Rik Berry | |||
| 441 Canard St. [RR#1] | B0P 1T0 | 902-582-3121 | rik@valleygate.org |
Mission Statement | |||||
| Objective | To see simple vibrant communities of Jesus contagiously just happen across the land. | ||||
| My Journey | I began painting in high school with Robert Bateman as my teacher. There I gained inspiration and awareness for painting nature. I studied Fine Arts at McMaster University and had several exhibitions of my work in Southern Ontario and the Maritimes. Over the last few years my artistic passion has been kindled with a new prophetic edge as God has awakened it for worship and communicating new visions for today’s church. I studied at Acadia Divinity College obtaining an M.Div. degree and from there began pastoring in rural Nova Scotia in 1981. My wife Cathy and I also ministered as missionaries in Costa Rica and Bolivia in the urban context with Canadian Baptists. Rik and Cathy pastored several years in Ontario helping to plant churches in Mississauga, Stoney Creek, and Georgetown. In 1994 Cath and I were deeply touched by renewal as God’s Spirit was moving in Toronto. We began to participate with the Vineyard movement gaining new freedom and confidence in the Holy Spirit. In January of 1996 I began working with artists of various media with a vision to build one another up and see the arts reclaimed for God's use. From Toronto I have had the chance to speak throughout England as well as Australia, Spain, Germany, Canada and the US. Its been an amazing experience speaking and doing workshops with my art with creative people just waiting to be touched by the Spirit of God. This theme, that God is reclaiming the arts, is so redemptive. In 1999 we began Valley Gate Vineyard in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia along with our 6 children. My studio and "Brush of the Wind Gallery" is located here in our Victorian style house. This style of 140 year old house was called, “Classic Revival”. So, we await the promise we have been given that God will bring spiritual awakening and revival in the same valley where it happened 200 years ago. We began our house church here in 1999 and have seen it grow to a network of 8 communities. We are currently involved with other network leaders from around the maritime provinces and across Canada in the hope that God will cause a mighty church planting movement to spread across the land. |