The Vine Church | Madison, WI

• Scott Sterner
• Mar 1, 2011
• Series: Church Profiles
• Categories: Church Planting Articles, Latest News

Briefly describe your story of your call to plant a church

After 11 years at Parkview Church in Iowa City, I was working on a seminary degree from Covenant Seminary and serving the church as Executive Pastor. The last thing I expected was to become a church planter. In a brief conversation over lunch with one of my seminary professors he told me that he felt I was being called to plant a church. At the time I literally laughed off such a suggestion. After all, I have five kids and was in a well paid church position with the potential of eventually becoming the lead pastor in a large, well established, and missionally active church. None-the-less, over the course of about 6 months the seed that was planted took root and, through several A29 messages and the encouragement of several mentors, I contacted Zach and Kim Nielsen, asking them if they’d like to plant a church with us in Madison. After Skyping with my wife and I, Zach and Kim agreed and the rest is history. We relocated to the Madison, Wiscon sin area in June and launched our core gatherings in late July.

How did you build up your core? What advice would you give to guys in the core-stage?

To be honest we haven’t been very conventional in how we’ve planted. We started gathering within two months of moving to town because we had people who were ready to “do” church. Though we’d still consider this time somewhat of a core year, we are not doing anything to advertise our presence.

The planting team of 3 pastors are all bi-vocational. This is in large part because we wanted to have the opportunity to model missional living and begin building our church via the network of relationships we have with unbelievers in our various spheres of influence. This year the only thing we have done to “build the church” is to have a website, Facebook page, and spend lots of time building relationships. Our desire has been to not lobby believers from other churches. Those who joined us from day one had either heard of us through blogs or seen us on the A29 website. Only one of those couples were actively attending another church in our community. Beyond that it’s all been about relationships at work, in our neighborhoods, etc...

My advice for planting is to challenge the typical text-book method. After seven months of gathering we still don’t have a projector, have never had a drummer, don’t have a flash website, and have never served coffee. Some day we’ll certainly have more of those things... but for now we have been intentionally simple and raw. We are tired of slick church and think others are too. We made the mission of the church the primary focus from day one and are working to build the church around the mission and nothing else.

What were the biggest challenges you faced in planting your church (and/or currently facing)?

In one sense our biggest challenge was fund raising, but in all reality, it probably went about as smoothly as it could. We were able to raise about $600,000 in six months have all three pastors pretty well covered for the first four years of the plant. Outside of fund raising, relocating our families and living on support has probably been the toughest challenge. My kids are 15 down to 8, which is a pretty challenging time to relocate for a plant. None-the-less, my wife and I are praising God that the transition went as smoothly as it did. After 7 months are kids are all well transitioned and doing very well.

How did you become involved with Acts 29? What have been the biggest benefits of being in the network?

The planting team all came from reformed seminaries and were tracking with guys like Piper, Driscoll, and Chandler for years. Planting with A29 was a natural outflow of our theological and missional convictions. We love being part of the network because they guys are just so cool, supportive, and likeminded. We feel at home in that network and resonate deeply with what God is doing through the churches in the association.

What advice do you have for men who are wrestling with the decision to plant? 

Go and serve in an existing church for 3 years before planting. While in that church be as faithful and supportive of the leadership as you can. Network like mad and really serve the people well. Once you’ve done this, when the time comes to plant you will have a ton of supportive relationships behind you and will reap the rewards.

What's the most important thing you'd want to share with a new church planter?

In my honest opinion, I think planting should be done in teams. I’ve got a dream team of two other friends and planters who were experienced pastors. Planting has been a breeze compared to all the horror stories I’ve ever heard. I’m not saying it’s been only easy, but we are living in a good home, our financial needs are met, I am preaching on rotation, we’ve been gathering on Sundays from 3 months in, each of the pastors is leading a city group, and we’ve had an elder board from day one. My wife and kids would say that in some regards I am more involved in their lives than when I was in my previous church job. This is in large part because I have an office in my home. I know the “team-approach” is less favored model, but in my opinion it is essential.

How do you pastor your family?

Be there. Have talks. Touch, hug, and laugh. Regularly lead devotionals and have lots of spiritual conversations. Love your wife well. If that relationship is strong, the kids will see and cherish that. Talk about mission and model it. With some qualifications, view your plant as a family mission where you all play a vital role. We are far from perfect in this regard, but we are praising God that our kids are all doing well and loving the Lord.

Outside of the Bible, what is the most helpful book you have read for church planting?

E-Myth, Movements that Changed the World

Church Profile: The Vine Church
Launch Date: July 2010
Location: Madison, WI

Mission, Vision, Values of Church 

Our mission is quite simply “gospel, community and mission”.

Gospel: 

The Gospel is the good news that through Christ the power of God’s kingdom has entered history to renew the whole world. This renewing work of Jesus is what saves us from our sin and transforms us into people who live like him. The Vine is a church where the Gospel is not merely a message for people who don’t know Jesus, but also a message for believers that shapes every facet of the church.

Community: 

The Gospel is not just a message to be believed, but a power to be experienced. The gospel shapes a new community as those who were formerly God’s enemies are reconciled to Him and adopted into his family. The Vine is not a place, but a people – a community that is continually being reformed, renewed, and reproduced by the transforming power of the gospel.

Mission: 

The Gospel doesn’t merely call us into a relationship with Christ and one another, it also sends us out into the world on mission. The Vine is a church that seeks to both embody and proclaim the Gospel winsomely in the city of Madison. The embodiment of the Gospel will be expressed in our love for the city as we seek to meet its various needs. The proclamation of the Gospel will be expressed through our intentional relationships with people who don’t know Jesus. We will seek to love them and share Christ with them right where they are in our own network of relationships.

What are some examples of God's grace that you have seen in your life and/or the life of your church?

It worked. After being a full time guy in big churches for so long, I really questioned if I could be part of growing a church based purely on a missional calling. I also questioned if I could actually become a bi-vocational pastor and begin living in a way I was never afforded in a full-time church role. The leader must live out the mission and I’m having a blast relating to lost people on so many levels. To be honest, I am not sure I want to ever go back to burying my head in the sand within the confines of church-world.

How can we pray for you?

For older people to join our core (financially and as mentors), for discernment as we move mission forward to plant our second church in 16 months and a global movement in the near future as well.