Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States
Sandy & Marty Boller have been involved in the Vineyard family for nearly thirty years. It was March 10, 1984, in Mansfield, Ohio when the Holy Spirit moved powerfully on Marty (at a Blaine Cook Vineyard leadership conference), calling him to step away from his pursuit of other professions and follow Jesus into full-time ministry. Beginning with their work as children’s pastors at the Evanston, IL Vineyard (1985-1987), Marty & Sandy have planted two Vineyard churches in Iowa (Iowa City: 1988 and Cedar Rapids: 1998) and now, thirty years after first being influenced by John Wimber, Sandy and Marty are still following the voice of Jesus as He asks them to step out in faith, once again. In 2015, Marty & Sandy will be transitioning from their day-to-day senior pastoral role at Father’s House Vineyard Church in Cedar Rapids, the church they planted in 1998, and into their new role as spiritual directors, trainers of spiritual directors, and part-time regional representatives with Sustainable Faith (SF), an international ministry under the direction of Dave Nixon. SF hosts retreats, nurtures conversations, educates leaders, trains spiritual directors, and helps faith communities pursue an active life from a deep place. Our SF School of Spiritual Direction (www.sustainablefaith.com) is the first of schools planned, and in four short years, SF has established first and second year training groups in 24 American cities and the Netherlands. Marty & Sandy’s goal here in the Midwest is to train and place qualified spiritual directors in local communities, grow the practice of individual and group spiritual direction in Vineyard churches, and make this ancient spiritual discipline a widely available form of pastoral care across the Vineyard Midwest North & South regions. Check out our work at: www.pastorboller.com.
As trained spiritual directors and trainers of spiritual directors, working under the authority of Sustainable Faith, Marty & Sandy have formed a new ministry, (Sustainable Faith-The Heartland) designed to serve pastors, church leaders, and lay people alike here in the Midwest. We are authorized and fully accredited by SF to serve as Christ-centered spiritual directors to both individuals and groups, offering a variety of workshops and seminars geared toward encouraging leaders and churches in the realms of contemplative activism. Visit our website www.thecontemplativeactivist.com for more details.
Marty’s popular blog As I See It (see www.pastorboller.com) serves hundreds of pastors and leaders both in the Vineyard and other church denominations. It was his highly popular blog series called The Wisdom of Wimber that has now become a book by the same title, published by Winn Griffin and Harmon Press, Inc. The Wisdom of Wimber: As I See It is recommended by Don Williams, Bill Jackson, Christy Wimber, Steve Sjogren, Costa Mitchell and other recognized names in the Vineyard family. For more info on our book: www.pastorboller.com/wow
As founding senior pastors of Vineyard Church of Cedar Rapids, IA, (www.crvineyard.org) Marty & Sandy planted VCCR starting with five couples. Over the last seventeen years, they have served as senior pastors, overseeing a growing ministry that has touched the lives of hundreds, while sending out two church plants, one in Cedar Rapids and the other in Mankato, MN. They have also served as church-planting coordinators for the Vineyard Midwest during much of this time.
As field representative for Promise Keepers Men's Ministry, Marty worked alongside hundreds of men and pastors throughout Iowa and the upper Midwest, encouraging the mission and ministry of Promise Keepers in local churches and communities.
Marty served as associate pastor at River of Life Ministries in Cedar Rapids, IA, working alongside Pastor Francis Frangipane. There, he oversaw all day-to-day ministries at ROL and served on city-wide ministries such as March for Jesus, City-Pastors-in-Prayer, and Promise Keepers.