Westminster Vineyard

Launching a new series through the book of Galatians, Pastor Scott Engebretson introduces "The B-Side Life." Using the analogy of vinyl records, Scott explains that while the "A-Side" represents the polished, popular versions of ourselves we present to the world, the "B-Side" is where the raw, authentic, and soulful work of the Holy Spirit happens. Exploring Galatians 1, Scott addresses the "perverted gospel" of legalism—the idea that we can manufacture spiritual fruit by simply following rules. He argues that true transformation isn't about human effort or religious performance, but about the "B-Side" reality of Jesus: crucified, risen, and sending His Spirit to do in us what we cannot do for ourselves. For more information about the church, please visit NorthwestVineyard.org.

On this Easter Sunday, Pastor Scott Engebretson concludes the "Participating" series by exploring the world-changing reality of the Resurrection. Scott contrasts the "simulated wonder" of illusions—like those performed by magician Harris III—with the tangible, historical truth of the empty tomb in Luke 24. He challenges the idea that the Resurrection is merely a metaphor or a "beautiful story," arguing instead that because Jesus is physically alive, we are invited to participate in a new future. Scott encourages us to stop spending our "what ifs" on the regrets of the past and start spending them on the possibilities of a life lived with the Risen Christ—a life of wonder and eternal significance that begins right now. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

In this installment of the "Participating" series, Pastor Scott Engebretson tackles our cultural aversion to waiting. Drawing from Jason Farman's Delayed Response, Scott notes that in our world of instant gratification, we often view waiting as "dead time." However, looking at the transition from the suffering of Holy Week to the hope of the Resurrection, he argues that waiting is actually a sacred space where God works. Exploring Romans 8:22–27, Scott discusses how the Holy Spirit participates in our lives by interceding for us with "wordless groans" when we are at our weakest. He invites the community to stop avoiding the "weight" of their vulnerabilities and instead allow Jesus—the Lamb who still carries his scars—to meet them in their waiting and redeem their pain. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

Continuing the "Participating" series as we approach Holy Week, Pastor Scott Engebretson shares a deeply personal reflection on the tension between the "so much more" of God's power and the reality of human suffering. Drawing from Matthew 27, Scott walks through the harrowing details of Jesus' mockery and crucifixion, inviting the community to look closely at the "Man of Sorrows." He explores the difficult prayer of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:10—the desire to know Christ not only in the power of His resurrection but also in the "fellowship of His sufferings." Scott reminds us that while we don't seek out pain, identifying with Jesus in our own seasons of grief and weakness is the only path to experiencing true resurrection life. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

Continuing the Lenten series "Participating," Hannah Engebretson explores how we navigate the "thorns" in our lives—those persistent points of pain, weakness, or affliction that we desperately want removed. Drawing from 2 Corinthians 12, Hannah looks at the Apostle Paul's experience of pleading with God for relief, only to receive the answer: "My grace is sufficient for you." By reflecting on her own season of physical brokenness and the "suffering of God" found in the Lenten journey, she challenges the idea that we must be "fixed" to be useful to the Kingdom. Instead, she invites us to participate in God's grace by re-engaging with our stories and trusting that His power is made perfect not in our competence, but in our weakness. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

Continuing in the "Participating" series and the season of Lent, Pastor Scott Engebretson explores the difficult invitation to participate in the suffering of Christ. Using a humorous story about "yak milk" in Nepal to illustrate how we often expect one thing but receive another, Scott dives into the story of Simon of Cyrene from Luke 23. He discusses the reality that the "cross" is often something forced upon us unexpectedly—through grief, health crises, or brokenness—rather than something we choose. Drawing from the prayers of Jesus in Gethsemane, Scott encourages the community to move from "not my will" to "your will be done," reminding us that while we don't choose the moment of our suffering, we can choose to participate in its redeeming power. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

Continuing the "Participating" series during Lent, Pastor Scott Engebretson uses the survival show Alone as a backdrop to discuss how we navigate the "wilderness" of life's hardships. Drawing from John 16, Scott explores the inevitable "labor pains" of the world and how Jesus prepares his disciples for the trouble ahead. He highlights three ways we are called to participate when life gets hard: by waiting faithfully, by weeping and mourning honestly rather than bypassing pain, and by resisting the urge to scatter or isolate. Ultimately, Scott reminds us that because Jesus has overcome the world, we never have to navigate our physical, spiritual, or emotional troubles alone. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

