April 25, 2024

Marty, Sandy Boller to speak at the Haven Vineyard Church

By Jamee A

A Night with the Holy Spirit presented by Marty and Sandy Boller will take place at 6 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Haven Vineyard Church. A soup supper will start at 6 p.m. with workshop, teaching and ministry to follow. (Submitted Photo)

Join Marty and Sandy Boller for a Night with the Holy Spirit at 6 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Haven Vineyard Church, 207 First Ave. E.

The Bollers have spoken at the church once before and served as mentors for Pastors Caz and Jane Cibula when they were starting the church in Newton. A soup supper will begin the evening with worship, teaching and ministry to follow.

“They usually bring something really good when they come,” Caz Cibula said.

The Bollers have been active in pastoral ministry since 1985 and were participants with the beginning of what is now the Evanston, Ill. Vineyard Church. They successfully planted two Vineyard churches in Iowa City in 1988 and Cedar Rapids in 1998. The Newton Vineyard church is plant from the Cedar Falls church where Jane’s brother is pastor. The Cedar Falls church was from the original Iowa Vineyard churches.

Marty has written two books on Christian discipleship: “The Perfected Self” and “The Wisdom of Wimber: As I See It.” He also hosts a popular blog series, The Contemplative Activist. At their churches in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, the couple started a Vineyard at Home ministry where they meet in homes to encourage people to slow down in order to keep up with Jesus. Home group overseers and hosts are trained in spiritual direction while traditional church programming is replaced with a simple & sustainable discipleship model that focuses on issues of soul care and contemplative activism.

Recently, the Bollers have started training in spiritual direction/spiritual formation with Sustainable Faith receiving their certification as trainers earlier this year. They are looking to take a step back at the churches where they pastor and start to serve the larger body of Christ as contemplative coaches and spiritual directors to all who are looking for Christ-centered direction in their lives.

A contemplative activist, the Bollers said, is one who does their very best at living a fruitful, Christ-centered life. It is a simple and sustainable faith that is rooted in the three major disciplines found in the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth: Communion (with God), Community (with others) and Commission (into our world) for the greater glory of God.