National Church Planting Task Force

One national ministry of The Vineyard, USA includes the Church Planting Task Force. This page includes some of our vision and resources for continuing as a church-planting movement.

As a movement, we want to plant churches which exhibit the following traits:

• A commitment to worship and serve the Triune God revealed in Jesus Christ

• A focus on building communities of faith that worship the Lord in the beauty of His holiness

• A desire to grow as Spirit-filled communities that hear - and obey - His voice

• A compassion that leads to training and equipping the church community to serve the poor, the lost, and the sick

• An outward-focused passion that goes out in the power of the Spirit to do the works of the Kingdom of God, making disciples, planting reproducing churches, and taking the gospel to the nations

National Church Planting Coordinator Steve Nicholson began his ministry as a college student through InterVarsity Christian Fellowship in the 70's. After graduating, he and several other young leaders founded a church in the Chicago area with a high priority on contemporary worship. In 1981, Steve planted a church in Chicago's inner city area of Humbolt Park, and in 1985, both churches joined the family of the The Vineyard USA. Steve serves on the The Vineyard USA national board as the Church Planting Coordinator in addition to being senior pastor of the Evanston Vineyard. He has ministered and trained church leaders in India, Australia, South Africa, Turkey, Central Asia, Lebanon, the United Kingdom and Ireland (Eire). Steve and his wife Cindy live in Chicago.  They have three adult children. Vineyard Christian Church of Evanston 2495 Howard St. Evanston, Illinois 60202