The Ferment Podcast - Conversations About Worship And Transformation

SEASON ONE FINALE! Mitchell Maldonado is an all-around creative and has worked in virtually every aspect of the music industry as well as with all things tech and design. After studying music production in school, Mitchell embarked upon a diverse career that includes touring with various bands (most notably the CCM band  The Neverclaim ), working in studios across the country, engineering live aud...

Josh Williams is Lead Pastor of the Elm City Vineyard (ECV) in New Haven, CT and serves on the Executive Board for Vineyard USA. Originally from Iowa, Josh moved to New Haven to attend Yale, and later Yale Divinity School where he earned his M.Div.  At Yale, he served as a campus minister for InterVarsity before becoming ECV's first full-time pastor in 2014. He currently lives with his wife Tina (...

John Elmer is a church planter and lead pastor of the Vineyard Church in Syracuse, NY. He and his wife Gwen started the church in 1991 with six people in their living room, and that church has prospered into a multi-site church with four locations and 1500+ in attendance across ten services.  John also oversees the northeast region of Vineyard churches in the US.   On this episode, John and our ho...

Matt Nall is a drummer, producer, husband, and father of two. In addition to drumming for over 20 years in both live and studio settings, Matt is a key part of the Campbellsville Vineyard worship community.  He also serves as technical director for Campbellsville University's theater department.   On this practical episode, Matt and our host Adam Russell dive into the vital role of the drummer in...

This week's guest is Josh Baldwin, worship leader and songwriter with Bethel Music.   On this week's episode, Josh recounts his childhood growing up the son of a worship pastor as well as his first worship team experience as a drummer at the age of 12.  Josh shares key insights into bringing our true selves to our worship leadership, and he and our host Adam Russell discuss Josh's recent success a...

The Ferment continues its "conversations" series with Adam & Heather Russell. On this episode, they address the topic of friendship in all its various shapes and sizes, exploring the reality that even Jesus surrounded himself with a group of friends during his time on earth.

Kathy Maskell is the leader of the Vineyard Justice Network, an organization dedicated to showcasing the work of Vineyard churches as they confront injustice. Kathy also serves as a member of the Vineyard USA Executive Team and as pastor of discipleship at Blue Route Vineyard (Media, PA) alongside her husband and frequent Ferment guest, Dr. Caleb Maskell.   A child of Buddhist immigrants from Viet...

Our host Adam Russell sits down with Dr. Caleb Maskell, a church historian, worship pastor, and return Ferment podcast guest.  On this week's episode, they discuss the ongoing impact of the renewal of the mid-1990s, specifically the "Toronto Blessing," and share personal stories from their own visits to the Toronto Airport Vineyard (now the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship).    Dr. Maskell lea...

Costa Mitchell is a church planter, pastor, and the former National Director for the Vineyard movement in South Africa. In 1982, he was the planting pastor of the first Vineyard church outside of the US in Johannesburg. Costa came to faith in the Jesus Movement in South Africa that coincided with the movement of the same name in the US. Costa was instrumental in the early global work of the Vineya...

Millennial Whoa (also Millennial Whoop) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The millennial whoa (whoop) is a melodic pattern alternating between the fifth and third notes in a major scale, typically starting on the fifth, in the rhythm of straight 8th-notes, and often using the "wa" and "oh" syllables. It has been used extensively in 2010s pop music and modern worship music. This week on the pod...

This special episode of the Ferment was recorded live at the Songs & Stories event in August 2019 in Campbellsville, Kentucky. It features a wide-ranging panel discussion on the topics of constraint, comparison, sustainable creativity, and numerous other topics. The panel includes past podcast guests John Mark McMillan, Taylor Leonhardt, Fran Pratt, Ted Kim, and Jared Boyd. The panel is moderated...

Fran Pratt - "The Litanist" - is Pastor of Worship and Liturgy at Peace of Christ Church in Round Rock, TX, where she lives with her spouse and two daughters.    On this episode, she recounts her journey — from growing up Southern Baptist to finding the Vineyard (replete with strong coffee and rock'n'roll) to finding significant life in the contemplative tradition of the Church.    The Litanist po...

John Mark McMillan is a platinum-selling songwriter and recording artist best known for his songs "How He Loves," "Future/Past," and "King Of My Heart," co-written with his wife Sarah.  John Mark is known for bending genres and defying categorization by carving out his own unique and independent path. With an ear for melody and a poet's eye for metaphor, no topic has been off-limits. While each of...