Kicking off the new series, "Participating," and entering the season of Lent, Pastor Scott Engebretson looks at the reality of temptation and the "death spirals" we often find ourselves in. Using the story of Jesus in the wilderness from Luke 4:1-13, Scott highlights how the enemy targets our most basic needs, our desire for protection, and our hunger for power. He explores how Jesus resisted these temptations not through sheer willpower, but by being led by the Spirit and anchored in Scripture. Scott invites the community to participate in the new life Jesus offers—reminding us that while the enemy tempted Jesus to throw Himself down for show, Jesus chose to lay Himself down in Jerusalem to seek and save the lost. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

In the concluding episode of the "You Are Here" series, Pastor Scott Engebretson discusses how we navigate the distance between where we currently are and where we want to be as a community. Using the analogy of "You Are Here" maps found in malls and airports, Scott highlights the importance of spiritual orientation. He shares a personal conviction that God is inviting Northwest Vineyard into a season of deeper intimacy through prayer. Exploring Luke 11:1-13, Scott breaks down the Lord's Prayer not just as words to recite, but as a framework for honoring God as Father, Provider, and Forgiver. As the church prepares to transition into the season of Lent, listeners are challenged to cultivate a persistent hunger for God's presence, remembering that no person is greater than their prayer life. For more information about our church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

In the third week of the "You Are Here" series, Pastor Scott Engebretson shifts the focus from the communal church to the individual, asking the challenging question: "Where have you dammed up your life?". Using the history of dams as a metaphor, Scott explores how we often inadvertently cut off the flow of God's presence, leading to spiritual stagnation. He emphasizes that your personal life with God is vital to the health of the entire community. Drawing from Acts 2 and 1 Peter 1, Scott discusses the "means of grace"—outward actions like teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer that God has defined for us to meet Him. Likening God's grace to a shower head that is always running, he invites listeners to stop standing on the sidelines and intentionally step into the flow to be cleansed, refreshed, and revived. For more information about our church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

Continuing the "You Are Here" series, guest speaker RJ Owen—a User Experience Designer by trade—explores the concept of liturgy, literally defined as "the work of the people". Using a humorous illustration of a confusing "high-design" bathroom sink, RJ argues that while the Vineyard is a "low church" with a thin, variable liturgy, we still participate in a set of inherited practices. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 14, he examines how the Apostle Paul instructed the chaotic Corinthian church to balance spiritual gifts with order. RJ challenges the idea that we must feel "inspired" to worship authentically, suggesting instead that we "do the reps" of church life—singing, listening, and praying even when we don't feel like it—to transform our hearts into places that can truly receive the love of God. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

Kicking off a new series titled "You Are Here," Pastor Scott Engebretson explores our identity as a local church within the broader "universal" church. Using the analogy of a "You Are Here" map, Scott explains that while we inhabit a specific time and place in Broomfield, Colorado, we are part of a much larger story that spans centuries. Drawing from Exodus 25and the specific instructions for the Tabernacle, he highlights how God uses "Sacred Space," "Sacred People," and "Sacred Time" to meet us. Scott invites the congregation to move beyond viewing church as a consumer product and instead embrace it as a Sacred Assembly—participating in rhythms like morning prayer and the church calendar not as burdensome demands, but as life-giving invitations into God's grace. For more information about the church, please visit Northwestvineyard.org.

In the conclusion of the "Ferment" series, Sam Stephens explores how to protect the spiritual growth God is bubbling up within us. Centering his message on the poetic imagery of Song of Solomon 2:15, Sam warns against the "little foxes"—those small, seemingly insignificant compromises, distractions, or habits that can ruin a vineyard just as it begins to blossom. He emphasizes that while God provides the growth, we are called to be vigilant stewards of our spiritual lives. By addressing the small issues before they become major strongholds, we ensure that the "new wine" of our faith remains sweet and ready to be shared with others. Sam concludes with the profound reminder from the Heidelberg Catechism: our greatest hope is found in the fact that we are not our own, but belong body and soul to Jesus Christ. For more information about the church, please visit Northwestvineyard.org.

