The Vital Churches Institute, Inc
We want to help you center on the Lord who loves you and soar in the life God gives you.
- •We want to help you center on the Lord who loves you and soar in the life God gives you.
- •We aim to elevate the vitality of congregations and the people they serve in their commitment to Jesus Christ, the quality of their fellowship in the Body of Christ and the fruitfulness of their participation in the work of Christ in the world.
- •Our heart's desire is to be a "paraclete" in your life and in your congregation – as those who our good Lord would call alongside you to help and encourage you!
- •The Vital Churches Institute, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit ministry.
Leadership
Our work is led by a ministry team of busy people who volunteer their precious time to bring these materials to you. Our work is financed by generous supporters for whom we are deeply grateful. Our team leaders include:
E. Stanley Ott is a pastor who has served three vibrant congregations and is founder of the Vital Churches Institute. His passion is the encouragement of those who follow Jesus and the transformation of the local church.
Stan has taught principles of congregational vitality and leadership to thousands of people throughout the United States and Canada.
Stan's publications include:
- "Twelve Dynamic Shifts for Transforming Your Church" (Eerdmans)
- "Transform Your Church with Ministry Teams" (Eerdmans)
- "The Vibrant Church: A People Building Plan for Congregational Health" (Regal)
- "The Joy of Discipling: Friend with Friend and Heart with Heart" (Zondervan)
Contact: Stan@centeredandsoaring.com
Lee Zehmer is an active pastor in his 34th year of ministry. He has served four congregations in Virginia and North Carolina.
Lee works to elevate the transformation of the local church and has led a variety of teams whose focus is church growth and transformation.
Lee actively pursues involvement with a number of training programs designed to enhance the vitality and leadership of the congregation.
Lee's favorite pastime involves airplanes and the joy of flying them!
Contact: Lee@centeredandsoaring.com
As an aside, Lee cheers for the Washington Capitals hockey team. Stan cheers for the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's a miracle they get along!
BuildingOneAnother.com
Stan and Lee host the podcast BuildingOneAnother.com, available on the major podcast platforms.
Every podcast speaks about a transferable concept of encouraging one another – to encourage you and to help you actually to encourage others. They are designed for the individual listener and for small group study – to learn ways to love and to transfer them to others!
“Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more.” — Malvina Richards