Wineskins

Carol Lovejoy and David Ruis continue their dialogue about what it means to be a "People of the Way", especially in terms of how we relate to Jesus as a person, rather than using His name for power. What can their collective wisdom teach us about our own identity in Christ, the difference between power and authority, and learning to walk in the way of Jesus? This episode dives deep on what's in a...

In this second conversation, Carol Lovejoy and David Ruis dig into the importance of story - locating our personal stories within God's story and learning to really live in the present. It's tempting to live with the backward glance or the future driving us, but to really practice being a people of the Way we need to embody the teachings of Jesus in our everyday lives. Let this conversation challe...

When an octogenarian Indigenous elder and the National Director of Vineyard Canada sit down for a chat, truth bombs begin to fly! Carol Lovejoy is part of our national team, and she graciously agreed to share her wisdom with us. In this first of three episodes, Carol Lovejoy and David Ruis explore what it means to be a "People of the Way" following Jesus on the ancient path He invites us to journe...

It's easy to minimize the necessity of church  structure , or to simply think of it as a "necessary evil", but what if there's no healthy ecclesiology  without  church  structure ? When we minimize the administration of leadership as less valuable or spiritual than other gifts in the body of Christ, we cause harm to the Church. On this final episode of our first series we get into the pragmatics o...

Everywhere you turn these days there are exposés of church leaders' sin. In this episode David and Joyce unpack the value and pragmatics of confession as a healthy discipleship practice for all Christians, but especially for leaders in the Church. What would it look like for us to grow in confession as a way to better shoulder our leadership responsibilities and see the Church flourish? If you've...

With so many examples of unhealthy uses of power in the Church today it's tempting to get discouraged and not wrestle with what healthy leadership is supposed to look like. In this episode David and Joyce unpack a lot of scripture as a deep dive into our theology of power. They explore how our practices of leadership must be rooted to the  way  of Jesus as we exercise the authority He has given us...

A major weakness in the Church today is our lack of understanding and enacting discernment. Individualism clouds our understanding of calling and impedes healthy church leadership more than we might realise! David Ruis and Joyce Rees unpack scripture, some great stories, and explain from their vantage point why the future of healthy churches is absolutely dependent on leaders who have solid discer...

Have you ever witnessed an unhealthy desire for power in the Church? Or maybe you're a leader who has who's wrestled with the ebb and flow of the Spirit, or how to best facilitate healthy ministry time in your community. On this episode we get the conversation going, exploring the person and purpose of the Holy Spirit, the evidence of the Spirit in and through the Church, and revisit our understan...

Welcome to Wineskins! On this first episode our National Director, David Ruis and Resource Coordinator, Joyce Rees unpack the essence of the Church, exploring both why and how Jesus established the Church and what it means to experience adversity and still flourish as the people of God. They also unpack why we're launching this podcast and our hope for building healthy churches. We'd love it if yo...