The Ferment Podcast - Conversations About Worship And Transformation

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam talks with Paul Cullen about growing up in a small town, how he turned from an athlete into a musician, and when he started to know his marketing degree wasn't going to be utilized. Paul shares about discovering that he loved leading worship during a tumultuous time at his church, and how following the Lord's leading consisted of saying yes to the next thing of...

It's season FIVE of The Ferment Podcast, and our friend David Ruis is back to kick it off with a conversation about communal discernment of prophetic words! He and Adam talk about how and why the Lord speaks in a community, the process of discerning the timing and meaning of words, and some lessons they've learned the hard way.    David and Anita Ruis have lead, encourage, and empowered the Vineya...

In this Advent-focused episode of The Ferment, Adam catches up with Mike and Susan O'Brien to chat about some themes to meditate on, the gifts that come through a season of waiting, and why Advent might feel like a heavy weight for some worship leaders. They talk through some practical ways to relieve the pressure of expectation, remove the tension and chaos of the season, and share an encourageme...

In this special repost of The Ferment, Eleanor shares her origin story and the power of a praying roommate. She also talks about her husband's first interactions with John Wimber and their earliest days with the Vineyard movement, the profound impact of worship in their life and ministry, and their life more recently as international coordinators within Vineyard Global. Eleanor speaks about unity,...

In this episode of the Ferment, Adam and Steve Nicholson have a conversation about how to lead a Vineyard ministry time.  Steve identifies the distinctives of Vineyard ministry, and they talk about what we can do when ministry time becomes formulaic, and how to recognize what the Lord is doing in people. Steve shares his thoughts on the role of a worship leader in ministry, and what to do when not...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam talks with Christina Lowery in a continuation of our short series on raising up leaders. Christina shares about her inclination towards ministry from an early age, and when that calling was named and fostered by her pastor. She talks about how being a life-long church attendee and student of church health eventually led to her role as the Associate National Dir...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam talks with returning guest Terry Butler.  This is the first episode in a short new series on developing leaders. Terry shares about being raised in an environment where equipping leaders was a way of life, developing a mindset of mentoring, and the areas he looks for to cultivate and train in a potential worship leader. Terry and Adam also discuss the role of s...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam talks with Kelly D'Auria about life at Cape Vineyard Community Church in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian. Kelly provides an on-the-ground update about the effects of the hurricane on her community and what the church is doing to meet the needs of their neighbors.  She also talks about what it's like to be a worship leader after a community-wide crisis, the way d...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam and Melisa share some updates about Vineyard Worship, including a recap of last week's Worship Leaders' Retreat, some upcoming events for worship leaders and sound techs (you're invited!!), and an exciting new project called Adoración Viña, which includes Spanish and bilingual songs, training videos and other resources for our Spanish-speaking friends.    Show...

In this special repost episode of The Ferment, Sam shares his journey into worship leading and songwriting as the son of Vineyard UK pioneers Chris and Fliss Lane. From the depths of a life given to the worship of God and the service of His people, Sam brings a treasure of insights to sustain and inspire all of us who serve weekly in the trenches of local church worship ministry.   Samuel Lane is...

In this intercontinental episode of The Ferment, Adam chats with Bazi Baker in Christ Church, New Zealand about meeting Jesus at a youth camp, and the little seeds his dad planted throughout his life that guided him to where he is today. Bazi shares about becoming interested in music and falling in love with the guitar, as well as some of the key mentors in his younger years and the way they contr...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam chats with Dan Wilt about growing up as a descendant of coal miners in a small town, the profound way in which hymns drew him as a child, and his experience of waking up to Holy moments and spaces. Dan talks about the moment he learned songs are a place of healing and ministry of the Lord, the spiritual grounding and transformation he experiences through practi...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam chats with Daniel and Nicole Hernández about the role music played in each of their introductions to the Vineyard, some of the challenges they have faced in cross-cultural ministry, and the small changes they have noticed make all the difference for first and second generation Latin Americans. Daniel and Nicole also share why they're hopeful about the addition...

