focused on empowerment ministry - raising up people to move in the power of the Holy Spirit. Vineyard Columbus was the perfect place for God to shape and form me. He not only healed me at Vineyard Columbus, he helped me fall in love with partnering with him to heal the world as I comforted others with the comfort I had received.