Taylor Leonhardt is a worship leader and singer/songwriter based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Taylor was born and raised in Texas, where a childhood love for country music rooted deep in her heart.  A strong yet subtle lyricist with silvery vocals reminiscent of Patty Griffin and Emmylou Harris, Leonhardt has taken those roots and crafted a sound all her own.  Her latest release, RIVER HOUSE (avail...

Steve Nicholson is the long-time senior pastor of the  Evanston Vineyard  outside of Chicago, IL, and has served the Vineyard movement for 40 years training church leaders and church planters across the globe.   Steve began ministering as a college student through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the early '70s. After graduating, he moved to the Chicago area where he and several other 20-somet...

Shyla and Leon Powell are this week's guests. Leon is the worship pastor at the Vineyard Church in Syracuse, NY, and Shyla leads worship at the Syracuse Vineyard as well as works as a clinical therapist with the Salvation Army.  This conversation runs the gamut — from personal stories about growing up black in predominately white environments to the blessings and challenges of leading worship toge...

Jared Boyd is a pastor, spiritual director, and founder of The Order of Sustainable Faith, a missional monastic expression of the Vineyard Church.  In addition to his role in Sustainable Faith, Jared is Pastor at  Franklinton Abbe y and is part of The Society of Vineyard Scholars.    In this rich episode, Jared and Adam dig deep into the topic of discernment and explore the benefits of spiritual d...

Samuel Lane is a worship leader, songwriter, and recording artist, and is currently the Creative Director at The Vineyard Church in St. Albans in the Greater London area. For over twenty years, he has worked to refine his songwriting, exploring musicality and faith, pouring his life into crafting songs that draw people closer to God.   Lane has written and recorded 40 songs with Vineyard Worship,...

Dr. Brittany Kim is an Old Testament scholar, adjunct professor, and spiritual director-in-training based in Chicago, IL. She has taught at Roberts Wesleyan College, Northeastern Seminary, and Bethel Seminary, and is the author of  Lengthen Your Tent-Cords: The Metaphorical World of Israel's Household in the Book of Isaiah . Brittany is also the wife of Ferment podcast guest, Ted Kim.   In this ep...

Geno Olison is the co-lead pastor of the South Suburban Vineyard on in Chicago, IL. He also helps to lead the Diversity Initiative for Vineyard USA and is an accomplished musician, co-producing both Vineyard Soul projects: We Are Ready and Generous God.    On this challenging episode, Geno shares his personal story as a black man coming into mostly white environments in education and the Church, a...

Melisa Keller is the Director of Events & Project Management for Vineyard Worship. In her role, Melisa oversees Vineyard Worship Leader Retreats and Rise events, and serves as project manager for all products and releases.    In this episode, Melisa recounts her faith journey growing up in the Vineyard as the daughter of drummer Bill Dragoo, who was featured on many early Vineyard recordings of th...

This special edition of the podcast is entitled "So You've Turned 35" featuring a candid and helpful conversation between our host Adam Russell and his wife Heather about this overlooked stage of life.   This is an important episode discuss both the pitfalls and opportunities we face when life is at its fullest. Whether you are in this life stage, not quite yet, or even beyond it, there is gold in...

Sarah Pemberton is a worship leader, songwriter, and — alongside her husband Grant — co-pastors the Nashville Vineyard in Tennessee.     In this episode Sarah shares the origins of the Nashville Vineyard, from planting in the basement of a restaurant to acquiring the second oldest church building in Nashville. An added anecdote involves an American Idol finalist and a renovation television show!  ...

Sam Yoder is a chiropractor in Campbellsville, KY and the author of the modern Vineyard hymns "All Things Rise," "Wonderful," and the upcoming Vineyard Worship single,  "Jesus Beautiful."   In this wide-ranging conversation, Sam shares about his journey - from being raised Old Order Amish to discovering the music of Bob Dylan and the writing of Carl Sagan.  Sam and Adam cover various topics includ...

Josh Ray is a producer, worship leader, and the owner of Anchour Studios in Windham, Maine. In addition to running Anchour Studio he serves as worship pastor at the Vineyard Church in Mechanic Falls, Maine. Josh and his wife Ryan have five children and live a very full life surrounded by friends and family. In this unique episode Josh and Adam dive into the world of music production, exploring wha...