Matt Menzel: From One Week to Live, to Second in Command, to Leading a Thriving Church in Downtown Vancouver
Matt Menzel
Matt Menzel is the Lead Pastor of Westside Church in downtown Vancouver. He and his wife Melissa are passionate about calling and equipping Jesus' people to 'Make Him Known' through the ordinary, Spirit-empowered rhythms of following Jesus in everyday life. They're thrilled and beyond blessed to be part of what Jesus' Spirit is doing in the city.
“The way you develop the culture of a sending church is you have to let go completely of the idea that any of this belongs to us. ”
In this episode Matt Menzel joins us to discuss the joys and challenges of leading a life-giving church in the centre of the city of Vancouver.
Westside church, the ministry that Matt leads, is known as a generous, sending church committed to planting other churches and blessing the wider body of Christ. A church culture that refuses to hoard resources and people doesn’t happen by accident and in this conversation Matt explores how Westside nurtured their sending DNA over the years through church planting, and mobilizing the congregation to be missionaries in the city.
The discussion also does a deep dive into how you lead a congregation into change, bucking the status-quo and following the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Two words come through loud and clear: Let go.
Let go of control.
Let go of fear.
Let go of how people perceive you.
Let go of self-sufficiency and embrace your desperate need for God to move.
Matt also explores how to lead well from the second chair, sharing insight that is crucial for an emerging generation of leaders who are waiting and longing for the opportunity to lead a congregation. He discusses the value of humility and honour — being the type of secondary leader you would hope to have if you were the primary leader. More than that, he urges young leaders to stay in the current lane that God has provided and wait for God to open opportunities because jockeying for position has no place in the body of Christ.
The episode concludes with Matt challenging the church to embrace a season of repentance and purification during the forced closure of Sunday gatherings during COVID - 19 — all with the hope that God will once again fill the church with a powerful sense of His presence as we head into the next season of ministry and leadership.
Episode Links
If you enjoyed this interview with Matt and want to hear more from him, check out Matt’s catalogue of sermons at Westside Church for Bible-centred teaching that is fuelled with genuine conviction and passion.
“All I want is the presence of God moving in power among His people. ”
This episode was brought to you by…
Briercrest College and Seminary has been committed to raising up and developing Christians leaders for the last 85 years. With a goal to serve and bless the local church, Briercrest’s programs help the leaders of the future develop a biblical worldview, and hone the practical skills needed to succeed in the world of church leadership and nonprofit management. Every year hundreds of young adults choose Briercrest and experience an intentional discipleship community that helps them deepen their faith in such a formative time in their journey. If you know someone who could benefit from an education that focuses on spiritual formation, Biblical learning, and the practical skills needed to succeed as a leader, Briercrest is the place for them.
Coming Up Next
Shaila Visser & Nicky Gumbel
Shaila Visser is the National Director of Alpha Canada and the Global Senior Vice-President for Alpha International. She is the Executive Producer of both The Alpha Youth Film Series (2013) and The Alpha Film Series (2016). Nicky Gumbel is the pioneer of Alpha and Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in London, one of the largest Church of England churches in the UK.