Continuing the "Ferment" series, Pastor Scott Engebretson explores one of Jesus' most challenging teachings: the parable of the wineskins. Drawing from the calling of Levi in Luke 5:27-39, Scott discusses the radical nature of following Jesus, which requires more than just "tacking" Him onto an old life. Using the metaphors of unshrunk cloth and new wine, he explains that the "bubbling energy" of God's Kingdom cannot be contained by old systems or tattered souls. Scott challenges the Northwest Vineyard community to consider what it means to "leave everything" to receive a new heart of flesh and a new garment of righteousness, rather than settling for the comfort of the "old wine". For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

Launching a new three-week series titled "Ferment," Pastor Scott Engebretson uses the biological process of winemaking as a metaphor for spiritual growth in the New Year. Drawing from Alan Kreider's The Patient Ferment of the Early Church, Scott explores the "invisible yeast" of God's Kingdom—a bubbling energy that works from the inside out. Looking at Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana in John 2:1-11, he highlights the tension between the mundane habits of the "process" and the "profound" moments of the miraculous. Scott challenges the congregation to embrace simple acts of obedience—filling, drawing, and taking—as the seedbed for God to do something new in 2026. For more information about the church, please visit NorthwestVineyard.org.

In this special Christmas Eve service, Pastor Scott Engebretson concludes the "Creating Space" series by exploring the unexpected power of humility. Contrasting the world's view of success—illustrated by NFL coach Tony Dungey—with the Kingdom of God, Scott cites research from CU Boulder to argue that true leadership is found in serving others. He traces this theme through the Christmas story in Luke 2, observing that the good news was first announced to the shepherds—the outcasts of society. Drawing from the "Christ Hymn" in Philippians 2 , Scott explains how Jesus "made himself nothing" to become the Humble King, and invites listeners to make room in their lives to receive His forgiveness, freedom, and flourishing. For more information about the church, please visit Northwestvineyard.org.

In this special family service, Pastor Hannah Engebretson leads an interactive Advent reflection involving the children and youth of the church. Acknowledging the difficulty of waiting—whether for Christmas presents or for life's heavy burdens to lift—Hannah explains the distinction between the anticipation of Advent and the twelve-day celebration of Christmastime that begins on Christmas Day. Drawing from the resource Shadow and Light by Tish Harrison Warren, she invites listeners to consider the long silence the Israelites endured and the temptation to believe God had forgotten them. Ultimately, Hannah points to Jesus as the proof that God remembers us, noting that He arrived not as a soldier to conquer, but as a baby to save us where we are. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.org.

Returning to the "Creating Space" series, Pastor Scott Engebretson contrasts our culture's desire to "chase momentum" with the biblical call to slow devotion. Focusing on the story of Simeon in Luke 2:25-33, Scott explores how Simeon sustained his faith during the centuries of silence between the Old and New Testaments, proving that intimacy with God is possible even in the dark. He defines devotion not as legalism, but as a "careful regard for Kairos"—an attentive waiting for God's timing. Drawing illustrations from Michael Jordan's "love of the game" and the prayer habits of the early church in the Didache, Scott challenges listeners to establish rhythms of prayer to navigate the waiting and recognize the "consolation of Israel" when He arrives. For more information about the church, please visit northwestvineyard.com.

In this special service, we celebrate the ordination of Pastors Scott and Hannah Engebretson. We are honored to host Rich Nathan, the founding pastor of Vineyard Columbus, who delivers a sermon titled "What is a Pastor?". Preaching from 1 Peter 5, Rich argues that a pastor is defined not by academic credentials or charisma, but by character and a willingness to pay the price of leadership. He outlines the three biblical roles of a pastor—Shepherd (nurturing the flock), Watchman (protecting from danger), and Example (modeling the life of Christ)—and challenges leaders to serve not out of compulsion or for control, but with a "get to" spirit of gratitude. For more information about the church, please visit Northwestvineyard.org.

Launching the new "Creating Space" series for the season of Advent, Pastor Scott Engebretson challenges the sentimental view of the holidays, reminding listeners that "Advent begins in the dark" and often amidst the clutter of our lives. Drawing from the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth in Luke 1:5-25, Scott explores how to faithfully prepare for Jesus' arrival even while navigating deep disappointments. He outlines four practical ways to clear spiritual space: pursuing righteousness (right living), maintaining habits of worship to hear God speak, practicing restraint in a consumeristic culture, and prioritizing family restoration as foretold in Malachi 4. For more information about the church, please visit Northwestvineyard.org.