Aaaaand we're back! As we return from summer break, Adam talks with Scott Underwood:  worship leader, song writer, math teacher and family man. In this episode of The Ferment, Scott shares about the way music captured him as a child, how his prayer life has evolved over the years, his motivation for becoming a teacher, and the origin story of his song "You Bless Me Lord".   Scott has written and p...

In this episode of The Ferment, Casey Corum and Melisa Keller meet up with Ed Piorek at his home in San Clemente, CA to talk about Ed's first encounter with the Lord after his mom's death, his introduction to a move of the Kingdom in his life, and what the Lord taught him about identity. Ed shares about the beautiful invitation the Lord offers to seek after what He is doing and join Him in the jou...

In this VSOW takeover episode of The Ferment, Mike O'Brien and Joel Balin chat about serving as a "second chair leader": the heart behind it, the benefits and challenges, and the surrender required. Mixed in are stories about how Joel came to faith, his entrance to ministry and the Vineyard, and his experiences with his wife in the music industry.   Joel Balin has been on staff at Cobb Vineyard si...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam and Mike O'Brien (Director of Vineyard School of Worship) talk through some practical tools for worship pastors that go beyond singing and playing music. Show Notes:  // Sunday Morning Checklist //  Top 10 Worship Leader Checklist // The things we do before (and after) the thing.    BEFORE  1. Exhaustive Contact To Your Team  2. Individual Contact To Your Indiv...

In this episode of The Ferment, Diane Thiel-Sharp shares about her early relationship with music, how she came to love the Lord, and early encounters with the Holy Spirit speaking through her in song. She then tells the story of the events that dramatically changed her life, how the Lord has repeatedly opened doors for her, and the story of her well-known song "If You Say Go."   Diane Thiel-Sharp...

In this episode of The Ferment, guest hosts Melisa Keller and Casey Corum chat with Rian Emano about growing up in a pentecostal Filipino church, the rub he felt between entering ministry and living the life of a creative, his entry into becoming a filmmaker, and how he intentionally disciples other creatives.    Rian Emano is the creative director at Vineyard of Hope Church in Walnut, California....

Please enjoy this special repost of Jay Pathak's conversation with David Ruis on the We Are Vineyard podcast. David shares some things he's been learning about the story of God through his own story of adoption, the work of music in his life, and some stories of his early encounters with the Holy Spirit and his process of reconciling them with his Baptist upbringing. David also shares his heart in...

It's a VSOW takeover! In this episode of The Ferment, Mike O'Brien (Director of Vineyard School of Worship) and Melisa Keller (Director of Events & Project Management) reflect on the 2 years that have passed since the pandemic changed everything, including the losses and the changes that they're excited about.  They also talk about Vineyard worship leader retreats, why they exist and who they're f...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam and Tiadra Mickels finish out the "Leading Better Worship" series with a conversation about co-leading.  Tiadra shares about her passion for seeing people find healing and wholeness through worship and the growth she has seen in herself since she began leading worship. They also talk through some common points of tension in co-leading and her approach to workin...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam and James Moscardini continue the "Leading Better Worship" series with a conversation about raising up leaders. James shares about the importance of knowing the people in the room you're leading and the songs they need to be singing each week, how to lead people who are more skilled or talented in certain areas than you, and the role of healthy competition in a...

In this episode of The Ferment, Adam and Matt Farrand talk about the transition from being a utility player and worship leader to the person in charge of worship administration. That's right…scheduling, auditioning, and even a spreadsheet or two. After fleshing out how the function of a trellis relates to both grapes and worship ministry, they walk us through some tangible steps in creating and ma...

In the first episode of our Leading Better Worship series, Anabeth Morgan shares about her practice of seeking the Lord for His invitation in day-to-day life, how to balance between leading songs and facilitating ministry moments, and tailoring a set list to meet the needs of the room you're in. Anabeth and Adam also talk about the importance of leaders sharing their humanity, and how to incorpora...