Vince Johnson Application Questions for Web.pdf

When and under what circumstances did you receive Christ as your Savior?

God blessed me with parents who valued going to church and believing in God. I did not actually worship God, however. From age 13–19, my life was characterized by pursuing satisfaction apart from God. I worshipped my pleasure and myself above Him—which I later learned was the ultimate sin. Substance abuse, relationships, sports, even church, resulted in fear, guilt, loneliness and feeling far away from God. God led me to attend a Christian meeting my sophomore year of college. The next day, having accepted an invitation to talk more about spiritual things the night before, I heard about Christ’s death on the Cross as the once and for all payment for my sin problem.

God opened my heart, much like Lydia’s in Acts 16:14, and gave me faith to believe in His mercy to not deal with me according to my sin. (Psalm 103:10) I had heard many of the right phrases and words, but God gave me understanding of Romans 3:24–25, that Jesus was put forward as a propitiation by His blood.

I was converted from being thoroughly guilty and self-centered, to knowing a freedom of conscience. I immediately wanted to tell friends and family this great news. God began a gradual process of changing my worship to be of Him, alone. I now desire my attitude to be the same as the writer of Psalm 115:1, “Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory.”

Describe your prayer and devotional life and its significance for your family and ministry.

Psalm 1:2 says, “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night.” I usually start each morning reading the Word using the DJ Bible-in-a-Year plan. It’s been my joy to do this for the past 5 years. It’s from this vital time that God brings me near him (Psalm 73:28) and everything is changed. For as I’m communing with God, recognizing his presence, I’m knowing a joy and hope that will be my help for family and ministry. The Bible reading turns into prayer and praise. Any anxieties are then cast on the Lord (1 Peter 5:6–7), which helps to grow humility. This humility from dependence on God is the best position from which to love and lead. There is normally a sharing of what has been learned from reading times, week in and week out. The Lord is faithful to bring to mind helpful words that fit situations for family and ministry.

My wife and I were just spending concerted time praying for a family situation. The Lord was leading us to hold onto him for this break-through without doubting (James 1:6-7). We were just rejoicing in the Lord’s faithfulness and the effects of prayer related to God answering these prayers. (We have also been discussing 1 Peter 5:8–9). God has been leading me to heed the warnings and exhortation in this passage and bless the family with it. We’ve been more attentive to Satan’s devices and have been engaging in battle more readily. My daily prayers for God to keep me in a constant communion with him have stretched since my days at SCSU (’82). This has then led to countless occasions with family and in ministry to challenge and exhort that others would “set the Lord continually before” them (Psalm 16:8). I love the way God blesses me in the quiet places of our times together for the blessing of others!

What personal journeys of struggle, suffering and brokenness have shaped your thoughts and actions in ministry?

My sophomore year in college was definitely one of the hardest times of my life. I was experiencing loneliness and purposelessness. This was actually the experience I believe God used to break me and prepare me for being saved. It was in this context that the gospel was explained to me and God drew me. I look back on this experience often in ministry which helps in empathizing with those going through similar times. 2 Corinthians 1:4. I would say another struggle was acne in high school and into college. I experienced feelings of ugliness and being pitied. I know that this hardship was also helping me to see the futility of hoping in this world (1 John 2:15–17). This has helped me to imagine the turmoil others go through when they hope in vain things.

Probably the most difficult time in my life was in ’97 when we returned home from Turkey. It seemed to be premature from my perspective. We finished four years of what I was hoping would be at least 10. God used this to open my eyes to his glorious sovereignty and providence. I grew deeper in my prayer life and my trust in God’s perfect will. I experienced hurt, sadness, confusion, anger, etc.

Landing at Bethlehem helped me to embrace the pain, trust God to redeem the circumstances and use them for blessing others. That’s what I’ve seen him do. I have loved to see this turn out for the glory of His name, as he has used the story in relating to others’ stories. It has also helped me to personally process more maturely times of confusion and failure in ministry (Romans 8:28).

Briefly describe how your philosophy of Neighborhood Outreach would be practically applied to three specific areas of ministry.

I’m proposing a model including a team of leaders/deacons who oversee teams for outreach strategies. Here are three ideas of needed strategies:

1. Evangelism training: There would be a team that plans for an equipping ministry of the body by thinking of the existing affinity groups and venues, Some of these might include small groups, women’s ministry leaders, elders/pastors, new members (ASK Membership Class), 242 and open invite time. Working together with the leaders of these, 1–3 hours of training would be implemented covering good news and good deeds philosophy and basic testimony and spoken gospel training. This could be just North, or together with other campuses and churches. It would be important for this team to be aware of trainings being offered by others that would be useful and trusted.
2. Prayer: A team would meet to pray and plan for the on-going prayer cover for outreach and evangelism for surrounding communities and those of the membership. This team would plan ways to ensure the needs of the communities are known, physical, social and spiritual, and work to ensure there is a growing body of prayer warriors. The prayer leaders would coordinate with the other outreach leaders so that trainings and outreaches are being prayed for in a timely and thorough enough way.
3. Friends of newcomers: The goal of this leadership would be that every new person stepping through the door or even contacting the church, would be given the relational opportunity for contextualized friendship. Different people can best minister in friendship, given who the newcomer is. So, this team would have an awareness of the membership so they can regularly be introducing and initiating friendships of gospel outreach. This “pool” of membership friends would be trained in good news and good deeds basics and be connected to this team for sufficient resourcing and oversight.  

What aspects of the job description most excite you and why?

I feel most passionate about inspiring and equipping members to joyfully and passionately tell their stories of all God has done for them and the mercy he’s shown them to friends, family and neighborhoods. This flows from my conviction that lost people often “need” a personal “flesh on” example of God’s love for them. I believe that by God’s work and will this opens the door for them to experience the joy in Him that truly glorifies God and satisfies both the evangelist and the audience.

Next, I am compelled by the vision that North will be partnering with many other churches, organizations, and people in tangibly blessing surrounding communities related to physical and social needs. And, that this will be leveraging the gifting of God in Bethlehem membership compels me.

The 30% Assimilation piece is exciting to me, as well. I have a desire to help lead in the newcomers clearly understanding the vision and mission of this body and be lovingly welcomed to be a vital part. Again, I love to see members effectively fitted to play active roles in this.

Even though on paper it’s only 10%, the global outreach part is definitely one I feel will give me joy. From my sophomore year of college until now, God has grown a conviction that many more from here are being called of God to go to the 10/40 Window and other mission fields. I love being a part of God’s mouthpiece in this calling and envisioning and equipping. I get excited to be seeing our 4 years in Turkey used in preparing others to go.

In between the lines of the job description, I imagine a lot of collaboration with pastors, elders and other lay leaders. I love to work with peers in worshipping, praying, discussing, sharing, planning and implementing. I’m hoping for these types of relationships and this kind of working.

What approaches do you find effective in personal evangelism?

I would like there to be a church-wide equipping in the area of preparing and delivering personal testimonies. This will create momentum if all are involved and it’s matched with some follow-up guidance, accountability and opportunities for sharing of results and praise. It’s biblical (Mark 5:19–20) and can help with the fear factor.

Another equipping to be done in tandem with this would be sharing the Quest for Joy booklet. In The Master Plan of Evangelism, Coleman studies Jesus’ methods for equipping and involving. There definitely needs to be an on-going discipleship of members that incorporates personal evangelism, not a system of detached programs devoid of discipleship relationship. In the context of these relationships, Jesus chose, taught, demonstrated, and involved for the resulting personal evangelism of the 12, 60, etc. So, I’d love to see a partnering with the Delks and Family Discipleship Department (FDD) to dream about personal evangelism being continually folded into curriculum and whatever relational groupings that are implemented.

Apart from that, vision needs to be cast, training given and opportunities created. I like to opportunities to as much as possible be compelling ones for the participants. For instance, if a small group has already been praying for a neighborhood where they meet, inviting this neighborhood to an evangelistic concert where there can be spontaneous sharing might be more compelling and meaningful for them. I would like to see small groups and FDD small groups use individual “top ten” lists of people that group members are laboring in prayer over and seeking opportunity to share with.

If at all possible, if there is some relationship and/or natural affinity between evangelist and non-believer, this is a bonus (Mark 5:1–20). This would be the case if the Lord established some momentum towards members and small groups “working” in their neighborhoods.

I’m not opposed to having some more programmatic approach like Saturday afternoon door-to-door times where people are given opportunities to respond to a simple survey and give us their opinion on Quest for Joy.

These responses are excerpts taken from the full application packet submitted to the elders. To request a copy of Vince Johnson’s résumé, application for pastoral ministry, or any related document, please e-mail allchurch@hopeinGod.org or call the North Campus receptionist at 612-455-0800.